THE IBBIOATION AGE. 



359 



Sixteenth National Irrigation Congress Held at 

 Albuquerque, New Mexico. 



The sixteenth National Irrigation Congress, which 

 assembled at Albuquerque, New Mexico, September 29th, 

 was attended by nearly 900 accredited delegates and 

 taken all in all was a successful meeting. The fear en- 

 tertained by many who attended the Congress that Al- 

 buquerque would not be able to take care of her guests 

 during that period was unfounded. So far as has been 

 learned, ample accommodations were offered. 



While many of the speakers billed failed to appear, 

 there were enough good papers delivered to make the 

 Congress an exceedingly interesting one, both from a 

 scientific or general irrigation standpoint. 



The head of the Reclamation Service, Mr. Newell, 

 was unable to attend owing to the fact that he was 

 looking after some work for the people in the Hawaiian 

 Islands. Mr. Pinchot, it was stated, was detained in 

 Washington by work connected with the new bureau 



One of the most interesting features of the congress 

 was a paper read by Judge D. C. Beaman, of Denver, 

 criticising the Forestry Bureau. This paper created 

 a great deal of criticism and resulted in bringing out 

 talks from those opposing his views. The article by 

 Judge Beaman is printed elsewhere in this issue and 

 will be found highly interesting. 



It is a peculiar fact that criticism of either the 

 Forestry or Reclamation Bureau in the Congress or else- 

 where brings out strong protest from the friends of 

 these bureaus, so strong in fact as to lead the average 

 individual to believe that antagonism is anticipated and 

 that the individuals are always on hand to combat any- 

 thing that may not be to the liking of either one of 

 these departments. 



It was very evident from the beginning that friends 

 of the Reclamation and Forestry Bureaus had so shaped 



View of Convention Hall on Opening Day, Sixteenth National Irrigation Congress, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 



established by the President to assist the farmers of the 

 country. It was the impression of all delegates present 

 that these two gentlemen should have attended this 

 congress regardless of any demands upon their time as 

 matters of more than ordinary importance in connection 

 with each bureau were brought to the attention of the 

 Congress, and could have been answered much more sat- 

 isfactorily by them than by subordinates who were sent 

 to represent them. 



The Reclamation Service 'was ably represented by 

 Mr. A. P. Davis, Chief Engineer, who is a man of un- 

 usual attainment in his line of work, and an all-around 

 "good mixer." The fact that very few of the Reclama- 

 tion and Forestry people were in attendance, as com- 

 pared with former years, was particularly noticeable. 



Mr. C. J. Blanchard, Chief Statistician of the 

 Reclamation Bureau, looked after the interests of his 

 department and George H. Maxwell was in attendance 

 and very active, and his work all through the Congress 

 would indicate that he was an indirect, if not a direct 

 representative of both the Reclamation and Forestry 

 Bureaus. 



things as to control the actions of the Congress and re- 

 peated efforts were made, some of them successfully, to 

 develop sentiment in favor of the two bureaus named. 

 This was particularly noticeable in the Resolutions Com- 

 mittee where Mr. Maxwell, at one time friend and ad- 

 visor of the president, attempted to dominate all delib- 

 erations of that committee. His actions were a source 

 of much comment by all those who have been acquainted 

 with his connection with the Congress since the time he 

 first attended it at Phoenix, and in view of the fact that 

 the congress at one time passed a resolution repudiating 

 the National Irrigation Association, of which Mr. Max- 

 well is the head, his presence and domineering attitude 

 were all the more remarkable. 



It is a question in the minds of many who attended 

 this Congress what interests -support Mr. Maxwell. 

 Among those, however, who are acquainted with his past 

 history, no doubt exists as to who is furnishing him 

 money, and evidence in the hands of the IRRIGATION 

 AGE and others will make clear his position in a very 

 short time. Mr. Maxwell has continuously and per- 

 sistently advocated the repeal of certain laws, viz : The 



