Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-08-06
Government Wants
to Be Fair Says
Garfield
|NsPEcTs many PROJECTS
Secretary of Interior Looks
Into Irrigation Enterprises
Along Rio Grand

Alamosa, Colo, Aug. 6.-Secretary OF
the Interior James Rudolph Garfield,
who Is on a tour Of the West for the
purpose of inspecting the various pro-
jects of the Reclamation Service, dur
ing a visit here this week told the
farmers of the San Luis Valley that
the government would give them a
square deal and counseled the farmers
to have a little more patience.
Secretary Garfield said that he de-
sired to correct the idea entertained
by many that the reclamation service
was antagonistic to the interests OF the
people and that there was a feeling
on the part of some that the govern.
ment was particularly interested in
the carrying out of certain reclamation
work. He stated that the government
was interested only in these matters
to the extent of carrying out general
plans, which often necessitated the
overlooking Of state boundary lines.
Uncle Sam Broad-Mnded.
He claimed that these questions
were of national interest and were in
no wise confined to localities; that the
government was working at these
questions in the broadest possible man.
ner; that the people OF one locality
could not consistently ask his depart
ment to take such steps as would work
hardship on any other community;
that one state could not reasonably
expect the department Of the interior
to make such ruling and regulations
as would interfere with the develop
ment of other states. He stated that
until the courts had decided the mat
ter that it was the duty Of the gov
ernment to concede that such streams
as the Rio Grande, so far as the use of
water is concerned, belonged to the
people Of the various states and terri
tories through which they flow.
He stated frankly that reservoir
sites here would be allowed whenever
the department found that such would
be consistent with our relations with
Mexico, consistent with the interests
of the people of New Mexico, and that
when the same were not for specula
tive purposes.
Examines Many Reservoir Sites.
Among the approved reservoir sites
which the secretary examined in this
vicinity were the San Maria, which
calls for 47,000-acre feet, under the
management of Frank c. Goudy, of
Denver; the Farmers Union, with a..
000-acre feet; the Continental Land
and Irrigation company, with $4,000.
acre feet. These three are the princl
pal ones on the headwaters of the Rio
Grande river. They also examined the
Terrace reservoir on Alamosa creek,
which has 52,0O0-acre feet.
Secretary Garfield also investigated
the Elk creek reservoir site, owned by
Zeph Charles Felt and others, calling
for 100. .00O.acre feet. This has not been
approved. The secretary did not state
just what action would be taken in re-
gard to the reservoir, but It Is believed
that it will be approved, As the filing
now stands, as it is claimed the pro-
position calls for more acre-feet than
there is available land to water. 1t was
formerly disapproved by Secretary
Garfield, because the filing was not
made before March, 1908.
Opposition to Forest Policy Dying Out
Secretary Garfield said that he had
been looking into the grazing question
on his trip and is much satisfied with
the manner in which he found things.
The bitter feeling against Roosevelt
Is not nearly SO strong as he
expected to find it, because Of reports
that had reached his ears, and he said
that people generally we're very favor
able to the administration.