The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-11-22
SECRETARY H1rcHcOCK's SUCCESS.

It has been a bit of surprise to the
old "habitants" of the capital city to
see the way in which the secretary OF
the interior, Mr.. Ethan Allen Hitch
cock, has made good in his land fraud
prosecutions In the west, says Max
wells Talisman. 1t was never sup
posed a year ago that the government
could secure a conviction OF any con.
gresham or senator in Oregon. It
was said openly that In attempting to
fasten anything on Representative
Williamson, the secretary had been
unwisely advised, and was getting
himself into a precipitate hole. In
fact, Mr.. H~itchcock's enemies seemed
to be honestly pleased with the action
of his department., believing that he
a overreaching himself and that he
would become discredited. On the
contrary, he has done all that he
claimed he would, and more, pursuing
the thieves and grafters with the same
relentless spirit Of his distinguished
ancestor who gained fame at Ticonde-
roga.
The amount of it is that the admin.
istration cannot get along without Mr..
Hitchcock. His rugged honesty and
determination to weed out the blood
suckers and grafters who are despoil.
ing the nation of its agricultural lands
and its great timber resources have
highly commended themselves to every
patriotic man and woman who has
followed his course, and while his
work is undoubtedly highly satisfac-
tory to the administration and to the
president who has himself expressed
strong views on this question of land
and timber grabbing, even If it should
be desired to get rid of Secretary
Hitchcock, it would be 90 extremely
difficult and undiplomatic move to
make.
This work of unearthing land and
timber criminals is q continuous per-
Torrance at the interior department..
1t will be noted that while extensive
proceedings have been started and in
some cases cOnsummated in several
OF the western states, there has been q
large number of states left practically !
untouched, except that a dispatch from
Washington, for instance, stating that
John Jones, Thomas Brown and fifty.
seven others have been indicted in
Montana for extensive land and tim
her frauds, etc., etc., Invariably in
cludes an additional paragraph that
the interior department has also been
investigating conditions in certain
parts of Colorado and New Mexico,
Or other western states, where evil
dences of the most gigantic frauds
have been discovered, but that no pub
licity will be given In detail until the
cases have been thoroughly worked
up by the government.
Obviously with q head Of q depart
ment in the midst Of important fraud
prosecutions, amounting to q scandal,
and with such brief announcements
every now and then OF other investi.
cations, covering practically all Of
the western states, it would eve do
to accept q mans resignation. The
cry would go up that the grafters had
forced the secretary out Of Office.
Secretary Hitchcock is an ardent
believer in and supporter Of the gov
ernment irrigation policy. He stated
recently to a friend that he did no,
know of anything at this time which
was Of much more interest and i'm
portance, in the way OF internal af-
fairs, than the irrigation OF the arid
lands of the west. No man could have
made stronger recommend ations fol
the establishment of a g%overnmen,
policy than he in his annual reports
made during McKinley's administra.
ton, when irrigation vas looked upon
as an iridescent dream. He called at
tention to the fact that the governmen,
photographic surveyors had found q
western water supply running to waste
which If stored and used for irriga'
ton, would irrigate owe seventy mil
lion acres OF absolutely desert lane
and worthless for anything but scan
stock grazing, 1t was no in keepins
with the spirit of the times, he said
that this vast acreage of extremel.
fertile but reproductive land shoul'
lie idle. 1t should be reclaimed an,
made productive, creating new home
for thousands of citizens aud addin,
vast sums to the wealth of the nation
THE RAILROAD EMPLOYEES PROTEST