Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-13
ATTACK UPON POWER COMPANY
Delegate Says Spokane Corporation il
Running Farms of Settlers.
FARM OWNER ONLY THE AGENT
Prof. Bailey Says He is Under obi
CATION to Care for Soil.
DIRECTOR TRUE EXPLAINS woRE
He Says Greatest Need of Ari'
Region ia Information Re-
EardinE Use of water
Supplies.

SuHHAANHs
SPOKANE, wesh, Aug. l2-John wilson
former United states senator from Wash
ington, and John Farson, millionaire
banker OF Chicago, today came to the de
fense OF Secretary Ballinger before thu
National Irrigation congress and succeeded
in keeping the so-called "Ballinger- -Pincho.
feud" In the public eve.
Discussion about the hotels last nigh,
seemed to indicate that both sides Of tho
reclamation controversy were content 10
let matters rest Notwithstanding the
rumors that the Ballinger supporters in
tended to make a detailed reply 40 thu
charges offered by former Governor George
c. Pardee of California.
DR.. Pardee started today's controvcrs,
by questioning a statement by a speaker,
He again accused Secretary Ballinger OF
permitting the opening for entry Of valu.
able water power skies.
This brought Mr.. Farson to his feet, ask
ing Dr. Pardee II he meant to insinuatS
that the secretary was dishonest, with
Dr. Pardee's reply that he meant no such
accusation the incident was dropped.
Attack on Power Company.
w. w. Terrell of Ferreu, Idaho, attacked
the Washington Power company, which
SUPPLIES power to Spokane.
Il have been a settler in Idaho for TWEEN
ty-five years" he shouted, "and there are
many who have worked hard to make
homes. And now, after quarter Of a CEN
tury. the Washington Power company, one
of the many which threatens our very lives,
has damed up our valley, overflowed our
L., 49,, a,,1
TO lose their means of livelihood. There
are in my town men who will smash that
dam with dynamite and send a wall of
water down this valley, and what will hap
pen to Spokane will make the Johnstown
flood look like a common shedding of tears,
If something is not done"
Wilson Praises BallinKer.
Former Senator Wilson replied.
There may be those who do wrong in
this land" he said. There may be water
power companies that disobey the law, but
want to say here that stand for Rich
ard A. Ballinger and 1 shall hear no man
say he is dishonest.
IF II is necessary, l am here to defend
Ballingers superior-Presdent Taft What
they have done they have done under the
law. 1t is for the people to support the
government and not the government the
people, and for this reason l say that pri-
vate enterprises should reclaim these des-
erts."
One Of the interesting addresses of the
day was that by Mrs. Emmons Crocker, a
delegate from the Federation of Womens
Clubs. She said that women first came on
par with men when President Roosevelt
invited Mrs. Sarah Plat Decker to attend
the gathering of governors to discuss ma
tional conservation.
Farmer Only Agent.
That no man owns his farm, but only is
an agent under obligation to conserve his
SOIL was the doctrine promulgated at Ma
tional Irrigation congress this morning. by
L. H. Bailey, director of New York College
of Agriculture, who spoke on farm com
munity. He said 1t is not true that
young man must 60 west to take up a new
farm. He asserted that the west is IN
danger of becoming less fertile and that
the east is less liable to this danger and
quoted from the reports of the Country
Life commission to sustain this statement.
Prof. Samuel Fortier of the Department
OF Agriculture, delivered an address on the
proper of water.
II. w. Campbell and o. l. Walker OF the
Department of Agriculture also spoke.
scope of Experiment Work.
| DR.. A. c. True director of the office Of
experiment stations OF the Department of
Agriculture, spoke next, explaining the
scope and purpose Of the irrigation invest
igation carried on by his department. Ths
| scope, he said. is the use Of water IN irri-
cation, and it's purpose is the largest use
OF our water supplies and the adoption Of
the best methods in their use.
! AT present the greatest need Of the arid
region, judged by the calls upon Us for
help. is along the second line Of work COM
mitted to us by congresS-the use OF irn-
cation waters, with especial suggestions of
the best methods for the utilization Of ir-
| rigation waters in agriculture
Throughout the arid region the Increase
in the area under ditch has outrun the
natural increase in population. and as a
consequence you must look to the humid
region for the farmers who will give value
to the bitches built and the lands covered.
These prospective farmers are uniformed
as to the general conditions under which
they will have to live. and also as to the
methods OF using water in the production
OF crops The ditch promoters do much to
supply the first deficiency, but the people
OF the east are suspicious OF sdvertise-
ments and they write by hundreds to our
department asking about this or that
scheme whether IL is legitimate. and
whether the claims as to crops grown are
true. It has been impossible to answer
these In detail. but we have, during the
last year, had prepared and issued series
OF bulletins on irrigation In different states
and territories, the central idea OF which
is TO present the information needed by q
person who is considering settlement on
irrigated lands anywhere In the west.
Needs of New Settlers.
These bulletins contain the informA-
| ton the settler needs in deciding whether
| he wishes 10 take up irrigated lands and
where he shall settle. But he II in
| greater need when he goes on the lands.
| He does not know when nor how 10 apply
| the water TO his soil. Much OF this he
must learn by experience, but We are
] doing what We can 10 meet hAS needs BY