166 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



The IRRIGATION AGE is informed that when Mr. 

 Newell was on his way home from Sacramento last 

 year he was asked how the Congress went off. Our in- 

 formant states that he smiled blandly and stated that 

 everything was satisfactory and that there were no un- 

 favorable resolutions put through concerning the Rec- 

 lamation service. This would lead one to suppose that 

 their whole aim is to preclude the passage of any reso- 

 lutions which would give publicity to the work of the 

 Reclamation service other than that desired by the head 

 of that bureau. Perhaps it would be well to suggest to 

 Mr. Newell that this matter has been gone over thor- 

 oughly by people who are interested in this subject of 

 western development, men who are equally as good 

 frieads to development under the Reclamation law as 

 is the gentleman himself, and it has been decided that a 

 move will be made at the coming congress to air the 

 views of those who have grievances to present. Opposi- 

 tion by bureau heads or assistants of the different bu- 

 reaus will not be tolerated. There will also be an ef- 

 fort made to learn how the price has been raised for 

 water on many of the different projects, in many cases 

 doubled. There may possibly be some inquiry as to 

 the methods of conducting work under the different 

 projects. It would be just as well for the public gen- 

 erally to understand something of the workings of this 

 bureau other than through channels manipulated and 

 engineered by the heads of that bureau. There will also, 

 no doubt, be many in attendance at the coming con- 

 gress who will have grievances to present concerning 

 what they consider oppressive use of power on the part 

 of the Forestry bureau. All of those men will surely be 

 at the Albuquerque congress, and, as above stated, no 

 packing of committees will be tolerated. 



The subject of who authorizes the expenditure of 

 such vast sums of money to pay expenses of different 

 members of the Reclamation and Forestry bureaus may 

 also be inquired into. 



There is no inclination on the part of the public 

 to criticize any movement made by either of these bu- 

 reaus which tends to public good, but it is questionable 

 if the heads of these bureaus should be permitted to 

 bring men from remote parts of the country whose 

 object apparently is to look out for the interests of and 

 curb opposition to any move which may be made to 

 investigate these two departments. 



Do Messrs. Newell and Pinchot consider that their 

 departments are beyond criticism? Is it possible that 

 they feel so strongly intrenched in their positions that 

 they may sneer at the public or the individual who in- 

 quires into the workings of their respective bureaus. We 

 think not, and that impression is shared by very many 

 leading men throughout the west who are as vitally in- 

 terested in the subject of Reclamation and Forestry as 

 are either of these paid employes of the United States 

 Government. 



There should be some effort made at the coming 

 congress to demonstrate to these bureau heads that 

 they are servants of the public and not masters of an 

 empire. All of these things will unquestionably be 

 threshed out at the coming congress, and while these 

 gentlemen may not be inclined to favor that sort of a 

 movement, they may rest assured that these questions 

 will come up and should be prepared to meet them. 



On the other hand, they have no right to spend 

 money which is apparently at their disposal to bring 

 their representatives and assistants and henchmen from 

 various sections of the country to attend the congress 

 with the sole view of protecting them from what the 

 public considers its right, criticism. If these two de- 

 partments are wholly above and beyond the control of 

 the public and an unusual power is vested in the heads 

 of these departments through strong combinations in 

 Washington backed up by individuals in power who 

 may have been misled by them, the public should know 

 it, and know it quickly. It is presumed that they may 

 attempt to again foist their attorney, Geo. H. Maxwell, 

 upon the forthcoming congress. If so, he may rest as- 

 sured of a warm reception. Maxwell did all in his 

 power to kill the Irrigation Congress and has used 

 every effort to belittle that body since he was compelled 

 to pull away from it. 



The gentlemen who have charge of the Irrigation 

 Congress which is to be held in Aubuquerque, New Mex- 

 ico, in September of this year, are doing very creditable 

 work along the line of advertising, and it is to be hoped 

 that their efforts will induce a large attendance and 

 that they may be able to present to the delegates as in- 

 teresting a program as those offered by the congresses 

 of the past. 



We hope to be in position to inform our readers, 

 not later than our issue of May, something about the 

 formation of the program and also give a list, so far 

 as is obtainable, of the speakers. 



Those who contemplate visiting the congress am 1 

 who have not secured accommodations in Albuquerque 

 will do well to correspond at once with the local com- 

 mittee as appearances indicate that there will be a 

 shortage of hotel accommodations. There is, in fact, 

 only one high grade hotel in Albuquerque, which us- 

 ually runs fairly full at any time of the year, and while 

 all of the space will, no doubt, be given over to dele- 

 gates to the congress, if anything like the number who 

 attended in Sacramento and Boise, should present them- 

 selves in Albuquerque it would be necessary for all of 

 the people in that city to open their doors and make 

 room. It therefore behooves those who expect to at- 

 tend to arrange in advance for hotel accommodations. 



The IRRIGATION AGE has secured accommodations 

 at The Alvarado Hotel, room 16. Our friends will 

 kindly keep this in mind so that they may know where 

 to locate us. 



