THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



181 



proposition, and it should be held annually in some 

 centrally located city. Moreover, the heavy expense 

 attached to the International Irrigation Congress 

 .should be eliminated. What sense is there in pay- 

 ing a secretary a salary of $3,500, with additional 

 help that brings this item to five or six thousand 

 dollars a year, when the entire work can be per- 

 formed, in not to exceed two months, at an expense 

 of one-third or one-half of that amount? To illus- 

 trate this, let those who are familiar with the situa- 

 tion look over the history of the Dry Farming Con- 

 gress. These thoughts will be given attention should 

 the water users secure control of the organization. 



.Think this over, Mr. Water User, and write us 

 your opinion. 



Mr. Edward Gillette of Sheridan, Wyo- 

 Move ming, chairman of the Reclamation 



to Help Service Board of Review for the North- 

 Water ern Division, has sent the AGE an ar- 

 Users tide entitled "The Reclamation Service 

 Problem," which will be presented to 

 our readers in our issue for November. 



The subject discussed by Mr. Gillette' is of such 

 importance at this time that it is a source of regret 

 that it cannot be crowded into this number of the 

 AGE. The general trend of the thoughts expressed 

 is in favor of the settler, and is in no way compli- 

 mentary to the men who are responsible for condi- 

 tions as they now exist. 



"Impracticable and impossible conditions," as 

 Mr. Gillette expresses it, were, and still are, imposed 

 on the helpless settler. 



It is to be regretted that Mr. Gillette and others 

 of his class could not have attended the meeting of 

 representatives of the various water users' associa- 

 tions held during the days of the recent Interna- 

 tional Irrigation Congress at El Paso. 



The editor of IRRIGATION AGE attended one of 

 these meetings and learned that there is a great 

 diversity of opinion among these gentlemen. This 

 difference is so great that no definite action was 

 taken beyond the preparation ofa resolution which 

 was presented and passed by the Congress calling 

 upon the Government to take over and maintain all 

 of the top loads of the federal irrigation systems 

 such as dams, reservoirs, etc., and make a charge for 

 maintenance and distribution of water to be paid in 

 annual or semi-annual payments, this charge to in- 

 clude also interest on the investment. 



It was apparently the sentiment of the men 

 composing these meetings that this plan would re- 

 lieve the settlers of unnecessary burdens and at the 

 same time prove. a safe and paying investment for 

 the Government. 



Not having a copy of the resolution as finally 

 passed, the writer is only able to give the gist of the 



plan which is no doubt fully outlined in the resolu- 

 tion proper. 



As suggested, a man of the wide and varied 

 experience of Mr. Gillette, could have materially 

 assisted this body of water users who were, in a 

 way, working at cross purposes. 



It affords much satisfaction to those who have 

 the interests of the water users at heart to know 

 that thinking men like Mr. Gillette are in sympathy 

 with them, and stand ready to assist in any move- 

 ment which will tend to better their condition. 



Director Davis of the United States 

 Director Reclamation Service presents in the 



Davis October number of the Reclamation 



Lauds Record a very kindly-worded article 



Mr. Brown concerning Mr. Hugh Arbuthnot 

 Brown, editor of that publication, 

 which clearly indicates to its many readers who is 

 its responsible editorial head, a matter that has not 

 previously been made public. 



The impression has prevailed that C. J. Blanch- 

 ard was in charge of its make-up, but the statements 

 by Mr. Davis clears up the situation and we may, 

 from now on, know who is presenting to us so much 

 interesting and authentic information. 



Mr. Davis informs us that the editor of the 

 Reclamation Record has been diligent in securing 

 photographs and data from water users as well as 

 from the engineers and the legal staff of the Service. 

 This is evidenced by the high class of matter pre- 

 sented in the columns of the Record, and Mr. Brown 

 is entitled to all of the encouraging words that have 

 or may be said of him by Mr. Davis and others in the 

 Service. 



In presenting this descriptive or biographical 

 sketch, Mr. Davis states that the Reclamation Com- 

 mittee considered for some time the enlargement of 

 the scope of the Record to make it more generally 

 useful, and furthermore that it was a venture that 

 was entered upon with "some trepidation as it was 

 feared that it might arouse criticism." 



The Director says further that "Searching in- 

 quiries were made by the House Committee on Ap- 

 propriations, and they were furnished with copies of 

 the Record and also some comments of the water 

 users who appreciated 'the periodical. They (the 

 House Committee on Appropriation) were invited 

 to criticize and were persistently asked whether the 

 publication was going beyond legitimate bounds, 

 and while some doubt was expressed, no criticism 

 was actually made, and the Record in its enlarged 

 form, may be considered to have amply justified it- 

 self both from legal and financial standpoints." 



Mr. Davis has evidently taken it for granted 

 that an opinion by members of the House Commit- 

 tee on Appropriation decides definitely the question 



