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THE IKRIGATION AGE. 



The friends of Keclamation and Forestry 

 throughout the West afe wondering how 

 long a time will elapse before the appoint- 

 Commissions. men t of commissions to control the ac- 

 tions of the heads of these two bureaus. 



They want to know why such unlimited power is 

 given the two gentlemen who head these departments. 



To illustrate the power possessed by the head of the 

 Forestry Bureau, they cite the fact that Mr. Pinchot 

 absolutely controls twenty-seven per cent of the area 

 of the State of Idaho. No citizen of Idaho, no matter 

 what his station or record for faithful work in the up- 

 building of the state, has anything to say concerning 

 the vast territory embraced in the limits of the For- 

 est Eeserves. 



That immense area is absolutely dominated by one 

 man in Washington, D. C., who, a few years ago, was 

 an employe of the Vanderbilts, and assisting in the de- 

 velopment of their vast estate, Biltmore. 



This man is assisted by many able men who are 

 making a life work of Forestry, but the majority of the 

 employes of the Bureau, the men with whom the set- 

 tler or any other citizen of the state is compelled to 

 come in contact, are individuals who are open for en- 

 gagement for sixty dollars a month. 



We wonder if Mr. Pinchot realizes that his system is 

 bound to bring discredit on this Bureau. Does he not 

 realize that the free-born, liberty-loving people of the 

 great West will not long tolerate dictation from his 

 department through an overbearing, sometimes arro- 

 gant, ranger? 



Does he not read the signs sufficiently well to see 

 that the only solution of the problem is the appointment 

 of a competent commission to whom residents with 

 grievances may present them ? 



At the present time a citizen or settler who makes 

 complaint to a local representative or direct to Wash- 

 ington receives scant recognition, if indeed they get any 

 attention at all. 



This state of affairs cannot continue, and the sooner 

 it is corrected the better for all concerned. 



THE IRRIGATION AGE has repeatedly urged ap- 

 pointment of a commission to supervise the work and 

 expenditures of the Keclamation Bureau. This is a 

 crying need, as the public secures scant information of 

 the inner workings of that great Bureau, the Director 

 of which has almost absolute control of the vast Kecla- 

 mation fund, amounting at present to approximately 

 Forty Millions of dollars. 



What private corporation would succeed if its af- 

 fairs were conducted under such a system? Would not 

 a commission composed of men of known integrity 

 which would give to the public full information concern- 



ing the working of this great organization, be infinitely 

 more businesslike and satisfactory? 



THE IRRIGATION AGE does not question the integ- 

 rity of Mr. Newell of the Reclamation Service. It does, 

 however, question his ability to conduct the work as 

 clearly and satisfactorily as could be done under the 

 supervision of a carefully selected board of commis- 

 sioners. 



Rapid 

 Growth. 



As an illustration of the rapid growth of 

 the circulation of THE IRRIGATION AGE, 

 we will call the attention of our adver- 

 tisers to one day's addition to our list. 

 On May 21 there were received in this office one hun- 

 dred and seventy-two yearly, paid in advance sub- 

 scriptions. This is second to the largest day's receipts 

 from that source and illustrates the growing interest in 

 irrigation affairs. These readers are all prospective 

 buyers of machinery, wagons, land, etc. 



The Burlington Route has issued a finely 

 Big Horn illustrated twenty-four-page folder, which 

 Basin. presents valuable information concerning 



the Big Horn Basin, Wyoming. This 

 folder will give prospective settlers and homeseekers 

 more good information than may be obtained from any 

 other source. A copy may be obtained by addressing 

 the General Passenger Department of the Chicago, 

 Burlington & Quincy Railway, Chicago, 111., or local 

 agents of that company. 



Preparations are well under way at Albu- 

 Irrigation querque for the entertainment of the six- 

 Congress, teenth National Irrigation Congress, 

 which is to be held in that city the last 

 days of September and the first days of October of this 

 year. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, on 

 whose line Albuquerque is situated, is doing good work 

 in the way of advertising the Congress and the local 

 committees are now in full working order, and are put- 

 ting out large quantities of printed matter which will, 

 no doubt, attract a heavy attendance. 



It is expected that matters of more than ordinary 

 importance will be brought to the attention of this 

 Congress, and active irrigators, promoters of private 

 irrigation projects, and state and federal officials will 

 attend in goodly numbers, and, no doubt, present a very 

 interesting program. We have not been able to secure 

 an outline of the program for the Congress. We will, 

 no doubt, do so within a short time, when it will be 

 duly presented to our readers. 



