THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



had this money been used on another project in that 

 territory something near 350,000 acres of virgin land 

 would have been opened for settlement. If this is true 

 it may readily be seen to what extent the National Irri- 

 gation Association is a friend of the homeseeker, the 

 toiler, the homeless. 



Theodore Eoosevelt, President, it may perhaps be- 

 come you to take on part of what you were once pleased 

 to term "the white man's burden" and investigate some 

 of the vague mutterings concerning the conduct of 

 those servants of the people, the men who compose the 

 Reclamation Service of the United States of America. 

 You are an old plainsman, Mr. President ; put your ear 

 to the ground and tell us what the sound indicates. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



BY G. L. SHUMWAY. 



The vivid pen picture drawn by November Talis- 

 man, portraying President Roosevelt standing on the 

 brink of a precipice, was calculated undoubtedly to 

 put the fear of God (or some other Omnipotent) into 

 his heart. It has reached discouraging limits when a 

 mere executive will entertain independent ideas. The 

 presumptuousness is fraught with imminent peril. 

 Nothing should be assumed without first consulting 

 the fountain head which dominates the Reclamation 

 Service. We have long known that immunity from 

 attack on the part of a layman is to possess the attribute 

 of sycophant, or silence. Otherwise reclamation offi- 

 cials will feel called upon to exploit the independent 

 entity as a "disturber" and "unpopular." To set the 

 dogs of its benignant influence lose with sinuous inu- 

 endo and malignant fabrication. However, we had not 

 accredited the dictator of the reclamation service with 

 the assurance of undertaking to intimidate the President. 

 The first intimation that anyone believed the element 

 of fear would deter Mr. Roosevelt from executive action 

 is in the emanation to which we refer. 



We believe the President will encourage liberal 

 discussion and criticism of his policy, for that will bring 

 out weak points, if any exist, in the alignment of his 

 logic; that his rugged honesty will perceive, and after 

 observation, acknowledge any imperfections in his rea- 

 sonings; that any argument made which has not been 

 fully analyzed will be thoroughly dissected. If the 

 meat is there, if an available idea is manifest, he will 

 appreciate its merits. In this particular the President 

 and Mr. Newell are the antithesis of one another. 

 While visions of imaginary chasms would reduce the 

 eminent engineer to humbleness and obedience, a threat 

 will rather awaken the combative attributes of our 

 chief executive, and militate against the cause which 

 Mr. Maxwell has obviously been retained to protect. 



We are constrained, however, to remark that we 

 doubt the expediency at this time of any revolutionary 

 measure affecting freight rates. Waiving the consti- 

 tutional question, "Can Congress delegate to a created 

 commission a purely legislative function?" what effect 

 will its action have on the newly reclaimed areas ? The 

 several million acres reclaimed will need a rapid influx 

 of population; railroads which, penetrate the areas, if 

 allowed discriminative privilege, have a faculty of in- 

 ducing settlers by establishing attractive rates upon 

 the products peculiar to each community, to the most 

 available markets. If this privilege should be elimi- 

 nated it would exercise a neutralizing influence upon 

 settlement. The consummation desired, the maximum 

 number of pastoral domiciles, to be established by the 

 effects of a national irrigation act, would be manifestly 

 delayed. 



Mr. Maxwell's attitude is, however, most fascinat- 

 ing. As versatile as even he is presumed to be, many 

 have asked how long the hippodrome performance can 

 be successfully maintained with horses headed in oppo- 

 site directions. A closer observation will detect, how- 

 ever, the reclamation equine is also duly headed down 

 the pike of favorite frenzied financiers. Best principles 

 are violated; but the general public, being unfamiliar 

 with irrigation, see not the motives; only the figure 

 playing well in the limelight as a pioneer of ideas. 

 His sympathies and dictatorial character being so mani- 

 fest by recent emanations, the national executive may 

 now .easily perceive the underlying cause of complaint 

 growing out of a maladministration of the affairs of 

 the Reclamation Service. 



THE IRRIGATION AGE has from to time shown rea- 

 sons why the service should contain a business bureau, 

 specifically referring to lack of tact and insufficient 

 business methods of those in charge. The Lingle deal 

 is only an example. As has been stated, Mr. Lingle 

 offered the holdings of his company canal, right of 

 way, water rights, land and privileges for $150,000 

 and no takers. After the execution and approval of 

 his contract with the Government (whereby all the 

 Government secured was a right of way through his 

 canal, by agreeing to convey his water appropriation 

 to his headgates for an inconsiderate sum), his hold- 

 ings became sufficient collateral for issuance of $300,- 

 000 first mortgage bonds, which have been duly guar- 

 anteed. With the reclamation leaning for support so 

 heavily upon the shoulders of Mr. Maxwell erstwhile 

 booster for the railroads and erstwhile antagonist of 

 executive policies the President and the people need 

 expect no reform in that department. Attitudes and 

 attributes are inspired by philanthropic profit and one 

 man's glory. 



