Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-28
POLICY OF
BALLINGER
GIVEN OUT
Secretary Issues a Public
Statement
WORK OF DEPARTMENT TOLD
IN DETAIL
SAYS WATER POWER SITES ARE
SAFELY GUARDED
important Announcement Made by the
Cabinet official at End of Long
Tour of the Far
West
SAYS WATER POWER SITES ARE
SAFELY GUARDED
~ Asgoelated Press. ]

MI ASHINGTON, Oct. ZI.-Secrelary
w Ballinger, who returned to
W Washington last night after an
extensive tour in the far west, today
gave out a statement which is re-
garded as a declaration of his policy.
The statement is written in the third
person and takes up the various fea-
lures of the departments work, de-
voting particular attention to the var
ious reclamation enterprises. and es-
pecially to water power sites on the
public domain.
The secretary reiterated, without
fear of contradiction, the statement
hitherto made in his behalf that since
his incumbency no water power sites
on the public domain heretofore with
drawn have been secured by private
parties, and that he has energetically
made every effort by temporary with
drawals to segregate existing power
sites on the public domain, in order
to enable congress to legislate for
their more prudent disposition.
Secretary Ballinger states that dur
ing his trip most of the principal gov
ernment reclamation projects have
been visited, some of them with the
senate committee on irrigation
Conference Held
The water users and settlers upon
the reclamation projects have been
conferred with, as well as the govern
ment officers in the field. respecting
existing projects, as well as questions
which may involve the improvement
of the service and the advancement or
the interests of the settlers.
Respecting reclamation work, the
studies made by the secretary have
inspired him, the statement says,
with an ambition to complete exist
ing projects as rapidly as business
prudence and moneys available will
permit, and he is earnestly in favor
Of securing authority from congress
for the issuance of bonds against the
reclamation funds to give the service
the means whereby all existing prof.
ects can be speedily completed and
necessary extensions undertaken"
The secretary declined to discuss any
phase of the controversy regarding
conservation policies that has been de-
scribed as existing between himself
and Clifford Pinchot, the government
forester.
He declared himself in hearty ac-
cord with President Taft as to the
undertaking of irrigation work only
where probable feasibility warrants
the expenditures of the funds, and
independent of local or political con-
siderations, every measure is to
be aQOpISQ on lHS SIOuhd thoN ~ "--A
be useful for the whole country"
Hopes for Support
The secretary expresses confidence
that when his attitude is known to the
public, both the people and congress
will be in hearty accord with the ad-
ministrative policies of the interior de-
partment.
In his report Mr. Ballinger declares
he will place special emphasis upon the
right use and disposition of the coal,
phosphate, oil and other mineral depos-
it's, water power sites and other I'M
portant natural resources of the pub
lie domain. -
secretary declares, also will show IAN
aggressive and untiring effort to pre-
vent the illegal and improper disposi-
ton of the public domain"
Mr. Ballinger describes himself as
'keenly alive to the Importance of the
reclamation work in restraining fiood
waters and protecting the great river
basins of the west from disastrous
floods.'
He made a special study of the con-
ditions of the Colorado and Rio Grande
rivers, involving the appropriation and
right use of the waters within Ameri-
can territory before their passage into
Mexico.
AS reRdIQS lL6 lHlpCllcAl NeAACS -
California, which gets its water from
the Colorado river, Mr.. Ballinger be-
lieyes those interested in the valley, in
order to obtain a permanent water sup
plv ultimately will have to take their
waters from the Laguna dam. He says
the department stands ready to DO
whatever it can to facilitate the estab-
lishment of a permanent supply for the
people of this valley.
Much misunderstanding
A great misunderstanding exists re-
garding the departments attitude, the
secretary says, adding that the gov
ernment has at present no control over
or connection with the private compa-
nies interested in the canals and irriga-
tion systems supplying the Imperial
valley.
The condition of some of the Indian
schools inspected was described by the
secretary as "a disgrace to the nation"
He declared some of them were nothing
but mere rat traps, foul with age and
insanitary.
He is in full accord with the commits
sioner of Indian affairs in his attempt
to overhaul the field service and Sc
cure greater efficiency and more pro-
nounced advancement of the Indians.
The secretary is very emphatic In his
conmendation of the personnel of the
engineers and subordinates in the recla-
nation service, and for the high type of
construction and durability of the work
on the various projects for which they
are responsible, as we'll as for their
general efficiency and integrity.
The secretary is desirous that the
work shall be prosecuted with such dis
patch as to enable the government 90
avail itself of the appropriation and
beneficial use of waters in the western
states, where large undertakings may
be carried on, and he says are generally
not within the ability of private enter
prise