170 



THE IKRIGATION AGE. 



were not the kind to turn back, however, and not being 

 able to secure aid from the government, they did all 

 they could for themselves. 



These people believed that the government should 

 build irrigation works as an inducement to settlement, 

 and that the national treasury would be fully reim- 

 bursed through the rapid development of the west. The 

 homesteader in Iowa had no great difficulties to sur- 

 mount. He had an ample rainfall for the growth of 

 crops and no timber to clear away before grain could be 

 planted. Why should one go to Colorado where the 

 labor of taking out irrigation ditches would consume at 

 least one season's time which might be employed more 

 profitably further east? The government was spend- 

 ing monev for the benefit of the commerce along the 

 Missouri. Why not extend this aid to the pioneer farmer 

 of the plains? 



At a later date, the American Society of Irri- 

 gation Engineers was organized and also advocated 

 government construction of irrigation works of too 

 great magnitude for private capital. The Society held 

 regular meetings at which times irrigation topics of 

 the time were discussed. The members were engineers, 

 with whom practical questions were of greater interest 

 than were the leeal and theoretical problems which al- 

 ways arise in irrigated countries. The leading men 

 of the west who have become intimately acquainted with 

 practical irrigation and who have sympathized with the 

 policies advocated by this society, have stood as a unit 

 in favor of national aid, provided it should be direct, 

 that existing rights should not in any way be inter- 

 fered with, and that the control of the water should be 

 left with the states. 



THE IRRIGATION CONGRESS. 



One other organization has always stood for na- 

 tional aid. This is the Irrigation Congress which was 

 organized to further irrigation generally and bring to- 

 gether those who had special knowledge of the subject, 

 that an exchange of ideas might be possible. Meetings 

 have been held almost annually since the early nineties. 

 Interest in the Congress has fluctuated somewhat ow- 

 ing to the partial control gained over it at times by 

 men whose motives hare not been entirely praiseworthy. 

 During the past few years the leader of the railroad lob- 

 by at Washington has exercised a baneful influence in 

 the executive committee of the Congress. It is believed 

 that this influence has largely been removed and that 

 henceforth the deliberations of the Congress will be 

 carried on by those who desire to be of public service. 



One of the unfortunate features of the Congress is 

 that almost anyone who so desires can be appointed a 

 delegate. Consequently, one or two sessions have been 

 largely controlled by agents of manufacturing concerns. 

 Delegations from localities where irrigation is of no con- 

 sequence have stood for policies of local importance 

 which should never be brought before such a body for 

 consideration. At one session, in particular, politicians 

 had the floor most of the time. These men were not of 

 national repute, but were state and county aspirants for 

 public honors who were not competent to speak on irri- 

 gation subjects except in a very general way. Under pro- 

 grams thus conducted those who have made a study of 

 irrigation have been prevented from appearing and as a 

 result the Congress has been voted a failure by the dele- 

 gates who went to learn something regarding irri- 

 gation practice in neighboring states. The enthusiast 

 has been on hand to tell the assembled delegates how 

 the banks of the Missouri are lined with homeseekers 



looking toward the west, awaiting the time when a tract 

 of irrigable land should be furnished with canals and 

 ditches. Those better informed have generally remained 

 silent at such times, not desiring to destroy the pleasant 

 delusions under which the enthusist was laboring. 



The question of the west to-day is one of people; 

 this, and not irrigation, has been the more urgent prob- 

 lem of the past twenty years. Canals have gone ahea'd 

 of settlement and the people do not come to till the soil 

 and use the water that has been made available. This 

 is the reason for the failure of many a promising irri- 

 gation enterprise launched by private capital. Land 

 and water have been brought together but not in a way 

 to attract settlers in time to save the enterprise to the 

 investors. The argument in favor of the recent act of 

 Congress is that the government loans the money and 

 charges no interest. It makes no difference, therefore, 

 whether s tract of land is settled in one or fifty years. 

 Whenever it is settled, the homsteader is given ten years 

 in which to pay for his land and water. If some of 

 the land is never taken, the government must raise on 

 the general assessment, or lose a portion of the money 

 invested. 



Among the substantial men who have regularly 

 attended the meetings of the Irrigation Congress are 

 the state engineers. These officers have always favored 

 a broad policy aimed to benefit the people of the states 

 represented. The professional men from universities 

 and agricultural colleges have always been valuable del- 

 egates as have also the representatives from canal com- 

 panies and irrigation engineers engaged in a general 

 practice. Utah invariably sends a delegation to which 

 she can point with pride. Such men as Colonel Young, 

 Colonel Holmes, John Henry Smith and Fred J. Kiesel 

 are to be found with those who sympathize with the irri- 

 gator and strive to lessen the difficulties which he can 

 not overcome unaided. Ex-Senator J. M. Carey, of 

 Wyoming, is another example of genuine public spirit. 

 Of recent years the Congress has suffered from the 

 influence of certain men whose purposes will be ex- 

 plained in some detail in future issues more as a mat- 

 ter of current history than because they shoiild occupy 

 a prominent place in solving the irrigation problems of 

 the west. 



(To be continued.) 



PRETTY GOOD PLACE. 



Treats a feller purty well, this ol' world of ours, 



If you mog along an' do yer best. 

 Allers lots o' sunshine sandwiched in between the showers; 



With the hard work comes the peaceful rest. 



Lots o' days that's fair an' bright, 



Spite o' clouds sometimes in sight. 



Treats a feller purty well, this ol' world of ours, 



Even when the days look sad and drear. 

 When the thorns are pushed aside you will find the flowers, 



Smiles will make the heartaches disappear. 



Purty good of world. I say, 



Gittin" better every day ! 



Treats a feller purty well, this ol' world of ours, 



There's a smile fer every tear an' sigh ; 

 There's a rainbow peekin" through every cloud that lowers, 



Tellin' of the sunshine by and by, 



Likely place, this here, to dwell 



Treats a feller purty well ! 



E. A. BRININSTOOL. 



THE IRRIGATION AGE for 1 year and The Primer 

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