294 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



bone in the days when it was working for the good 

 of the whole West and when no special interests 

 controlled it. THE AGE would like to see the old 

 Congress saved, and although the hour for action 

 is almost passed, is still hopeful that the board of 

 governors will come to their senses, awaken to their 

 patriotic duty as Americans and rescind the igno- 

 minious deal which they made. 



If they do not, then one of two things should be 

 done, and done promptly. Either the invitation of 

 Ogden should be accepted by the patriotic men of 

 the West and a new Congress organized, or steps 

 should be taken 'to eliminate absolutely from any 

 authority in the old Congress every man who had 

 anything to do with the Canadian deal. 



If Secretary Hooker and the board of governors 

 persist in carrying the Canadian deal to completion 

 in order to collect their mess of pottage, they must 

 be dealt with strenuously and in no uncertain man- 

 ner. They should be ousted from office and so 

 branded that all may know them and guard against 

 any attempt they may make in the future to again 

 creep into power in the Irrigation Congress. 



If the Congress is restored to American soil, 

 steps should be taken immediately by its patriotic 

 American members to guard absolutely against any- 

 such deal as this Canadian affair in the future. 

 Greater care should be taken in selecting new offi- 

 cers of the Congress. Only men who have the real 

 interests of the irrigation areas of the United States 

 at heart and are true blue Americans should be 

 selected. The Congress should be reorganized so 

 as to restore it to the high plane upon which its 

 originators placed it, eliminating all the present 

 money-seeking, money-grabbing features which 

 have crept into it and which offered excuse for the 

 despicable Canadian deal. 



Meanwhile it will be well for all Americans to 

 keep- in mind the generous and patriotic offer of 

 Ogden, Utah. If the old Congress can not be 

 brought back to the United States thoroughly 

 cleansed of the men who sold it out to the Canadian 

 land boomers, if this influence, purchased with 

 sordid gold, is to be permitted to continue, then it 

 is best that the old Congress shall die. It must not 

 be allowed to remain the slave of alien land 

 boomers. 



Ogden and her citizens are entitled to unstinted 

 praise for their generous offer. And we know 

 enough of the leading men of Ogden to say without 

 fear of contradiction that if Ogden is called upon 

 to fulfill her offer, she will do it in a manner to make 

 every patriotic Westerner feel proud. 



Some decisive action must be taken quickly. 

 The West and the Nation need such a body as the 



Irrigation Congress was before the insidious in- 

 fluences which now control it crept in. 



Which shall it be the old Congress, thor- 

 oughly cleansed, or a new Congress? 



Whichever it is, it must be an institution of the 

 United States, for and in the interests of the United 

 States, and manned by patriotic citizens of the 

 I/nited -States. 



Spokane business men are after the 

 Bring the land hog. The Chamber of Corn- 



Landless Man merce of the western metropolis of 

 To the Washington has begun a campaign 



Manless Land to induce the big landholders to put 

 their lands on the market at reason- 

 able figures. 



These business men, interested in the develop- 

 ment of their section of the nation, never have 

 made a more wise move. The West has been 

 handicapped seriously for years by the holding by 

 wealthy men of large tracts of idle land for specu- 

 lative purposes. 



If desirable settlers are to be obtained, the 

 land must be offered at prices which the farmer 

 can pay. One intelligent farmer settled upon a 

 piece of land for which he will be able to pay is 

 worth a dozen speculative deals in real estate that 

 remains idle. 



Abnormal prices for land mean that few de- 

 sirable settlers will attempt to buy it and still 

 fewer will be able to pay for it. 



It is estimated that there are 150,000 acres of 

 land under the ditch in Washington, which are lying 

 idle. This is nearly one-third of Washington's ir- 

 rigated lands. 



It is idle because it is practically all in pri- 

 vate ownership and is held at^ prices which the aver- 

 age farmer cannot pay. True the land may be 

 worth all the owners ask for it, and produce big 

 interest, when cultivated, on the values at which 

 they hold it, but this does not help the intelligent 

 farmer with a small amount of capital who really 

 wants to develop and pay for a farm. 



Once these big landholders are taught that in 

 the end they will realize a far greater profit as well 

 as benefit their state and nation through permitting 

 their lands to.be settled up at reasonable valuations 

 with progressive, hustling producers of wealth, the 

 development of the West will progress with much 

 greater strides. 



More power to the business men of Spokane. 

 This work which they have undertaken means much 

 to the Inland Empire. It is a work which other 

 western Chambers of Commerce and Commercial 

 clubs can well afford to follow. 



