Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-30
WORkOF RECLAMATION
Policy of the President Stated
in Detail.
THE GORE CANYON QUESTION
Right of Way to Be Given to Moffatt's
Line.
WHAT INFLUENCED DECISION
Development Contingent on the Com
pletion of Road More Important
Than Irrigation Scheme.
WHAT INFLUENCED DECISION
RY WILLIAM e CURTIS-

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald
President Roosevelt has recently defined
his policy concerning the reclamation work
In the west by giving David H. Moffatt, who
is building a railroad from Denver to Salt
Lake. a right of way through Gore canyon
of the Grand river. which had been reserved
by the Secretary of the Interior for reser-
voir to store water for the irrigation of
about 1000 900 acres of arid lands In Colo
RADIO and the adjacent states. The reclama-
ton service is now engaged upon twenty
three projects, involving an investment of
S36.0G0.000 in reservoirs and canals. which
will irrigate 2.500,OO0 acres of land in the
arid states. 1t has surveyed the entire arid
and semi-arid regions, and has located for
future opera lions about thirty other reser-
voirs for future construction, at an esti-
mated cost of sos, 100000 for the reclama-
ton of about 100000 acres of desert land
These locations have all been Withdrawn
from entry by the Secretary of the Interior
and reserved for the future The entire
fund available for reclamation purposes is
now allotted, but the money will all come
back INTO the treasury fast as the pres
ent operations are completed and the re-
claimed land Is sold, when ii will be used
over and over again for d similar purpose
in other localities.
Gore canyon of the Grand river or the
kremmling reservoir project as 1t is Off
cially called, is one of the most extensive
and important items in the reclamation pro-
gram for the future. but there Is no money
available for its development at present and
1t cannot be touched for several years 1t
was the intention of the reclamation service
TO get at 1t as soon possible.
Mr.. Moffatt has been after that cauyon
Tor -FOUR years and has been fighting the
reclamation service. 1t was not In the
original route surveyed for his road. His
line was changed in order to connect with
the Denver and Rio Grande system at
Dotsero station, which will give that latter
company an entrance into Denver 200 miles
shorter than its present line from Salt Lake
City via Pueblo. 1t will also give the Dem
yer and Rio Grande access to the coal
fields in northern Colorado.
Litigation Over Right of WAY.
The track could have been laid around
Gore canyon by building twelve additional
miles, but Mr.. Moffatt insisted upon going
through the canyon and obtained an old
right of way filed many years ago by the
Burlington railroad. This was contested
by the government and Judge Hallett OF
the United States circuit court decided that
Ii was worthless. But at the same time he
decided that the government had no right
to stand as a dog in the Manager and re-
department could not definitely state
whether they would be used or not The
court in plain words declared it to be
against public policy for the reclamation
service to oppose the use of that particular
canyon by a railway company when it's
plans were still in what he called "a state
of inquiry" Judge Hallett decided that
there was no good reason for the Interior
Department Withholding its consent to the
use of the canyon by railroad. "other
than desire TO aid In the reservation of
this site for reservoir, and that was no
reason at all"
Secretary Hitchcock promptly appealed
from the decision of Judge Hallett Mr..
Moffatt and Mr.. Evans came to Washing
ton and tried to induce the President to
withdraw the appeal. He refused to do
So They then secured the cooperation of
Mr.. Philip 2. Stewart of Colorado Springs,
an intimate friend of the Presidents, who
prevailed with him against the protests of
Secretary Hitchcock. Director Wolcott of
the geological survey, DR.. Newell, chief of
the reclamation service, and his engineers,
and the President ordered the appeal dis
missed.
Mr.. Moffatt is now building his road
through that canyon, and. according to
the understanding here, ii will be a part of
the Gould transeontinentaI system between
San Francisco and Baltimore. 1t is pre-
dicted that Mr.. Moffatt will be here again
in a short time asking another similar favor,
for n surveys wou carry his road through
the site OF the proposed Green river reser-
voir. which has also been reserved for the
purpose of irrigating 100000 acres of land.
He could build around IT just as well as not.
as he could around Gore canyon, but the
line will be shorter and will cost less il he
can get permission to build across the reser-
voir site.
The Presidents Position.
While the President is deeply Interested
in the work of the reclamation bureau. he
takes the ground that it's plans for future
work should not be allowed to block the
material development of the west, and that
when they conflict with great. important
public improvements they must give way.
Each case. however. will be decided upon
its own merits whenever Ii may arise. If II
shall appear to him that possible future in
terests of the irrigation service should be
sacrificed to actual present railway extern
sion he will order the reservations Cancelled.
When l called his attention to his action
in the case of the Gore canyon, the Presi-
dent said:
Mr.. Stewards views impressed me very
much, for he is man OF rigid probty. upon