Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-18
.BALLINGER IS
SEEKING FALLS
MAKES INSPECTION TRIP TO
ALL RESERVES
SAYS WEST is COMING INTO HER
OWN AT LAST
Yuma Reclamation Project to Be
Opened in the Spring-lmpe-
rial Valley Not to Be ln-
terfered With
tcontinued from Fare onel

! NCuhlAHueu lEoAh AdEN OhGs
an automobile, accompanied by Mr..
Lawler. Mott Flint and A. c. Brode,
was driven about the city for several
hours. In the evening he was enter
tanned at dinner by Mr. 'Lawler at his
home, GAG New Hampshire street, and
at $50 o'clock last night boarded an
east bound Southern Pacific train for
Yuma to inspect the work on the Yuma
project and the great dam at Roosevelt.
1t was not easy for him to sandwich
an interview into such a busy day. He
did it graciously enough, however, and
talked freely and with none of the
vexatious reserve SO frequently found
in public officers. When he said, that
l cannot discuss" he did it politely, but
so firmly there was no possible oppor-
tunity to advert to the forbidden topic.
He said that when asked about the
possibility of future friction between
his and Pinchots departments, when
asked about the accusation concerning
the effort to corner the water power
sites of the country for the gain Of the
trust, and when asked about the in
tentions of the government in regard
to the reimbursement of the SOUTHERN
Pacific for money expended in the sal
walton of the Imperial valley from the
OOlOTduO river lOuI years dSp w leil
there was plain sailing for him, how
ever, he made great progress.
Visits All Projects
"I have visited every reclamation
project now being handled by the de-
partment," he began. Il have learned
a lot of things, of course. The first is
the great Importance of the work and
the uselessness of expecting the gen
eral public to realize what reclamation
means for a generation or more.
THE government work is pioneering,
a purpose not only to spread water on
arid ground but to break the way for
private enterprise. We are furnishing
a model for private capital to use in the
further diversion of waters now unused
for the development of desert land We
are using higher type of construction,
perhaps, than will be used by private
enterprises, but We are doing the first
experimenting and planning that others
may benefit therefrom.
1.-The department has already COM
pleted reclamation work costing more
than $500O0,OO0 and the work now under
way will require the expenditure of an
additional sum of $11 100000 this year.
How much it will take to finish the
projects in hand 1 cannot now state
The situation in Imperial valley the
nearest reclaimed area to Los Angeles,
was outlined to the secretary and he
was questioned regarding it,
Not to Touch imperial
"There is no intention of entering the
Imperial valley" he said promptly. IF
there has been talk of the reclamation
service taking over the present system
or substituting one of its own it was
before my incumbency. At present no
such plan is being considered. Concern
ing other conditions there l know
nothing.
1.-THE Yuma jroject is to be finished,
I believe, this winter and the plan, as
I understand it, is to open the reser-
walton Immediately thereafter. l am
going there tomorrow and until then I
cannot talk very intelligently concern
ing conditions there.
Your questions about expenditures
in the Imperial district bring me to
say that the present administration is
not going out of its way to acquire
new financial burdens. AS a matter of
fact it is cutting down expense esti-
mates all along the line. In my de-
partment alone there will be a decrease
this year of $4,000, 900 from last years
expenditures, although it is only fair
to explain this large amount owes
something to decreasing pension bur
dens."
A blunt question concerning Taft
politics called forth another of those
unmi3takable final replies.
Lets talk about the weather." he
said. 'I can talk about that"
"Well?"
TITS fine. Your Los Angeles weather
has it's peculiarities, I suppose, but it
is pretty good. I have seen a good deal
of Los Angeles today and am charmed
with 1t. 1t surprises me. There S
Seattle, OF course-but must say that
Los Angeles pleases me so much I am
going to make it my business to re-
turn as soon as possible and make her
another visit"
Assistant United States District At
torney General Lawler, who is solicitor
general for the department of the in
terror, had as his guests to meet Sec
retary Ballinger last night United
States District Judge Olin Wellborn,
DR.. Walter Lindley, Milo Potter, Henry
O'Melveny, T. L. Duque. A. c. Brode,
Postmaster Motley Flint, Will Lacy
and Mr.. Ballinger's secretary and con-
stant companion, Don NJ. Carr of
Seattle.
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