The daily sentinel., 1909-11-03
MIR. BALLINGER HAS NOT SIGNED
CONTRACT TO BUILD HIGH
LINE CANAL.
Continued Iron First Page. J

highly important statements were
made and many startling facts wers
brought out. Local people were
given a clearer and new insight into
many of the phases of the high line
canal situation.
Every citizen of Mesa county
should be in touch with what wa.
said at the meeting last night. TIL,
Sentinel is the only local paper thai
has attempted "A fairly complete and
accurate review of the statements
made, that Is the important state.
ments.
The meeting was presided over by
Judge Sprigg Shackleford There
! were no formalities.
II. T. DeLong was introduced and
made long talk detailing local cir
cumstances connected with the high
line canal project, already well
known to local people.
Frederick ii. Newell. the guiding
spirit and highest official of the great
reclamation service was then intro.
duced. He was given an ovation as
he arose to speak. Director Newell
made n plain, straightforward. com.
prehensive. frank statement. He did
not mince matters. He did not deal
in gcncralities. He held out no vague
promises. II was talk that counted
for much and meant much.
! Mr.. Newell said that there is no
! question but what the building of
the high line canal is of vast import
ance to the future of this valley. He
\ paid tribute to this section. It's
| growth and its wonderful resources.
Then he said You often hear tho
| expression, the government should
do this and the government should
do that, people must be more explicit
the government is the people, the
government cannot promise anything,
IL is up to some particular arm Of
the government To agree and promis.
and contract. The government is a
general and rather an uncertain
quantity. Our guests here represent
one great branch of the government.
They make the laws. | as a repre-
sentative of one branch of the inter
ior department, only carry out what
| am told to carry out by powers
higher than |, and can only abide by
the laws"
Then Mr.. Newell spoke of the pur-
pose of the tour of the senate COM
mittee. He declared This commit
tee and we are concerned chiefly i'm
the securing the new legislation that
will permit immediate completion of
projects under way. legislation that
will meet existing needs. Shall we
pass or consider the passage of laws
permitting cooperative work between
land owners and the government,
between the secretary of interior and
the individuals in the carrying for
ward of irrigation pro iectS?"
Il think that 1t is important that
such legislation should be passed We
certainly should be allowed to help
ourselves If we want to. 1t is not
fair that the government shall say,
that ii will only permit work to lie
done on irrigation projects as we
secure funds from the regular chcn-
nels, in spite of the fact that indi-
viduals are willing to cooperate with
the government In building these
projects"
Mr.. Newell declared that the gov
ernment should permit outside funds
to supplement its funds in such re-
gard. He was most emphatically in
favor of legitimate cooperative
system. ~ believe that the servant
of the people should follow the best
business methods as would the SER
want of n corporation. l believe that
the servant of the people should be
allowed to use all proper methods to
carry forward n project Just as corr
poration manager would be expected
to carry forward u project. In other
words the servant of the people
should he allowed to accept financial
aid in such projects rs this, i'm II
legitimate way, just as II corporation
manager carrying forward project
Il ~
in legitimate ways"
Director Newell laughingly de-
clared that he would be only too
happy 10 spend the peoples money
in helping build such projects
lie dwelt upon II number of other
features of the question and then de-
clared the whole question is this.
"Shall the secretary of interior build
the high line canal or not?" He de-
clarcd that in justice To the people
of this section this question should
he answered one way or the other
and at the very earliest date. From
his remarks il was plain that this
question has not yet been finally
answered.
Director Newell then gave some of
the inner Washington-end history of
the high line project. He told of
the government Withdrawing from
the project at the request of private
capital some years ago. He brought
the project quickly up to date and
declared that the contract Secretary
Garfield had made with the local
association had been found to be
| illegal.
Director Newell declared. THE rec
lamation service is often expected to
make promises. We cannot make
promises. We have no right to prom
Use anything, none of our officials
have. We cannot say that we will
take up this project or any other
project and push il To completion.
With the government no mere verbal
promises 20. Secretary Ballinger is
the man who has the power He di-
reefs the reclamation service what to