The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1910-06-10
ARMY ENGINEERS
TO FINISH WORK
,DNV OFFICERS FOR GREAT
RECLAMATION PROJECTS IL
LATEST IDEA.
Senate Expected to Pass BIii A"'hoF-
ling Detail Unless Prevented by
EiIibustcr Movement - Service
Needs Reorganization.
A Washington special to the. States

Washington special to the. States
man. dated June S, says:
IF hlibustcr does not prevent
vote being taken the senate prob
nbIy viii pass the house bill charging
the army eng neering corps, and au-
thorizing the detail of engineer Off
GERS to supervise government rec,a
nation work. with very few exec
lions, western senators are in fay
of the bill, and eastern senators az
not Interested one way or thu otha
How. yer. Senator Dixon of Montana
Senator Newlands of Nevada and Sci
ator Chamberlain of Oregon are 81
posed to that portion Of the bill per
hitting the detail of engineer Office
to reclamation work, and Dixon
Newlands, by joining hands, woul
be able to put up very effective fill
buster, considering the latenass .
tho sess. on. Newlands in particular
is famous as long distance talker.
and Dixon, when mad, is able t.
waste considerable time in debate
Senator Chamberlain probably vii
not join the others to the extent o.
speaking at length against the bill,
though he counted on to do a SINAI
share of the time killing and protest
ing.
Under existing law the president
is not authorized to detail army en-
gineera to work outside the war dc
partment; therefore it s not permits
sible to place them in charge of tn
construction of irrigation works
which come under the interior d.
partment. The administration. how.
ever, would like authority to detan
these officers to reclamation work an
other special duty outside the wal
department, hence the bill which has
already passed the house, and is nov
on the senate calendar To what eX-
tent the authority would be used, i
granted, IS not yet known, though
there is general impression around
Washington that if the authority i
granted, an army officer of the eng
neer corps will be assigned, at leas
temporarily, as chief engineer of IT,.
c'amation service and possibly q
director. It might also be found ey
pedient at times to detail army eng
neers to duty as engineers in imme-
date charge of the construction c,
various projects, at least temporarily.
This, also, can only be done in the
event congress passes the pendin
bill.
Reorganization of Service.
While it is certain that the recla-
nation service is to be reorgani2er
and that new men are to be placed
in charge, it is believed now that thu
reorganization will not take place TO,
month or two at last not until
after the Ba'linger-P inchot committee
has filed its report Some pressure
has been brought to bear to have tn
change made Immediately, without
waiting for the findings of the com
mittee, but the disposition of the
administration is to postpone action
until there is a definite report upon
which to base the dismissal of Direc
tor Newell, Chief Engineer Davis and
others
Up to the present time no one has
been selected for director or for chief
engineer, though the matter has re
ee.ved some attention, and ayailabl
men are being listed. In the event
the engineer bill passes and army
men are maze eligible, the selection
probably viii be made by the score
tary of war in cooperation with Ne
chief of engineers. But if the bill
fails, or if for any other reason it is
decided to place a civilian in charge
the new officials will be selected by
Secretary Ball:nger, with the approx
al of the president.