The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-28
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
GIVES OUT STATEMENT Ex-
PLANNING PLANS.
WORLD OFFERS SYMPATHY RETURNS FROM THE WEST
Various Features Of the DEPARTMENTS
Work Are Taken Up. With Special
prises and Water Power Sites
Says Nothing About Pinehot.

Washington, oct. -5,-Sccrctary Bal
linger Of the interior department. who
/ returned Ia Washington last night
after an extensive tour Of Inspection
of public domain and interests In tho
far west. under the jurisdiction If his
department. gave out today state
mcnt which il regarded as Il declara-
tion Of his policy as TO these matters.
/ The statement is written in the third
person and takes up the various
features OF the departments work.
dcvoting particular attention to the
various reclamation enterprises and
especially To water power sites on the
public domain.
The secretary rcitcrat"S. without
fear Of contradiction" the statement
! hitherto made in his behalf. that
since his inCumh.ncy no water posFer
sites on the public domain thereto
fore withdrawn, have been secured by
private parties. and that he ha, en-
crgctICally made every effort by tenn
porary withdrawals to ScgrCgItc ex-
isting power sites on the public do
/ main. in order To enable congress to
legislate for their more prudent dis
posttion'
Secretary EaIlingcr states that dur
ing his trip most Of the principal
government reclamation projects have
been visited. some of them by the
senate committee ON irrigation. The
water users and settlers upon the rec
lamatiOn projects have been con-
fcrrcd with. as we'll as the government
/ officers in the field respecting cx-
/ isting projects. as well As. questions
which may involve the Improvement
1 of the service and the advancement
| of the interests Of the settlers"
Respecting reclamation work the
! studies made by the secretary have
+ inspired him. the statement says. with
/ ambition to complete existing prof.
/ eCts as rapidly as business prudence
! and moneys available will permit and
I he is earnestly in favor of securing
authority from congress for the Is
/ suance of bonds against the reC'ama-
| tion funds. to give the service the
means whereby all existing projects
/ can be speedily completed and ncces-
! sary extensions undertaken"
Pinchot.
! The secretary declined to discuss
any phase of the controversy regard
ing conservation policies. which had
/ been described as existing between
! himself and Clifford Pinchot. the gov
! ernment forester. He made it plain
that he will deal with conservation
in his annual report. To which he saon
will give attention. He declared him
| self in hearty accord with President
Taft as to the undertaking Of irri-
CATION work only where probable
feasibility warrants the expenditures
of the funds and independent of To-
cal ar political considerations. Every
measure is To he adopted an the
ground that il will be- useful Tor the
whole country The secretary ex-
presses confidence that when his at
titude is known to the public, both
the people and congress will be In
hearty accord with the administrative
policies of the interior department. In
his report. Mr. Ballinger declares he
will place special emphasis upon the
right Use and disposition of the Cnai.
phosphate. oil and other mineral de-
posits water power sites and other
important natural resources nf the
public domain. The activities Of the
department. the secretary declares,
Will also show AN aggressive and
untirinS effort to prevent the Illegal
and improper disposition or the pub
lie domain"
Reclamation.
Mr.. Eallinger describes himself aS
''keenly alive To the Importance of the
reclamation work in restraining flood
waters and protecting the great river
- h.. 4 EFsrrfa s
floods lie made special study -
the conditions ua the Colorado and
Rio Grande rivers involving the ar-
preparation and right Use oc th~ wa
ters within American territory betare
their passage into MeAIc1.'
The secretary lS ln full ucc"ri Ntti
the commissioner Of Indian affairs i'll
his attempt to overhaul the field SvrS-
ice and secure greater efficiency aaI
mere pronounced advancement "f
the Indians. He Is very emphatic iii
! his commendattnn II the personnel af
the engineers anI Sulardirates in the
reclamation service and for the high
type of construction and durability of
the work on the various projects, for
which they are responsible. as Well
a. their general efficiency and in
tcsrlty. The secTetary i deStrous
that the work shall h, prosecuted
with such dispatch Is t. enable the
government to avail itself III the an-
prupriatlnn and beneficial u>e Of Ma
tiers in the western states, where
large undertakings may be aEalled oi.
which he says. are generally not
within the ability ~ private enter
priSrS