The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1910-06-22
WASHINGTON LETTER

w httutI al ARMY EuktuctT IL
to be placed at the head of the
Reclamation Service is a ques-
ton that officials of the admin
istration refuse to discuss at
this time. 1t is now almost
certain shat Frederick III. New
ell will tender his resignation
as Director of the Reclamation
Service 10 take effect sometime
IN August. He does not retire
voluntarily, il may be said. In
fact there has been friction be
tween Mr.. Newell and Secretary
Balllnger every since Mr.. Bal
linger became Secretary Of the
Interior. 1t is said that Secre-
tary Ballinger thoroughly be.
lieves that the great reclama-
ton projects would be admins
tered by an officer of the En-
gineer Corps of the Army, and
II is thought he has converted
President Taft TO his way of
thinking.
Gossip has it that General
w. l.. Marshall, chief OF the
Corps of Engineers, who will
soon retire from the Army on
account of age, will succeed
MIR. Newell as Director Of the
Reclamation Service. That the
administration seriously con-
templates assigning engineer
officers to irrigation projects tx
made plain in a bill that recent
~ passed the House, and which
has been reported favoTably by
the Senate Committee on Mill
tary Affairs. This is "a bill to
increase the efficiency of the
Engineer Corps" Ii adds sixty
officers 20 the corps, but con
talns a provision under which.
II enacted into law, the Presi-
dent may detail engineer
officers for duty on irrigation
works. The provision reads "a
follows. That the President
may, IN his discretion. detail
any army engineer 10 the
supervision or inspection of any
engineering works Of cOnstruc-
ton carried ON 10y the govern
ment pursuant of the law"
This bill was approved bv the
War Department before itpass-
ed the House. 1t is certain 10
provoke a lively debate if il is
brought up for passage in the
Senate at this session. Opinion
appears 20 be divided among
Senators as 10 whether army
engineers would prove more
efficient than civilians in the
work OF constructing irrigation
projects.
Another event Of great mo-
ment Co the country at large
was the final adoption Of the
conference report ON the Rivers
and Harbors appropriation bill
without the change Of an co.
ON the crossing Of a 81 from
the agreement reached by the
Senate and House conferees.
Senator Bailey, of Texas. Bur
ton, of Ohio; Beveridge. Of In
diana; and Stone, of Missouri,
endcavOred with all the elo
quence and all their persuasive
ness TO send the bill back 10
conference with instructions TO
insert in the bill certain pet
projects of theirs which had
either been unfavOrably report
ed upon by the Board of En-
gineers or which failed, as in
Senator Burton's case, TO ap.
prOpriate for the National
Waterways commission, of
which he is chairman. But
neither elOquence or caioling,
sarcasm or invective could
change the minds of Senators
and the conference report on
the Rivers and Harbors bill,
carrying nearly fifty-two mil
lion of dollars was agreed to by
a vote of IS TO u, nine demo.
Gratis and three repu blicans
casting the negative vote. The
House adopted the conference
report lase Friday evening, and
the bill, which is regared as the
fairest and most equitable river
and harbor bill ever prepared
by the committees having such
Legislation I'm hand has gone to
the President for signature.
The passage OF the railroad
r,ta III =. ~ -