72 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



tiers, or those taking up the land, to secure the benefit 

 of an equal amount, or the difference between $25,000,- 

 000 which the Santa Fe secured and the $12,500,000, 

 which they would have paid into the Government when 

 these entries under the Timber and Stone Act were 

 completed ? As it is, the Government does not receive 

 one dollar for the land which is taken up under this 

 scrip provision. On the contrary, the United States 

 Government is under heavy expense in making out 

 papers, employing agents to investigate, etc., etc. 



J. W. PRICE. 

 Casper, Wyoming. 



HON. E. H. LIBBY. 



Mr. E. H. Libby, whose portrait appears on an- 

 other page, has the reputation of being the organizer, 

 president and manager of the most successful irrigation 

 enterprises in the Pacific Northwest and one of the 

 most successful on the Pacific Coast. The lands irri- 

 gated are known as Vineland (post office, Clarkston). 

 Washington, directly across the Snake River from Lew- 

 iston, Idaho. The enterprises include not only the 

 land-irrigation company, but also the municipal water- 

 works system, a $110,000 steel bridge across Snako 

 River (said to be the finest exclusive wagon bridge on 

 the coast), also an electrical company which lights and 

 furnishes power to three towns. About $1,500.000 is 

 now represented in these various enterprises, all or- 

 ganized and managed by Mr. Libby and all dependent 

 upon the parent irrigation company. Plans are now 

 under consideration for the investment of large addi- 

 tional sums in power and water enterprises in conjunc- 

 tion with the present concern. Mr. Libby's constant 

 effort has been to develop other industrial enterprises to 

 create home markets for the fruit growers and garden- 

 ers under his canals, and the consequent higher values 

 in the real estate for the benefit of his investors. 



WORK OF PRESS BUREAU. 



George H. Maxwell's press bureau has been very 

 busy recently sending out reports to the daily papers 

 throughout the country stating that the national irri- 

 gation law is menaced by politicians in the suggestion 

 that a commission be appointed to investigate all 

 projects recommended by the Reclamation Service un- 

 der this act. This press bureau states that if the 

 fund is ever left open to spoliation it is certain that 

 millions will be expended with nothing to show for it. 

 The statements of Maxwell and his crowd will have 

 very little weight with congressmen who know their 

 motives. While the expenditures of the irrigation fund 

 up to the present time have been in accordance with 

 the recommendations of the officials of the Reclama- 

 tion Service, it is a question in the minds of many 

 as to whether Chief Engineer Newell is capable of 

 deciding on the location of large reservoir sites or the 

 carrying out of building dams and other work appur- 

 tenant to the position. It is a noticeable fact that all 

 of the engineers of national reputation are very reti- 

 cent about expressing their opinion on work that has 

 been undertaken by the Reclamation Service. One of 

 the best known consulting engineers in the United 

 States informed THE IRRIGATION AGE recently that it 

 would be well to give Newell and his men an oppor- 

 tunity to show what they can do. This is all Very 

 well so far as the actual work of construction is con- 

 cerned, but it should not apply to the selection" of 

 sites for Government projects where the Government 

 work handicaps or interferes with the work of private 

 corporations already begun or established. There is 

 a decided tendency on the part of the Reclamation 

 Service to throw obstacles in the way of private irri- 

 gation projects. 



Our correspondence in recent issues shows a very 

 narrow and almost malicious spirit among some of the 

 Reclamation Service officials. This is particularly true 

 of cases in Idaho, Washington and Wyoming. Would 

 it not be well for Mr. Newell and his .crowd, including 

 Maxwell, to confine their operations to sections where 

 governmental work will not interfere with ' private 

 projects already in operation? 



There are at present in Washington gentlemen 

 who will place before the proper officials information 

 which will lead to investigations along the lines sug- 

 gested, and there, is no doubt but that President Roose- 

 velt will be fully informed within the next thirty days 

 concerning the actions of officials of the Reclamation 

 Service in certain territory. And we may be assured 

 that the President will not tolerate any unfairness on 

 the part of these officious gentlemen. It is only a mat- 

 ter of bringing it to his attention when it is reason- 

 ably certain that he will take steps to correct abuses. 



THE IRRIGATION AQE 



One Year, $1.00 

 THE PRIHER OF IRRIGATION 



300 pages, $2.00 



