Arizona republican., 1909-08-12

Spokane, Aug l1-With the stage carefully set, the actors prepared in their lines and an overwhelming audi ence in its place the Ballinger Pinchot battle royal bursted upon the ma tional irrigation congress this after noon The man. in the language of an enthusiastic Californian, ''who rip ped things wide open," was pr. Par dee. former governor of California. pr Pardee attacked Richard A. Ballinger secretary of the interior, with fierce ness only seconded by that of former Senator George A. Turner of Washing ton. who took the cudgels in defense of the secretary.
 Mir. Ballinger entered the auditorium this afternoon surrounded by a recep- ton committee. and when he arose to speak he was cheered for several min utes. The secretary, after few intro ductory remarks. read from paper his ideas on reclamation and the pub lie domain. one point he made plain, and that was his idea that what had been done by the secretary of the in- terior was under the law.
 Mir. Balinger's Remarks.
 His speech in part was as follows:
 While the government has invested over fifty million dollars in irrigation works many times that amount has been invested since the passage of the reclamation act by private enterprises, and it is safe to say that large DOT ton of these private investments have resulted from governmental example and encouragement, and let me say here that il has not been and is not the policy of the national government in the administration of this act to hinder or interfere with the investment of private capital in the construction of irrigotion works. but rather to lend encouragement This is particularly true in reference to irrigation under the Carey act in the various states l am not d believer in the government entering into competition with legiti- mate private enterprises. Its functions under the reclamation act are not of this character. and I am sure that when a private enterprise has done what it can there will still be thousands upon thousands of acres of public lands re claimable only by government aid. The western states should therefore be very JEALOUS 1L lllt dLllfiAApll AhlAA and of its constant increase.
 The Purpose of the Act.
 The purpose of the reclamation act is to undertake the irrigation of arid lands where a considerable portion thereof belongs to the public domain and by the installation of the storage and diversion of available waters to irrigate the largest possible area with in a given territory at the least cost to the entrymen and land owners for con- structiOn, maintenance and operation. always keeping in view the matter of the establishment of these lands and rendering them capable of supporting the greatest number of families. The law is a beneficent one; it is another evidence of the broad and liberal policy which has ever actuated our national government in the disposition of it's public lands. It differs. however. from the simple homestead law in that it holds out inducements only to men of sufficient industry and capacity to carry the added burdens of construc- ton. maintenance and operation. which is the cost of the lands. While 1t is possible that a person Of limited means may successfully enter and acquire irrigated lands, it will generally be found that it is not a poor mans prop osition, unless coupled with intelligent industry in agriculture.
 The whole scheme Of the act is based upon the appropriation of the proceeds of sales Of public lands Tn certain states and territories for the construction of irrigation works for the reclamation of arid and semi-arid lands therein. No further appropria- ton by the government is intended or can be inferred from the act, and the responsibility for the disbursement of the funds and the construction of the works is placed upon the secretary of the interior It must be recognized that the government is acting in the nature of a trustee for the people in the disbursement of this fund, that 1t must construct the works for settlers and turn them over at cost. and has no right to recklessly or imprOvidently waste the fund: that cost means the cost which is incurred in the exercise of common business prudence, and this is likewise true of the expense of main tenance and operation.
 Bound by the Law.
 Tt is also the declared purpose of this law that the secretary of the in terior in carrying out its provisions shall proceed in conformity with the laws of the states and territories wherein the irrigation works are sit uated and is bound by these laws in respect to the appropriation and use of the waters therein.
 'The government, as I have said, has invested fifty millions of dollars in rec lamation works, and by such invest ment has succeeded in irrigation oyer a million acres of arid lands: and it may be likewise stated with fairness than over fifty million dollars have