Evening star., 1909-03-12
TO TRAVEL TO ALASKA
Secretary BaIIinger Will Visit
the Territory.
PLANS TRIP FOR SUMMER
First Cabinet Officer to Make Jaunt
Officially.
MATTERS NEED ATTENTION
Consideration to Be Given to Coal
Lands. Reclamation Projects
and Indian Affairs.
PLANS TRIP FOR SUMMER
TERS NEED ATTENTION

| , The first cabinet officer to visit Alaska
| In his official capacity will be Richard
| Ballinger, Secretary of the Interior, who
has decided to go to that territory the
coming summer. While he is away nom
Washington Mr.. Ballinger will visit not
only Alaska, but many Of the western
states, to investigate many matters that
come under his supervision as Secretary
of the Interior.
The coal lands Of Alaska. the reclama-
ton projects of the west and Indian al
fairs are to be given particular considera-
l. ton by the new Secretary. These ques-
tions Mr.. Ballinger considers SO important
that he will give his personal attention TO
them as soon as he catches up with the
routine of his department. and gets 1t
running as he desires.
Came Here Under Protest.
81 came to Washington under protest
Mr.. BaIlinger said, with a smile, as he
discussed the affairs of the Department
with a Star reporter today. eat my time
of life the business prospects offered in
Seattle are very alluring. and I feared
that coming to Washington for four years
l would get out of line. as it were. Now
| that ! am here, though, / shall do my
best to assist In the successful work
| ing out of such of President Tafts gen.
eral policies as come under the Interior
Department.
NV first attention will be given to the
reclamation service and Indian affairs.
| l consider these of the utmost importance
and will tackle them as soon as can get
| things Strengthened out in the depart
ment During the summer I shall visit
those sections of the country where the
larger reclamation projects are In course
of development and see for myself just
| what the conditions are. If necessary
| shall also visit some of the Indian reser-
vatons but probably l can get along
with Indian affairs without doing this.
| During the summer hope to spend some
| time in Alaska.
Asked if he expected to go to Alaska
with the President, Mr.. Ballinger said he
did not know, but added that if the Presi-
dent should visit there they would prob
ably "get together
Grabbing Of Coal Lands.
Perhaps the most important question
! that the Secretary of the Interior will
have to deal with in Alaska is that in
volving the grabbing of coal lands. Tn
der the present system of land entry val
liable coal lands have been illegally ac-
auired by corporations and individuals,
and action by the Department of the In
terror will probably be necessary to save
the government heavy losses in that di-
rection.
The Alaskan situation is well under
stood by Secretary Ballinger, who has
| spent some time in the territory, and
his experience and knowledge Of Alaskan
| affairs are among the qualifications which
led Mr.. Taft to select him as member
Of the cabinet.
| A better administration of affairs In
| Alaska is to be one of the particular
| aims of President Taft's administration
| For some years conditions In the terri
| tory have been bad President Roose-
| welt instituted a number OF reforms,
but President Taft is anxious to put an
effective stop to many abuses
| Work of Reclamation Service.
| The value of the reclamation service
| and the magnitude of the work it Is
accomplishing are also thoroughly ap-
| preciated by both Mr.. Taft and Mr.. Bal
linger, and from what the latter said
| today of his plans, that service Will
| receive its full measure Of recognition
and encouragement at the hands Of the
| Taft administration. Before he starts
| on his western tour Secretary Ballfnger
will study the reclamation service care
| fully. so that he may the more quickly
| the various projects. His experience In
| the state of Washington and as COM
missioner of the land office here mas
| given him an excellent general knoW!-
| edge of reclamation matters that Will
| stand him in good stead in working out
| the administrative policies Of his de-
| partment.
number of great reclamation prof.
| ects will be completed or nearly com
| pleted by the time Secretary Baillnser
| starts west next summer. One of these
| IL the great Gunnston tunnel. in western
| colorado which runs six miles through
mountain 1000 feet high. When com
| pleted ii will carry 100 cubic feet OF
| water per second. In Idaho the Secre-
tary will see two of the highest eartnen
dams i'm the world where an artihc1ai
| reservoir near Boise is being filled from
is the famous Roosevelt dam across the
colorado at Yuma. In Washington the
| waters from the famous Yakima valley
| reservoirs will be used Tor irrigation pur-
poses next summer.
Land Entry in Idaho.
Another question that Mr.. Bailinser
will probably take up while he is in the
ing in Idaho. The laws affecting the pub
lie lands of Idaho are loosely drawn and
have been the cause of great injustice to
poor settlers who have focked to that
state from various sections of the coun-
try attracted by the belief that the land
laws are poor mans laws. when. d
matter of fact. the poor man had little