Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1912-10-25
FISHER SPEAKS
TO WATER USERS
Secretary of Interior Holds
Conference at Phoenix
Regarding Government
Reclamation Service
DELEGATION GREETs

/ or the interior, was IN Phoenix on
Wednesday for the purpose OF cou-
/ ferring with the water users associa-
ton Of the Salt River valley in re-
| gard to the government reclamation
/ service. The secretary was met in
I Phoenix by Senator Mark Smith, who
went to Phoenix to attend the con-
| ference and render what assistance
ers and farmers.
Secretary Fisher was met at Mar
I icopa by a delegation of Phoenix CT
items where representative of the
Gazette procured the following inter
view with the distinguished visitor:
Fishers Talk
You may be sure that / know you
regard this as a serious matter" Mr..
( Fisher said. Did ] not know ii, l
would not be here today. have given
/ the matter a great deal of attention
and am familiar with the arguments
of both sides. But the only way to
set at the bottom OF the disagreement
is to get both sides together and let
them present their arguments. This
is exactly what we will do this after
noon.
Z have heard it stated that the
farmers Of this valley are being driy-
en- into bankruptcy by the administra-
ton of the reclamation service. Yet
have seen land in this reclamation
district that has never been irrigated
advertised at 5000 an acre
Best Valley In World
Already I notice a familiar spirit
among the people ! have met here"
Secretary Fisher said This is the
honest and sincere belief that your
valley is the best place in the world.
You cannot understand why anyone
should live anywhere else.
4 was over in Hawaii this last sum-
mer, investigating some very import
ant matters at the request of Pres
dent Taft. There they can't under
stand why people ape not flockins
from the mainland to their islands.
Then l went up into the Puget Sound
country. where they are suge they
have the only country in the world
worth living in. In Los Angeles they
seem to think that they have quite
a desirable city. Here you know that
you have the best valley on the
face Of tie earth, and / am told that
the fact is to be demonstrated TO me
this morning. Well, / hope so,
Disputes Unavoidable
Disputes are bound to arise be-
tween the farmers and the reclama-
ton service. A great many of you
think that you have not been treated |
fairly; that the reclamation service |
has been extravagant. / do not think. |
however, that this dispute is going 70
retard the growth of your valley. A
farming district such as this is, with
the irrigation system that it now has,
cannot help but be prosperous. There I
is no question that the reclamation |
service is doing a great work in the
west, and is solving the arid-land |
problem. This is proved to a certain
extent by the fact that we are being
constantly besieged by land owners
under privately owned irrigation sys-
TENS to take Up their work and prop
erty reclaim their lands.
The government has spent a mil |
lion dollars at Yuma, and we have APP
piled for another million to be spent
there.
Has Been Out Of Touch
For more than a month | have
been in Hawaii, where the cable and
news service is very inadequate. For
this reason. have not been able to
keep track of the political situation.
Since my return to this country, |
] have found il impossible to catch up
because my time has been much &C.
cupied with other matters. From all
that | hear and read. however, ! am
l inclined to believe that Mr. Wilson IS
heartily in sympathy with the conser-
walton movement. If elected presi-
| dent he will go into office with every
expectation of assisting the reclama-
ton service, forestry service and other
bureaus designed to foster and con-
serve our natural resources. 1t may
! be that he viii not be able to do as
much as he expects; some of our DEM
ocratic brethren, / fear, are not as
/ earnestly in favor of conservation as
| they might be.
Theodore Roosevelt is a great con-
servationist. but no greater, in my
/ opinion, than President Taft The
two men differ temperanfentally, that
/ is all. / have been associated very in
/ timately with both OF them It was
at The request of Colonel Roosevelt
while be was president. that { became
/ president Of the National Conserva-
4 ton League. President Taft was en-
| rolled as the first member of the Ma
/ tional Conservation association, of
which ! was secretary for a time. In
fact. II was through the publication OF
| correspondence between him and my
self that the association was set on
/ foot
The conservation policy is nation
l wide and is approved by the vast MAJ
4 Hrl~4 II ~ L
/ it go on, no matter what party is in
1 power
| The Ocean-tG-Ocean highway is
l great and nnnd rnf,ra Anr r,,n,.err.n-,t