202 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



secure members for the association, and commissions 

 have been given to persons who have been able and will- 

 ing to do this kind of work. We have talked with men 

 who have been so engaged and we believe that it would 

 bo almost impossible to add to the present list of mem- 

 bers even if greater inducements were to be held out. 

 We are confident that but few new members will ever 

 be secured in the west. 



Besides the funds, derived from the membership, 

 the transcontinental railroads have placed $30,000 per 

 year at the disposal of Mr. Maxwell and his colleagues. 

 This has gone largely to support the Washington press 

 bureau and the publications sent out from that place. 

 Mr. Maxwell's expenses and salary are probably paid 

 from the same fund. We assume that an account of 

 the expenditures under this voluntary contribution from 

 the railroads is furnished them by Mr. Maxwell, but 

 this has nothing to do with the funds brought in by the 

 association. It has been impossible to learn what kind 

 of financial arrangements have been made by the associ- 

 ation, no statement as to receipts and expenditures hav- 

 ing been published. The members of the association, 

 as far as we have been able to discover, know as much 

 regarding this as does the public at large. The Irriga- 

 tion Congress and other organizations make all such 

 matters public and we see no reason why, if the Nation- 

 al Irrigation Association stands for anything that 

 should receive the indorsement of the people interested 

 in irrigation, it should not do the same. 



The statement has been made, and in good faith, 

 that the National Irrigation Association is connected 

 with the Irrigation Congress, but we take the ground 

 that no relation exists. There would have been no oc- 

 casion for such a belief if the Congress had not accepted, 

 through Mr. Maxwell's influence, the members of the 

 association as accredited delegates. We believe that 

 the time has arrived when the Congress should be com- 

 posed of men other than those who may feel disposed 

 to pay $5.00 per year towards the support of Mr. Max- 

 well. The members of the association, if they so de- 

 sire, will have no trouble in securing other credentials 

 and thus lessen the possibility of confusing the two 

 organizations. 



That Mr. Maxwell has used this large sum of 

 money to further selfish schemes to the detriment of the 

 irrigation interests of the country can not be doubted ; 

 that the transcontinental railways, have not, as yet, 

 been reimbursed for their outlay is evident. As long as 

 their present agent represents them we believe that 

 neither they nor the western farmer will be able to re- 

 ceive any direct benefit. 



During the summer of 1901 it seemed that some- 

 thing would be done in the next Congress looking to- 

 ward the reclamation of the west. Those interested in 

 the matter in the various states of the arid region 

 naturally desired to see a plan drawn up at an early date 

 which might be indorsed generally. A meeting was 

 called therefore by the state engineers of a number of 

 the states and all congressmen who found it convenient 

 joined these officers at the time and place designated. 

 The argument of the engineers was that the people of 

 the states of the west were best informed as to the needs 

 of those states and that if the funds received from the 

 sale and rental of public lands could be devoted to the 

 construction of canals and reservoirs the state engineers 

 should be intrusted with the work. There are many 

 strong reasons why this would have been a good policy 

 and -we are not prepared to say that the government 



can carry on construction work to as good advantage 

 as can the states where wise and comprehensive irriga- 

 tion laws have been provided. Water uelongs to or is 

 under control of the states. State engineers are ac- 

 quainted -with the needs of the various districts where 

 irrigation is practiced and would therefore be able to 

 locate works where the greatest good might be accom- 

 plished. These officers understand the water right 

 complications of the state and have an interest in the 

 welfare of their own commonwealth that cannot be 

 equalled by an officer of the general government. The 

 lands from which the funds arise are now located in the 

 states to be benefited and their disposal depends some- 

 what upon the character of the administration of any 

 reclamation service. Should the government require 

 that the states must first organize offices to supervise 

 the diversion and division of water before aid would be 

 extended, much of the injustice now being done the 

 irrigator would be ended and the state would be in a 

 position to prosecute construction work immediately 

 thereafter. Above all the policy of the reclamation 

 .service could not be dictated by one man as it is at 

 present. 



While the meeting of the state engineers and con- 

 gressmen was in progress, Mr. Maxwell appeared and 

 condemned the policy in vigorous terms. He saw that 

 that if the work should be divided in this way his influ- 

 ence with those in charge would be diminished, if not 

 altogether destroyed. The object of the meeting was 

 primarily to enable those interested to exchange ideas, 

 but when adjournment was taken it was agreed that 

 western congressmen should be called for a conference 

 before Congress convened in December, 1901. This 

 conference was to be held in Washington. Mr. Maxwell 

 also appeared there and had a part in framing the bill 

 which was submitted to Congress. Because the bill dirt 

 not suit him in some respects he instituted an active 

 fight against its passage during the late winter and early 

 spring months of the following year. He was finally 

 called into line in a way that has not, as yet, been ex- 

 plained, and since the passage of the bill he has appeared 

 to indorse it in every particular. 



[To be continued.] 



"DISILLUSIONED." 

 A poet came from 'way back East 



Unto the glorious West, 

 Whose charms, he claimed, had ne'er by pen 



In fitting garb been dressed. 



He wrote of mountains, mesa, butte; 



He sang of azure skies, 

 Whose blue he likened to the blue 



Of the western girl's bright eyes. 



His noblest effort, so he thought, 



Was on a murmuring stream 

 That rippled 'tween alfalfa banks, 



A sweet, soft-slumbering dream. 



He took this to his western maid. 



She laughed the little witch 

 And cried: "That stream? Ha! ha! Why, that's 



Dad's irrigating ditch!" 



Florence Ansley Perkins in Sunset Magazine. 



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