Year 



THE IRRIGATION AGE 



VOL. XXXII 



CHICAGO, OCTOBER, 1917. 



No. 12 



THE IRRIGATION AGE 



With which is Merged 



The National Land and Irrigation Journal 



MODERN IRRIGATION THE DRAINAGE JOURNAL 



THE IRRIGATIJN ERA MID-WEST 



ARID AMERICA THE FARM HERALD 



THE WATEI USERS' BULLETIN THE IRRICATOR 



D. H. ANDERSON 



PUBLISHER, 



Published Monthly at 30 No. Dearborn Street, 

 CHICAGO 



Entered as second-class matter October 3, 1897, at the Postoffice 

 at Chicago, 111., under Act of March t, 1879. 



D. H. ANDERSON, Editor 



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Official organ Federation of Tree Growing Clubs of 

 America. D. H. Anderson, Secretary. 



The Executive Committee of the National Fed- 

 eration of Water Users' Association has taken action 

 whereby THE IRRIGATION AGE is created the official 

 organ of this vast organization, representing 1,000,- 

 000 persons on the government irrigation projects. 



It seems particularly inappropriate 

 Railroads that the cry for government owner- 



Deserve ship of railroads should be raised at 



Earnest a time when transportation problems 



Support so vitally concern this nation. We 



are at war. Any unnecessary 

 economic problems injected into the situation at 

 this time tend to hinder or disorganize those strictly 

 governmental functions that are so necessary to 

 military preparations. 



Those who understand the true situation must 

 realize that there have been fundamental changes 

 in our transportation affairs within the few months 

 just past. Restrictions that had hitherto prohibited 

 the railroads from co-operative policies and pre- 

 vented their adoption of measures calculated to in- 

 sure greater efficiency, have been removed by gov- 

 ernmental injunction. Then came the long delayed 

 co-ordination of facilities under conditions that make 

 for economy in both shipments and operative ex- 

 penses. 



Upon the railroads has been thrown a mighty 

 burden of responsibility* Mobilization of troops, in 

 itself a huge task for nearly every railroad in the 

 country, has proceeded at a time when transporta- 

 tion of crops and seasonable supplies has demanded 

 the maximum use of rolling stock. In meeting these 

 abnormal demands, without paralysis in any 

 essential branch of the service, railroad organizations 

 have merited commendation not condemnation. 



Nor should it be forgotten that the transporta- 

 tion interests were working under serious hardships 



for many months prior to our declaration of war. 

 Increasing operating expenses without propor- 

 tionate advance in revenues had forced the roads to 

 throttle their expansion in both construction and 

 equipment. Prayers for higher freight rates, that 

 additional revenues might meet the higher costs, 

 were almost wholly ignored. Without relief from 

 the dilemma, railroads were forced to curtail opera- 

 tions and restrict expenditures for upkeep. 



Government ownership of transportation facili- 

 ties should not be a debatable question when there 

 is great stress in national activities, that seem not to 

 require drastic action in this particular direction. 

 It may be predicted that Secretary McAdoo as well 

 as other cabinet members will recognize the menace 

 in recurring agitations of this kind. 



Future 

 Control 

 Presents 

 Problems 



Water users in the Uncompahgre 

 district are getting below the sur- 

 face in their inquiry as to what steps 

 must be taken and what problems 

 must be met if their organization 

 should assume control of the pro- 

 ject. These are healthy signs and point to an 

 eventual determination of the whole problem along 

 lines that shall be logical and conclusive. 



Whatever controversies or disputes may arise 

 in the discussion, water users should realize that 

 engineering skill and knowledge can find a solution 

 for questions of a technical nature, and that a broad 

 administrative policy will overcome obstacles to 

 maintenance and expansion. In neither of these 



