400 
of  native  lumber  of  that  State  was  quite  low  in  comparison  to 
what  it  is  now.  On  account  of  the  improvement  in  manufacture 
and  the  extension  of  the  cement  industry  in  western  America, 
the  price  is  now  seldom  more  than  $2.50  per  barrel.  The  low 
price  of  cement  and  the  high  price  of  lumber,  as  well  as  the  greater 
desirability  of  concrete  structures  is  bringing  about  a great  change 
:n  irrigation  practice  and  it  would  be  well  for  water  users  to  take 
advantage  of  these  conditions  by  making  permanent  structures  to 
replace  those  in  wood.  As  our  methods  improve,  irrigation  sys- 
tems will  approach  more  nearly  to  those  of  domestic  water  sup- 
plies for  cities.  Instead  of  conveying  water  in  open  channels  and 
flumes,  a large  part  will  be  conveyed  in  pipes.  Cement  pipes  of  all 
diameters  are  now  made  but  the  forms  used  are  expensive  and 
clumsy.  There  is  great  need  at  the  present  time  for  cheaper  and 
more  serviceable  forms  which  will  enable  farmers  to  make  their 
own  cement  pipes  in  winter  and  at  other  slack  times.  What  is 
true  of  pipes  is  also  true  of  drains,  culverts,  bridges  and  all  other 
structures  which  come  in  contact  with  the  earth.  In  my  own  expe- 
rience I have  seen  a 8x8  Oregon  fir  post  wholly  decayed  in  less 
than  seven  years.  This  may  be  an  exceptional  case,  but  wherever 
timber  is  placed  in  contact  with  the  earth  its  life  is  at  best  short. 
I have  referred  to  the  large  amount  of  money  which  is  being 
put  into  irrigation  enterprises  and  to  the  extent  and  cost  of  the 
construction  now  under  way.  In  a comparatively  short  time  these 
systems  will  be  completed  and  their  success  will  depend  in  no 
small  degree  upon  how  they  are  managed.  For  a great  many  years 
the  railway  corporations  of  this  country  have  given  much  more 
consideration  to  operation  and  maintenance  than  to  construction 
and  the  result  has  been  the  accumulation  of  data  and  experience 
which  have  proved  invaluable.  In  the  case  of  irrigation  enter- 
prises little  information  is  available.  We  have  devoted  our  best 
energies  to  construction  and  disregard  that  part  which  relates 
to  operation  and  maintenance.  Although  thousands  of  miles  of 
canals  have  been  built,  it  is  well  nigh  impossible  to  ascertain  at  the 
present  time  the  cost  of  maintenance  and  operation  per  mile  of 
canal  on  even  a small  percentage.  This  subject  is  so  broad  that  I 
can  only  touch  upon  its  various  branches.  There  is,  in  the  first 
place,  the  organization  of  irrigation  enterprises.  What  kind  of 
organization  is  best  adapted  to  particular  conditions?  Which  will 
come  nearest  to  meeting  the  needs  of  the  farmers,  the  cooperative 
companies,  the  capitalistic  canal  company  or  the  irrigation  dis- 
trict? Shall  we  attempt  to  reclaim  lands  by  means  of  the  Carey 
Act  in  which  the  individual,  the  State  and  the  Nation  all  cooperate, 
or  shall  we  allow  the  Government  to  act  as  both  our  banker  and 
contractor  and  give  us  the  privilege  of  footing  the  bills?  Of  the 
many  kinds  of  organization  now  in  operation,  it  is  no  easy  task 
to  determine  which  is  best  for  a particular  set  of  conditions. 
Then  having  decided  upon  the  proper  kind  of  organization,  what 
procedure  is  necessary  in  order  to  make  the  preliminary  investiga- 
