THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



105 



of the service in handling Montana projects and 

 added to their storm of protest came an attack 

 by James Harbert, chairman of the Poison Chamber 

 of Commerce, who was accorded the privileges of 

 the floor. Representative Rhodes stated that some 

 objection had been raised to the adoption of the 

 resolution, for the reason, it was claimed, that it 

 would require the expenditure of a large sum of 

 money. He stated that he had no complaint to 

 make against the Carey Act Land Board of the 

 state, and that he knew nothing whatever of their 

 operations, but that the people of Northern Mon- 

 tana were heavily interested in several government 

 projects, including those on the Flathead, the St. 

 Mary's, the Sun river and Milk river work. 



The question arose as to whether the Legisla- 

 ture of the State of. Montana has a right to look 

 into a government project. Mr. Rhodes stated that 

 the people of the State of Montana have that right 

 if they desire to utilize it. He states that the 

 people have suffered in many ways and that they 

 have had their lands deeded away; that they have 

 given quit-claim deeds to water users' associations 

 at the solicitation of the head of the Reclamation 

 Service ; that they have deeded away their water 

 rights to the government on the representation that 

 they were to receive water from these canals, and 

 that year after year they have witnsesed their crops 

 burned up by the sun, while at the same time the 

 water was flowing through these streams, and they 

 were not permitted to divert it onto the land on 

 which the crops were planted. 



Citizens of Montana are evidently similarly 

 situated to those in many other sections where the 

 brass band method of securing signatures and quit- 

 claims by property owners to the water users' asso- 

 ciations has begun to take effect. 



There will, no doubt, be much more heard 

 from other sections now that the thing has been 

 started in Arizona, Montana and one or two other 

 states. 



The IRRIGATION AGE is pleased to 

 Advertising announce, as may be seen elsewhere, 

 Rates Advance the taking over of the National 

 March 1, Land and Irrigation Journal and the 



1913 Irrigator, which leaves it entirely 



alone in the field of irrigation pub- 

 lications throughout the world. The IRRIGATION 

 AGE, the pioneer publication of its class in the 

 world, has had its ups and downs like all other 

 journals which have been representing an interest 

 with which the general public is not entirelv 

 familiar. There have been many attempts made 

 on the part of other newspaper men to establish 

 journals along this line in various parts of the 



country, some of which have been successful, and 

 many others have failed from lack of support. 



The fact of the matter is, that at the present 

 stage of development one publication can very 

 comfortably cover the entire field, while the sup- 

 port for two or more is necessarily limited. Owing 

 to the fact that the IRRIGATION AGE 'has been in 

 existence for twenty-nine years and was the pio- 

 neer journal of its class in the world, this pub- 

 lication has been able to hold its own against all 

 competition and, as stated elsewhere, has purchased 

 various other journals to the number of eight dur- 

 ing the past ten years, all of which, including the 

 subscription list of each, has been merged wjth 

 that of the IRRIGATION AGE. 



It may be easily understood that a merger of 

 this character places at the disposal of advertisers, 

 generally, a fine field for opening up trade through- 

 out not only the irrigated areas of our Western 

 country, but the irrigated districts of foreign coun- 

 tries, where immense tracts are being cultivated 

 under irrigation. This is particularly true of 

 Australia. Africa, India, Ceylon and several states 

 in South America. In all of these countries the 

 IRRIGATION AGE has a live and growing circulation. 



It may, therefore, be seen that manufacturers 

 of heavy machinery for developing great projects 

 may bring their various products to the attention 

 of prospective purchasers, both at home and in 

 foreign countries, through the columns of the 

 IRRIGATION AGE. 



Owing to the increased expense in taking over 

 these other journals and filling their contracts on 

 subscriptions, it will be necessary to increase our 

 advertising rates 25 per cent, and the new rate 

 will go into effect March 1, 1913. 



Secretary of the Interior Fisher has 

 Secretary recently issued a statement in de- 



Fisher fense of the Reclamation Service, 



Defends against whom charges of incompe- 



Service tence and maladministration have 



been made by the House Sub-Com- 

 mittee on Interior Department expenditures. 



Secretary Fisher states that he would have no 

 comment to make about this sub-committee report 

 were it not that he thinks the higher-minded offi- 

 cials whom it criticises are entitled to have him 

 say that this report relates to transactions most of 

 which happened years ago, and the engineering 

 works which were gone over by the Board of Army 

 Engineers which investigated all of the reclamation 

 projects in 1910. 



Secretary Fisher exhibits a woeful lack of 

 knowledge of the general conditions concerning 

 irrigation in making this statement. It is a well 



