Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-12
DECLARATIONS CONCERNING Po.
LIcY OF INTERIOR DEPART.
MENT sTlRs CONGRESS.
RoosEvELT's POLICIES
RECALLED IN CONT
Several Speakers Denounee 3 $ ger
and Refer to President Tafes Z ,der
of Sympathy With Moveme { Sec
retary Has Some Supporter spo-
kane Congress.

as II on the crater of a verbal volcano
which threatened to break forth at any
minute and precipitate him into Il bit
ter controversy, Richard A. Ballinger.
secretary of the interior, told the del
egates to the seventeenth national ir-
rigation congress what Is the attitude
of the present administration on the
reclamation of the arid lands of the
west.
Mr.. Ballnger declared positively
that no furuther funds would be ap-
propriated by the government for tr-
rigation projects. This announcement
was made in the face of dozen or
more resolutions calling for the gov
ernment to expend millions OF dollars
to complete irrigation projects and
build new ones which have been
planned. One of these resolutions, in
troduced by Arthur Hooker, secretary
of the Spokane board of control of the
congress, demanded that the sum OF
$4,000, 100000 be appropriated Tor irri-
cation, drainage, water ways and good
roads.
Mr.. Ba1linger startled the home
steader and settler delegates In the
convention as Well as the land sellers
by the declaration of his belief that
the average tract of Irrigation land Is
no place for the poor man.
The hall was packed when Mr.. Bal
linger arose to speak, as nearly every
delegate expected to witness excite
ment. From the uncompleted irrigation
propects for miles around big delega-
tions had come to town to hear Mr..
Ballinger explain why he had held up
work thru technicalities and thus pre-
vented them from obtaining water for
their lands this year as they had ex-
pected.
Many Of these delegates were primed
with pointed and bitter questions for
the cabinet officer, but the unexpected
nildness OF the secretary's speech and
his failure to touch this phase OF the
irrigation question held them back un-
til Mr.. Ballinger had hurriedly left the
hall. Then war broke loose.
DR.. George C. Pardee, a former gov
ernor of California, made a bitter at
tack on the policies of Mr.. Ballinger
In opening up to entry valuable water
sites closed by the Roosevelt admin
istration and in stopping work on irri-
cation projects where settlers have
been permitted to work out the cost
Of the land by digging irrigation
bitches.
He declared Mr.. Ballingers policy
would place the country in the grasp
Of great water power trust, a grasp
far stronger than ever the railroads
exercised. DIR. Pardee declared himself
heartily in favor of the reclamation and
conservation policies of Theodore
Roosevelt.
Clifford Pinchot, United States for
ester. and F. II. Newell, chief Of the
reclamation service, two Of the cfr1e1
exponents Of the Roosevelt policies
could scarcely suppress their glee as
the former California governor de-
nounced the secretary Of the interior
with whom both are known to be at
war and whose scalps Mr. Ballinger Is
said to be determined to get
1t was an old-time Teddy Roosevelt
crowd" that heard the attack, and they
cheered wildly as Pardee fired shot af-
ter shot Of carefully worded criticism,
against the Ballinger policies.
George Turner, former senator from
Washington, attempted to defend MI
Ballinger, but met with cool recep-
ton. He denounced Pardee's attack
as in bad taste.
"I am not lawyer, nor am the son
Of lawyer. and I want congress to
understand that am here representing
only myself" replied the doctor hotly
The situation was at a high tension
when Mr.. Ballinger appeared In the
convention hall. D. C. Henry, consult
ing engineer Of the United States re-
clamation service, was speaking when
the secretary appeared. He offered to
give way, but In spite Of the highly
technical nature of his speech many
delegates insisted that he proceed.
President Barstow. usually very dip
lomatic, added more electricity to the
already highly charged atmosphere by
having read the telegram from Pres
ident Taft declaring that his admins
tration favored a continuation of the
reclamation of the west
'In former President Roosevelt irri-
CATION and conservation had its great
est friend" said Mr.. Barstow. Presi-
dent Taft has declared himself in favor
of our work, and now we hope to have
the secretary of the interior also de-
clare himself as strong adherent OF
our policies"
Mr. Ballingers face was tense and
drawn as he arose to speak. but he paid
no attention to the suggestion of thc
chairman and entered quickly on his
formal address.