424 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



TWENTIETH INTERNATIONAL IRRIGATION 



CONGRESS 



Held at Salt Lake City, Utah, September 30 to October 4, 1912 



The Twentieth International Irrigation Congress, ses- 

 sions qf which were held in Salt Lake City, Utah, Sep- 

 tember 30 to October 4, proved to be one of the best 

 meetings of that character in the history of the organ- 

 ization. 



There were in attendance some 1,200 to 1,400 accred- 

 ited delegates, a large number of whom were active in 

 the proceedings of the Congress. 



Owing to 'the fact that the Utah State Fair was held 

 during the same week and the semi-annual conference 

 of the Morman Church was also in session at that time, 

 immense crowds were attracted to the city by the in- 

 land sea. 



The citizens of Salt Lake City and Utah did every- 

 thing in their power to make the visit of the delegates 

 pleasant and the city was more profusely decorated than 

 ever before in its history. 



Salt Lake City in itself, independent of any outside 

 attraction, possesses an unusual amount of entertainment 

 for visitors from other states. It is the Mecca of the 

 Morman Church, and here are located the famous taber- 

 nacle, the world known temple, and all of the govern- 

 mental buildings of that great institution. 



Speeches replete with constructive ideas on man}' 

 land and irrigation topics were delivered by men of promi- 

 nence and authority on the subjects with which they 

 dealt. Several speeches provoked spirited discussion 

 among the delegates, showing the aggressive and earnest 

 purpose of the delegates. 



Perhaps the most attractive feature of the entire 

 congress was the gorgeous pageant whose beginning had 

 been signalized by the formal opening of the congress 

 at the tabernacle on September 30. At that time the 

 queen of irrigation, her maids of honor, officers of the 

 congress and other dignitaries were presented to the 

 delegates and the public. 



It is doubtful if any former meeting of the congress 

 had a more impressive opening; in fact, to an onlooker 

 in the tabernacle during the opening exercises, the stage 

 settings with the great choir and organ in the background, 

 the queen and her maids of honor and the prominent 

 officers and visitors to the congress in the foreground, 

 with a sea of 14,000 faces surrounding them on the main 

 floor and in the gallery of the world-famed building; was 

 intensely impressive. The size of the building and great 

 crowd combined to make it the most impressive gather- 

 ing ever attended by the writer. 



The singing of the "Star-Spangled Banner," followed 

 by the introductory speeches of the various officials, in- 

 cluding the governor, officers of the congress, etc., con- 

 sumed a good part of the opening day. 



Fine as was the rendition of the ode to irrigation, 

 interesting as was the ceremonies that marked the great 

 gathering, the feature of the day which exceeded anything 

 of like nature which has ever taken place in Utah or in 

 connection with an irrigation congress was the glittering 

 pageant of the evening. 



Thousands of dollars and days of labor had been ex- 



pended on this pageant. The board of control, working 

 through Douglas White, who had chaste of all arrange- 

 ments for the parade, with his aides gave to Salt Lake 

 and Utah something unprecedented in her history. 



The afternoon session of the first day took up the 

 discussion of questions of importance, this and subse- 

 quent meeting? were held in the assembly hall. 



The opening address before the congress was made 

 .by George A. Snow, chairman of the Utah board of con- 

 trol. This was followed by addresses of other notables, 

 which finished the preliminary meeting. 





GEORGE A. SNOW, 

 Chairman Executive Committee Twentieth National Irrigation Congress 



An attempt to bring about the merger of the irriga- 

 tion congress with the dry farming congress on the 

 ground that the interests of the dry farmer and the 

 irrigation farmer were identical in the end and that the 

 merger would prove profitable to both organizations 

 brought forth a storm of protest at the morning session. 

 George H. Maxwell made his usual effort to put this 

 merger over, evidently thinking that it would strengthen 

 his position in the matter of the deep waterways problem 

 which is now under way. 



