The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-26
new POLICY JO[Ts
10000 SETTLERS
Reclamation Is Blocked BY Upset OF
Roosevelt's Plans by Secretary
Ballinger, "Reformer."
sy gibson GARDNER.

among SeltleIS Oh NhS bONSAhAANRt
reclamation projects by an order Just
issued by Secretary ballinger. OF the
department OF the interior. This sen
timent is reflected In THOUSANDS OF
letters which are now pouring into
Washington.
The trouble grows out OF new
reversal Of Garfield. Roosevelt policy.
A legal objection has been found -
one OF the practices Instituted by Sec
rotary Garfield and Chief +. ii. Newell
OF the reclamation service.
Here Is the situation.
People who take 40 the government
reclamation land undertake To pay
for IL In installmenCs. Most of these
people nave very little money. The
settler may nave a team OF horses
and enough money to get one crop Ia
the ground, but when he has done this
and made his first payment on the
land he has little left.
But the settler is willing TO work,
and ne generally has plenty OF time
TO work. II he could do some work
digging bitches and helping To fms n
the reclamation project II would help
him lot In paying for his land. That
was the situation so far as the set
tiers were concerned.
Work Out Cooperation Plan.
Now, on the other hand, the govern
ment wanted work done. The govern
Inent was very anxious 10 make use
of the men and their teams So Sec
rotary Garfield and Mr.. Newell figured
cut plan by which the government
and the settler could cooperate. They
said to the settlers, You turn In and
do this work; we will keep tab and
give you credit and Will issue 10 you
certificates for the amount OF work
done. Then we will. accept those GER
tifica:es on account OF what you owe
On the government land"
This scheme pleased the settlers
very much. They went TO work anu
have been paying for their lands II
part by digging bitches. hauling dirt
and doing other work which the gov
eminent wanted done. Ii gave en-
ployment 10 those who needed the
employment and nobody was harmed
But secretary Ballinger now says
the whole thing is Illegal" On his
own motion he asked the attorney-gen-
eral for an opinion interpreting the
law and has received 20 typewriter
pages from Mr.. Wickersham declaring
that the law does not warrant the is
sue OF certificates nor the acceptance
OF such certificates in payment for the
land.
Congress Overlooked Bet
Probably Mr.. Wickersham Is correct
No doubt congress did neglect TO pro-
vide specifically for such a condition
OF affairs, but Mr.. Ballinger Is the
first TO find any reason for interfer-
ing with the workings OF the plan
which resulted In material benefit 10
the government and which was salts
factory TO everybody-except Mr.. Bal
linger.
The practical question which con
fronts the settler is suggested by this
extract from Attorney General Wick
ersham's opinion:
'Tese certificates having been issued
under an unwarranted contract, can
not be received as credits for the
charges imposed upoit the\and under
the statutes"
There you are. The poor settler has
gone out with his team In the Droil-
ing sun and has worked day after day
digging and hauling dirt until he sup
poses tht he has earned a hundred
money on account OF the next install
ment due the government on his farm.
He knows that the money has been
earned. He knows that he has felt
the sweat trickie from his brow and
that his horses have had To be fed
and housed and that he has given his
time and muscle to this labor. But
now comes the benevolent secretary
of The fnfnrinr NTH n Unlttnfanr Int
yention and a gratuilious legal opin-
Ion that the certificate given by the
reclamation service is no good
This is what Secretary Ballinger
calls reform" He is righting the
wrongs" worked by the Garfield-New-
ell-Roosevelt administration.
10000 Settlers Affected.
How many settlers are affected by
this ruling il is impossible to state.
Roughly estimated there may be as
many as 10000. II affects settlers on
and the principal government reclama.
ton projects and there are about 80
Of these located all the way from
Washington state To Arizona and east
as far as Nebraska.
What will the settler do who has
relied on his certihcste To pay his
next installment? Already there are
hints In Washington that scalpers are
on their way 10 the reclamation pro.
jects with offers To buy up these Ger.
tifcates for 80 cents on the dollar
more or less. The scalper will tell
the farmer that the certificate is nc
good and will show him the opinion Of
Mr.. Balinger and Attorney. General
Wickersham to prove ii. Then he will
make the farmer an offer and try to
get the certificate for what he can
Eventually the certificate will prob.
ably BE- redeemed at face value.
The scalper will have the farmers
money. But the law and Mr.. Ballinger
VIII be indicated
Evidence OF Hostility.
Already the water users have been
getting together and passing resolu.
tons, declaring that they regard the
cancellation OF the cooperative plan
- an rnwarranted Interference and as
evidence OF hostility 10 the general
cause OF reclamation
While these resolutions have been
touring into Washington. Secretary
nallingsr has personally authorized the
Published statement that IL is his In,