358 



THE IKBIGATION AGE. 



If Mr. George H. Maxwell has ever enter- 

 Objectionable tained any doubts about his popularity 

 Tactics. among the manufacturers of agricultural 



implements, he had an opportunity to 

 settle the question for good and all at the annual conven- 

 tion held at Niagara Falls September 27-29. 



Mr. Maxwell was present as usual and attempted 

 through the assistance of Colonel Nones and one other 

 delegate to convey the impression that the Committee on 

 Public Lands and Irrigation of that body was incom- 

 petent. 



, The members of that committee was composed of 

 the following well-known manufacturers: Mr. C. G. 

 Rowley of the Aspinwall Manufacturing Company, 

 Jackson, Mich. ; Mr. Thos. B. Carson, Bettendorf Metal 

 Wheel Company, Davenport, Iowa, and Mr. C. B. Demp- 

 ster, president of the Dempster Mill Manufacturing 

 Company, Beatrice, Neb. 



As usual Mr. Maxwell made an effort to be per- 

 mitted to deliver a speech, but that was forestalled by 

 the action of the delegates who have grown tired of his 

 long-winded talks. Several efforts were made to secure 

 a place for him on the program, but they were unsuc- 

 cessful. Mr. Maxwell was not to be squelched so easily, 

 however, and finally forced his way to the front of the 

 convention hall and broke in. He made a prior effort 

 for recognition by the speaker, but was called down. 



One of the best known delegates stated after he was 

 through speaking that he had been in sympathy with 

 Maxwell's work in past years, but was now thoroughly 

 satisfied that he has some wrong motive; that no man 

 could 'force his ideas on a body of men who were not 

 anxious to consider them unless some ulterior motive 

 prompted him. 



The implement trade press, to a man, is acquainted 

 with the motives of this individual, and not one of the 

 five leading journals in this line are in sympathy with 

 his movement. It is evident that Mr. Maxwell and his 

 small band of followers will find it necessary to hunt for 

 newer and more verdant fields. Hail ! George H. Max- 

 well, "an-you will" it, good-bye. 



MONTANA COOPERATES WITH THE GOVERNMENT 

 IN IRRIGATION PROJECTS OTHER REC- 

 LAMATION SERVICE NOTES. 



At the last session of the legislature of Montana 

 it was provided that State lands involved in Govern- 

 ment irrigation systems should be sold substantially 

 under the same conditions as the lands belonging to the 

 United States. 



This law has been recently construed by Attorney- 

 General Albert J. Galen, of Montana, who has rendered 

 an opinion for the guidance of State Land Registrar 

 John Pi Schmidt. The attorney-general's construction 

 of the law has made plain the means provided by the 

 legislature for cooperating with the United States. 



The main question involved was the price at which 



State lands were to be sold. The attorney-general has 

 construed the language of the law to mean that until 

 the time when the Government is ready to furnish water 

 for the lands they may be sold at any price which they 

 will bring; but after that time they shall be sold at the 

 minimum price fixed by the enabling act of the Starte of 

 Montana, namely, $10 per acre. 



Even though in addition to the price of the land 

 the purchaser must pay to the United States the cost 

 per acre of constructing the irrigation works, it is pos- 

 sible that in some favorable localities the lands can be 

 sold at a price in excess of $10 per acre. It is believed, 

 however, that in most cases the State will not be able 

 to sell the land for a greater amount. 



Under the provisions of the State law the land 

 must be sold in accordance with the farm units fixed 

 by the United States and subject to the limitations con- 

 cerning private land found in the Federal Reclamation 

 Act. Amongst these are that the purchaser shall apply 

 for a water right and shall live on the land or in the 

 neighborhood. He is also required to pay the cost of 

 construction per acre as fixed by the Secretary of the 

 Interior in annual installments as required by him, not 

 exceeding ten, without profit or interest. 



It is to be observed that while the State in this 

 legislation has apparently made a concession to the 

 United States, it will be definitely benefited by the 

 operations of this act. 



In the first place there will be a sale for this land 

 at a higher price than could be obtained under any 

 other conditions without expense to the State. 



In the second place, many thousands of acres of 

 State land which could probably never be sold will by 

 means of Government irrigation construction be salable 

 at $10 or more per acre. 



In the third place, the possibility of the State 

 lands passing into the hands of parties who will hold 

 them in large blocks and for speculative purposes, will 

 be entirely eliminated and instead they will be owned 

 for all time in small tracts by actual home-makers, re- 

 sulting in a very large increase in the valuation for 

 taxation purposes and a far greater improvement of the 

 land; involving also a large increase in population and 

 business development. 



In the fourth place, the possibility of selling so 

 much State land as could not otherwise be disposed of 

 will add largely to the funds available for school pur- 

 poses and thus become a lasting benefit to the entire 

 population of the State. 



IRRIGATION NOTES. 



Adna Dobson, secretary of the Nebraska State 

 Board of Irrigation, said on his return home from the 

 irrigation congress to a reporter of a local paper : "One 

 of the important actions of the irrigation congress was 

 the adoption of a resolution repudiating the alleged con- 

 nection of the National Irrigation Association with 

 the National Irrigation Congress. The former has ab- 

 solutely no connection with the latter and no one is 

 authorized to collect funds for the irrigation congress. 

 The congress merely is an annual meeting of those in- 

 terested in irrigation matters to compare notes." 



The most conclusive evidence that irrigation is a 

 success is the large amount of land sold by the Billings 

 Land & Irrigation Company. Billings, Mont., from their 



