The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1909-08-17
EX-COV. PARDEE
SCENTS DANGER
Especial to Silver State News)

orohANE, Wash, Aug. 17-9Cor-
porate interests back of Richard A.
Ballinger, secretary of the interior.
selzed upon every opportunity at the
lfth sessions of the National Irrigation
congress in Spokane, August 8 to Ia, to
cast aside the Roosevelt policies, the
avowed purpose being to gain control
OF the water power of the country, but
the congress was firm and thwarted ev-
cry attempt made, with the result that
railroad and corporation lawyers and
their friends were utterly routed. |
look upon this as a signal victory for
Frederick Ii. Newell, director of the
reclamation service, and Clifford Pin
chot, chief forester
DIR. George G. Pardee, of Oakland.
former governor of California, who is
looked upon as the foremost eponent
of irrigation in the United States said
this among other things in discussing
the differences between the policies of
the former president and Secretary
Ballinger. He added:
If the reclamation policy of ex.
President Roosevelt is carried out the
control of the electrical energy pro.
duced by water power in 50 years from
now will belong to the common people,
but if the policy inaugurated by Secre-
tary Ballinger be adopted that control
will belong to the great corporations of
this country.
President Taft told me that he de
sired to continue the Roosevelt reclama-
tion policies, yet one of Mr. Ballinger's $
very first acts was to throw open to
public entry 100000 acres of land,
which had been retained by Secretary
Garfield for power sites and dam foun-
dations.
He did this secretly, too, without
giving any official notice of the act, al
though it had been the practice under
Secretary Garfield to give go days no.
tice of any such opening. As soon as
President Taft realized what had been
done he ordered the land to be taken
tack by the government and that no
more be thrown open to entry except by
orders given by himself.
"Before President Taft could act
the damage had been done, as all the
available power and dam sites had been
taken by corporations through their
dummies, and only those tracts which
are worthless for power sites were left.
"The Roosevelt policy as favored by
Mr.. Newell and Mr. Pinchot, is TO go
ahead and do the reclamation work that
should be done. If there be doubt as TO
the authority for doing the act the
Roosevelt policy is to do the thing
which will be to the best interests of
the common people. If there is doubt
under the Ballinger policy nothing Is
to be done unless is is in strict accord
ance with the law.
''Sinee ii was given out by President
Taft that no more land be returned to
public entry except by his order, Sec
retarv Ballinger has done no otheial act
which can be said to be a reversal
of the Roosevelt policies. No new pro
jects have been approved by him but
the plans for an immense dam in the
Grand river valley in California, ap-
proved by Mr.. Garfield before his re-
tirement from office, have been with
held by Secretary Ballinger.
"The poncy of the new secretary is
one of hedging an inaetion. He is said
to have the support of the cabinet at
Washington, with the exception of Sec
retary Wilson of the department of ag-
riculture, who is an ardent supporter of
the Roosevelt policies and President
Taft
O.