The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-07-12


thorized representatives OF the In
dian tribes. Others can he just Al
rea Oily secured.
TN short. the Herald can get thu
truth about the situation IL the truth
Il. what il wants. with very little eX
pense and very little effort. o.
course. il the truth is not what Il
wa nted. the matter assumes an en-
tirely different aspect. And few
NOR. articles like the one mentioned
above. vill lead to very reasonable
doubt a. 10 whether our Yakima con
tempara IL looking for the facts ol
for a method of smothering thu
facts"
" the Review will be kind enough
TO 40 into what the the reclamation
service has Jailed to accomplish and
what il has cost the communities in
terested," the Herald will be obliged
So far. truly without any intention Il
smother the facts. or to evade IN,
truth. this paper has been unable &c
find sufficient merit in any OF tho
criticisms made of the reclamation
service and its work to even balance
in the scales of justice, the considera-
lions of the solid and substantial
monuments to its skill and endurance
that this part of our national govern
ment has erected.
Admitting that most of the water
rights in the projects nearing com
pletion BY the service will cost more
than originally planned, attention
need only he called to the fact that
the list of failures of private com
panies to complete large irrigation
works is practically identical with the
list OF such enterprises. We need
only allude, in our own section, 10
the history of the Sunnyside canal
And in the consideration of how far
the engineers of the government are
to blame for the increased cost OF
the Teton over the estimate. we must
necessa rily inquire into the extent oil
the control by those engineers over
the cost of supplies, and unforseen
accidents and delays Uncertain and
unforeseen features are always. with
out any exception. found to come np
in the construction of irrigation en-
tsprises. and in cases where the sup
ply OF money lis limited. total failure
and enormous losses result.
Admitting. for the sake of the dis
cussion, that the engineers OF the
service are prone to indulge in spec
tacuMr" feats that will result in their
personal sggra Indictment, it need on
w he ssid that all men are human
even the Indian department, which
constructed the VIGOROUSLY ineffective
present system of water supply on
-
be doubted indeed, whether land
owners arc to prefer too little zeal 40
too much zeal 1t is a fact beyond
the pera overture of - doubO-has
never been questioned, and can never
bs-that the engineering works
throughout the United states con
structed by the reclamation service
are structures that may almost out
last time itself, and while they may
have cost more than they would nave
under conditions where the engineers
took less pride in their work. II Is
highly probable that any addItloha
EXPENSE caused either by their zeal
or hy leaks produced by the necessar'
ilv public nature OF the work. may be
properly classified az cheap insur-
snce of the efficiency and permanence
OF the undertaking.
In short no objection has Vet come
to our ears agains the work OF the
government, that cannot be referred
i'm m ediately to personal disputes, OF
differences between individuals and
the government officials as to prob
lens of engineering. ANY man mas
a perfect right to disagree with the
views of the engineers, and very many
men in this valley who could not bulld
q check box that would hold water
back. and who could not take read
ing from a weir on wager, conside'
themselves competent to carp at the
decisions of men who have not only
equipped themselves over period o.
wears for their work. but have also
given thorough and painstakins study
to the solving of the particular prom
lens as they developed.
What then. are We to have on thu
reservation If not the reclamation ser
vice? The Indian department? Is il
tenable for q moment that the lndiar
department will he better able to
perform this work? The reclamation
service has been Engaged in irrlsa'
ton projects for MANY years. and mas
built up an organization that ever
admitting il is lax In its methods, in
efficient in its results. and a disgrace
to the country generally, cannot b'
va Id to he less capable than a depart
ment that is not so we'll equipped
either by experience or record o
achievement. to secure the confidence
Of men who put their property in 1T
hands
The Herald contents itself" con
tlnues the Review. with the use o
such hsckneyed phrases as sentimen
is solidifying and it is the genera
opinion and other similar expires
sions commonly employed in bolster
ing up a weak cause. II may h
true that sentiment is solidifNing' II
favor OF the reclamation service
around the real estate offices in Nortl
Yakima. and il may be the genera
opinion' on Mob Hill that the Yakima
reservation should he turned over Il
that branch af the interior depart
ment But in the country below III
gap where the land actually lies tina
is to he watpred and where the me-
who are vitality interested live, an
where the bills are To be paid, on
well meaning contemporary will fin
vastly different feeling, if ii take
the time and pains to investigate.
Now the writer of these words ha y
I pens to be the owner of land on tn
reservation. and he also happens I
/ Lpau MANI nther land owners there