

THE IEEIGATION AGE. 



209 



The Seventeenth National Irrigation Congress 



To Be Held at Spokane, Washington, Aug. 9-14, 1909 



Preparation Is Being Made to Entertain the Largest Gathering in the^Mistory of This Organization 



BY AUGUST WOLF 



The National Irrigation Congress recognized the 

 importance of the Inland Empire as a fruit-producing 

 district when it was decided to have the seventeenth 

 session in Spokane the week of August 9, when Presi- 

 dent Taft and several members of his cabinet, govern- 

 ment officials, members of congress, governors, foreign 



Old Hudson Post, near Spokane. 



representatives, railroad presidents, bankers and dele- 

 gates from various states and territories and provinces 

 in Canada will participate in the deliberations. The 

 purpose is to demonstrate the wonderful development to 

 the west possible through irrigation, drainage, forestry, 



First House in Spokane. 



deep waterways, good roads and home-building, and to 

 show to the East the economic importance and benefit 

 to the whole country of this development, which includes 

 the saving of forests, storing of flood waters, reclama- 



tion of the deserts and making homes on lands where 

 the foot of man has not trod for hundreds of years. 



The national officers of the 1909 congress are: 

 President, George E. Barstow, Barstow, Tex.; secre- 

 tary, B. A. Fowler, Phoenix, Ariz.; assistant secretary, 

 F. H. Griswold, Chicago. Every state and territory in 

 the Union has a vice-president. 



When it was officially announced that Spokane had 

 been selected for the 1909 congress a committee of 

 bankers and business men appointed a local board of 

 control, headed by E. Insinger, manager of the North- 

 western and Pacific Hypotheekbank, with Arthur Hook- 

 er as secretary, others being: 



Edwin T. Coman, president Exchange National 



Spokane Indian Tepee. 



bank; George S. Brooke, president Fidelity National 

 bank; E. Lewis Eutter, secretary and manager Spokane 

 and Eastern Trust Company; W. D. Vincent, cashier 

 Old National bank; J. J. Browne, president Columbia 

 Investment Company; A. F. McClaine, vice-president 

 Traders' National bank; W. H. Cowles, owner and pub- 

 lisher The Spokesman-Eeview ; F. A. Blackwell, presi- 

 dent Idaho and Washington Northern Eailway Com- 

 pany; Jay P. Graves, president Spokane & Inland Em- 

 pire Electric Eailway system; D. C. Corbin, president 

 Spokane International Eailway Company; D. L. Hunt- 

 ington, first vice-president and general manager Wash- 

 ington Water Power Company; M. E. Hay, gov- 

 ernor state of Washington; J. P. McGoldrick, president 

 McGoldrick Lumber Company; J. T. Humbird, general 



