48 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



January 



The reclamation fund provides for 

 the return by the waters users of the 

 cost of construction ; so that when the 

 first set of projects now undertaken is 

 completed the returns to the fund will 

 enable the Reclamation Service to ex- 

 tend some of the projects which may 

 be completed and to take up new ones. 

 These extensions will continue indefi- 

 nitely, because the reclamation fund 

 provided by the act is a revolving 



fund. The additions to the communi- 

 ties so developed will go on from time 

 to time, adding their impetus to the 

 progress of the forestry movement. 



It is safe to say, therefore, that, 

 aside from the mere official action of 

 the Reclamation Service, the results of 

 the construction of the various pro- 

 jects will introduce a powerful element 

 that will bring into line with the work 

 of the American Forestry Association 

 the united West. 



THE NATIONAL BOARD OF TRADE 



Interesting Report of the Committee on Forestry 

 and Irrigation Made at the Annual Meeting, 

 Washington, D. C, January 16, 17 and 18. 



TT IS gratifying to note that much of 

 * the legislation on forestry and irri- 

 gation matters which has been consist- 

 ently urged by the National Board of 

 Trade has been enacted into law. The 

 National Board was the first organi- 

 zation representing the commercial in- 

 terests of the whole country to rec- 

 ommend a national irrigation policy, 

 and June ij, 1902, a national irriga- 

 tion law was enacted. There is in the 

 irrigation l md at the present time 

 about $30,000,000, which is increasing 

 from the sale of public lands at the 

 rate of at least $3,000,000 a year. 



In the matter of forest legislation, 

 the National Board of Trade recom- 

 mended the passage of the bill provid- 

 ing for the consolidation of the various 

 forestry branches of the government 

 into the Forest Service of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. This bill was 

 enacted into law at the last session of 

 Congress. 



The National Board of Trade has 

 stood against the practice of exchang- 

 ing worthless "scrip" land in the na- 

 tional forest reserves for valuable pub- 

 lic lands outside of the reserves, and 

 has repeatedly recommended the repeal 

 of the law permitting this practice. 



This law was repealed at the last ses- 

 sion of Congress. 



At the last meeting of the National 

 Board, opposition was expressed to 

 what was known as the 640-acre home- 

 stead bills, increasing the homestead 

 entry in parts of South Dakota, Colo- 

 rado and in Montana from 160 acres to 

 640 acres. These bills were all de- 

 feated at the last session of Congress. 



Other minor measures and appro- 

 priations advocated in past meetings 

 of the National Board, in relation to 

 forestry and irrigation, have been fa- 

 vorably acted upon by Congress. 



Much, however, remains to be done. 

 The National Board of Trade has con- 

 sistently advocated the saving of the 

 great public domain for the use of the 

 real homemaker as against the land 

 and timber grabber and the specula- 

 tor. Trade and commerce will in- 

 crease as population increases, and our 

 national land policy should be admin- 

 istered to preserve our remaining half 

 billion acres of public lands for those 

 who will build homes upon them. As 

 laws which tend to overcome this poli- 

 cy the National Board has continuous- 

 ly, since its meeting in January, 1902 

 urged the repeal of the Timber and 



