The San Francisco call., 1907-06-02
BY Ira E. Bennett

Bennett
tration at Denver, he will continue on
his inspection trip through the west,
arriving at San Francisco some time IN
August, according to present plans. At
specified points he will be met by
Director Newell of the reclamation SER
vice, Commissioner Ballinger of the
general land office. Commissioner
Leupp of the Indian Office and by For
ester Pinchot. Each of these officers
will go over the ground personally
with Secretary Garfield and explain TO
him at first hand the questions that
have arisen in their work.
While he is in California, Secretary
Garfield will take occasion to make an
inspection of the land offices and 1t Is
ruinored that several changes are more
than probable. The system of keeping
land records will be overhauled, as well
as the personnel of the offices, and
greater efficiency and security will De
obtained If there is any way to do it.
In this branch of his work, as In all
others, Garfield has not only received
carte blanche from the president to "go
ahead" but he is under positive in
structions to do so without regard TO
local protests, whenever he has made
UP his mind that he is on the right
track.
The klamath irrigation project will
be visited by the interior department
officials. They will also spend a week
or 10 days in the forests of northern
California and southern Oregon under
Forester Pinchot's guidance. Going
thence into the Sacramento valley, they
will make a broad inspection of the
irrigation projects there, with consid-
Grafton of the allied questions of drain
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disposal. At Sacramento Secretary
Garfield and party will meet Governor
Gillett and other state officers.
meeting is to be arranged at San
Francisco, to be attended by repreSen-
tativeS of the great interests touched
by the interior department. Lumber
men, cattle, and sheep men. miners, ir-
rigation and power men, big land own
ers and others will be invited to meet
Secretary Garfield and the heads of the
bureaus under his Jurisdiction. It is
possible that a conference will held
with reference to the proposal to grant
certain water storage rights and rights
of way at Lake Eleanor and In the
tch-Hetchy valley to the city Of San
Francisco. If such a conference is ar
ranged 1T will be attended by represen-
tatives of the Modesto -Turlock irriga-
ton district. whose rights are affected.
If Secretary Garfield can find the time
he will go into Yosemite valley and get
an idea of the improvements that
should be made for the development Of
the park. At present the energy of
the government is confined to road
building and little of that. but
within a reasonable time 1t Is hoped
that congress will make provision for
opening the park and providing for Wis
itors, as is done at Yellowstone. AS
Garheld's itinerary stands now, how
ever, 1t is not likely that he will be
able to reach the Yosemite
The Imperial valley situation will be
studied by Secretary Garfield under the
guidance of Director Newell. There is
reason to believe that the president is
not altogether convinced that the gov
ernment is indebted to Hartman and
the Southern Pacific for any sum on
account of the diversion of the Colo
rado, for the reason that the chief ben
eficiaries of the diversion were the
Southern Pacific and the California de-
velopment company, which is controlled
by the Southern Pacific. The govern
ment was not called upon to restore the
Colorado to its old channel 1T is now
admitted. Indeed, it is questioned
whether the government had any right
to act without authority of congress-
There was certainly no appropriation
available and no official machinery
suitable to undertake the task. Gar
field proposes to learn on the spot the
truth regarding this much mixed con-
troversy.
Reclamation officers sniff at the
pamphlet lately issued by L. NJ Holt of
Imperial. in which he undertakes to
show that the government is an enemy
Of the whole Imperial country These
officials ask why Holt suppressed let
ters sent to him in response to some
OF his own. They say he has printed.
his own letters. but failed to print the
replies. which clearly showed that the
reclamation service was willing to un-
dertake the work of controlling the
Colorado and supplying the Imperial
people with water just as soon as the
California development company would
get out of the way. The reclamation
service plainly indicated that 1t did not
intend to enter into partnership with
any private company whereby the gov
ernment would do all the work and the
monopoly would get all the benefit
nile at Imperial 1t is probable that.
Secretary Garfield will take q look at
the California development company.s
books In order that he may advise the
president intelligently as to the real
ownership of that concern and whether
or not 1t Is fnsolvent, as It's officers al
legged last winter.
OA tac Wuoic, SdllIOrnid matters Will
occupy liberal share of Garf1eld's time
this summer. He will be fully able to
post the president on western matters
when he returns and at a pinch 1t is
possible he might be able to give line
on politics as it dourishes west of the
Sierras- AT any rate. his trip will quail
ify him to handle western matters with
a better grip and the west will doubt
less be glad to welcome him and his
party.