The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-08-04
WILL ATTACK
RECLAMATION
AT THE IRRIGATION CONGRESS
Opponents of the Idea Will Claim
There Is Nothing to Justify the
Continuation of the Work.

SPOKANE, WASH, August Sup
porters and opponents of the Roose-
welt policies pertaining to national
forestry and reclamation work will
draw the lines sharply at the meeting
of the National Irrigation congress
which will have its 18th sessions
here during the week beginning Aug
ust 9. There is already every indica-
ton that the movement, which began
with the passage of the Reclamation
Act in 1902, will be attacked from
, all sides under the guise of economy,
nothing which justified the continue
ance of so broad a policy of public
improvement.
Friends Point to Benefits.
Friends of the movement in the
west and southwest, where the bene-
are in evidence, point to the fact that
while the work is comparatively new
and largely experimental, the Recla-
nation service has not the record of
a single failure in the numerous
plants undertaken and involving a to-
tai expenditure of $42,000,000. They
are marshalling their forces and will
resist any attempt which might lead
to the wholesale overthrowal of the
policies enacted by Secretary GARFIELD.
That the acute stage has been
reached is evidenced by an authorized
statement by Arthur Hooker, secre-
tary Of the board of control, as fol-
lows:
Time Is Critical.
MANY indications point to the fact
that this is a critical time in the his
tory of the National Irrigation con-
gress, and, inded, in the history of the
national irrigation movement. In
fact, the same thing may be said
concerning the principles for which
this organization stands: The pre-
servation of our forests, the storage
of the floods, the reclamation of the
deserts and the home building of the
nation.
THAT the Roosevelt policies will be
on trial at the coming sessions is a
conclusion reached from considera-
ton of the events that have become
history since the last meeting of this
body. The supporters of the national
irriagtion movement began to see the
realization of their hopes in the pas
sage of the Reclamation Act in 1902,
and under the leadership of the
Father of Irrigation the work has
been progressing the last seven years.
Criticism Is AfOOt.
1.-The searchlight of criticism is now
turned upon the plans formulated and
the policies established. Those who
have followed closely the course of
events in the last few months fore
see that the 18th congress will meet
at a most opportune though the most
critical period since its organization.
Some of the attacks on the former
administrations policies will raise
these questions:
Have they fulfilled the hopes of
those who have been responsible for
their existence? Are they making a
richer, happier, better land; a more
prosperous and contented people
throughout that vast area once LABEL
ed The Great American Desert?' Are
they worthy Of that support and en-
dorsement necessary to insure con-
tinued progress along the lines on
which work is already progressing?
Or have the governments efforts in
this direction been at afult necessita-
ting a change in the activities of
those bureaus of the government to
which this work has been entrusted?
Irrigation and Its Friends.
What the result will be depends
friends of the policies which have in
the past received the endorsement of
this body.
ut is predicted that this phase
alone will make the congress famous,
and there are many indications that
its action on the foregoing questions,
coming at the time it does, will MAXI
the seventeenth sessions of the Ma
tional Irrigation congress not only the
most noted in its history, but the
most momentous in results No other
Interpretation can be put upon the
widespread national interest mani
tested and the importance which is
being attached to this organization
"Other questions which will come
before the congress in a striking man
ner are
Shall the government policies re-
ceive the endorsement of this con-
gress, or shall material changes in
them be deemed? Is this great ma
tional movement of providing homes
for millions of our people to continue
or is it to be checked and turned
aside ?"
BANDIT ONCE-NOW REFORM