The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1907-06-20
POLICY
RoosEvELT's IDEAS CONCERNING
IRRIGATION PROJECTS
ATTACKED.
LAW DEFIANCE, SAYS GouDY
Colorado Will Firmly Insist in Con-
vention That Federal Author-
ties Observe Statutes

Denver.-Frank C. Goudy, noted irri-
cation lawyer. Republican warhorse
and heading Governor Buchters dele
cation to the land convention, comes
out boldly IN opposition to the federal
government attempt to prevent pri-
vate irrigation improvements in the
San Luis valley.
Following the Broadside of Senator
Henry M. Teller against the Roosevelt
land policy, the Denver Real Estate
Exchange demands that the governors
of western states take the question
into court and fight for western rights
They further demand that settlers be
allowed to prove up on homesteads If
they can show three years of crops
even without irrigation; that the COM
ing convention demand that the secre-
tary Of the interior rescind all orders
interfering with the rights of way in
Colorado for bitches and reservoir
sites. and that district and appellate
land courts be established by the gov
eminent to prevent such bureaucratic
misuse of power in the future.
Frank c. Goudy, one of the foremost
Republicans in the state and an ad
mirer and supporter of Roosevelt on
most subjects, the Republican candi
date for governor few years ago and
the first man named on Governor
Buchtel's list of delegates to the land
convention to be held in Denver this
month. announces himself as firmly OPP
posed to the Roosevelt public land and
irrigation policies.
1T is wrong for the federal govern
ment," declared Goudy, ito allow the
reclamation service to construct at
government expense reservoir for
southwestern Texas and southern New
Mexico when the people of the San
Luis valley are willing and anxious, at
their own expense to build reservoirs
for the storage of water to which they
have the better right in law and In
fact. So far as the water to be used
for the strip of land in old Mexico is
concerned, rights guaranteed under
treaty, l have not special COM
plant to make. The water needed for
this land can be easily secured from
what is called the return waters or
Seepage.
81 feel very friendly to President
Roosevelt, and therefore will not at
any time use bitterness in the stand
take at the coming convention. | do
not intend to attack either the Presi-
dent of any of his officers, because
am firm :riend of the administration;
but | am lfident of what the people
of Colorado want, what they are en-
titled to under the law and what they
should have.
THE San Luis Valley is as big as
the entire state of Connecticut. 1t is
this valley which. by the policy of the
federal government, will be deprived
of irrigation merely to make possible
the irrigation of parts of other states.
To Test State Rights.
Il believe that suit of mandamus
will stand against the secretary of the
Interior of the United States to compel
him to carry cut the plain and certain
provisions of the law of 1891 which
have been ignored by the government
continually since David r. Francis
commenced this program of setting
aside the law while he was in the Cab
met of President Grover Cleveland.
We will either be able in this way to
get the matter into court, providing
the administration does not alter its
program or we will then so ahead with
our reservoir work in order that the
government may go into court to re-
strain us. and thus present the matter
to the judicial branch OF the govern
ment.
"The act of 1871 leaves no discre-
tion whatever with the secretary of
the interior as to accepting filings for
reservoir sites: but that official takes
the power upon himself in defiance of
the law. He said last May that filings
would be accepted for all rights prior
to March /, 1908, but even this partial
agreement to obey the law has not
been lived up to; and filings good prior
to that date have been refused"
Goudy is probably the best known
Republican campaign orator in the
state and has always lauded Roosevelt
and his administration, but thinks the
Presidents advisers have given him
the wrong ideas on the matters to
come before the convention of June
18th, 18th and goth in this city.
Has the Evidence.
"The Administrations ideas are
based upon error" says Mr.. Goudy.
But take the stand that the different
views can be argued at the convention
calmly, without denouncing anybody.
The part of the federal water system
to give water to Old Mexico has been
overestimated. That is not where the
trouble lies. The federal plan is for
the irrigation of only $4,000 acres in
Old Mexico, and for $4,000 acres in
Texas and 10000 acres in New Mex
ico The last two features of the pro
gram are what will permanently Grip
pie this state. The capacity of the
Fngle reservoir is intended to be l.
5000 acre feet, and the figures OF the
government for Mexico figure out two
and two-ffths acre feet free of water
per annum to an acre. This is now
they figure on 10000 acre feet OF wa
ter for Mexico's $4,000 acres.
THE San Luis valley is sixty by one
hundred miles in dimensions, so you
see what vast tract is affected.
There has never been any action IN
the history of this state taken by the
federal government which so seriously