Smythe, of California ; John Hall, of Texas ; John Henry Smith, of Utah; C. E. Brainard, of Idaho; L. Bradford Prince, of New Mexico, can be looked upon as the prime movers in government irrigation. During 1891 while employed on the Omaha Bee as editor, Mr. Smythe wrote articles resulting in a state irrigation convention at Lincoln, which laid the first steps toward a National Irrigation Congress, the first one held, which convened a few months later at Salt Lake City. The first idea advocated, which resulted in the Gary Act of 1894, was that the government should turn its land over to the respective states en condition that the state would arrange for watering it. Some of the states, notably Idaho and Wyoming, have taken advantage of this act. Owing to the necessity of diverting water from the river in one state in order to water the lands in another, the idea of federal government irrigation began to grow popular among the arid states with interstate streams. Many bills were introduced into congress appropriating money for irrigation, only to be voted down by the east and south. At last Senator Newlands, of Nevada, solved the problem, and introduced a bill providing that the net proceeds of the sale of public lands should be used for irrigation works in the respective states. This bill first failed to pass, and it is possible that the attempt at national irrigation would have failed had it not been for President Roosevelt, who, from personal acquaintance, knew the needs of the west and became an ardent supporter of government irrigation. The act authorizing the present reclaimation work was approved June 17, 1902. This act places the control of government irrigation in the hands of the secretary of the interior, who is having the work carried forward by the Reclamation Service.