Arizona republican., 1912-06-12
As to SeIfishness


 We are interested in an academic way, in coIloquy between MT Wors- ley of Pima and Mir. Wood of this county in the course of the senate session of Monday afternoon. The subject under discussion was the rec lamation of arid lands MT Worsley believed that the reclamation of the west was being brought about by d spirit of cooperation. MT Wood held to the contrary view, at least. so far as the Salt River valley project was concerned. that it had its inception in a purely personal and selfish way" and that it was brought about by "an agent of the Santa Fe and other railroads for the development of this region. that railroad traffic might be increased.
 We do not think that AIr. Worsley is quite right and we are sure that Mr Wood is far from right. but, be- fore proceeding to discussion of his theory, we must cut some brush away.
 There are those who believe that every human motive is a selfish one; that even in our generosity and in our aspirations toward q higher life we are thoroughly selfish We expect to get something out of it, peace of mind and the quieting of our consciences in this world, and heaven, in the next life.
 This was the view of selfishness en- tertained by a character in The Cir cult Rider" a man of most Iovable character and manifold good deeds, all performed, he declared. most selfishly
 of course, if we assume that there is a selfish motive behind every hu- man action MT, Wood was so far right But in all else, he was very wrong. The agent of the Santa Fe and other railroad companies" to whom he alludes was George II. Max we'll the man who eliminated many of the years between the dream of national aid and it's natural realization.
 For many years MT Maxwell alone devoted himself to that propaganda. In the west it was considered to be hopeless and in the east it was con sidered to be absurd He could at first interest nobody but the helpless. There was then too much land in the country that needed no irrigation.
 The railroads cared little about it and the politicians cared less. But MT Maxwell tried to convince the railroads that if more people lived in the west they would have more busi- ness and the railroads became mildly interested and contributed money to- ward carrying on the propaganda They gave it without enthusiasm, careIessly. perhaps expecting no re- turn.
 MT Maxwell next carried his doc urine to the manufacturers of the east and he tried to show them that if an en-pire could be established in the west it would be theirs, a broader market The National Manufacturers association was organized and more money was contributed to the cause of MT Maxwell. Finally politicians began to take notice of the growing movement MT Roosevelt became in terested and at length, we had the Hansbrough- -Newlands act.
 If MT. Maxwell was the agent of the railroads, he was also the agent of the eastern manufacturers; he was the agent of Senators Newlands and Hansbrough he was the agent of President Roosevelt and the agent of everybody whom he succeeded in in teresting in the subject of national aid
 The inception of reclamation of which We became the first benefici- aries. was in MT. Maxwell and if he was moved by selfishness as selfish ness is commonly understood, that fact has remained utterly concealed to this day.
 Mir Maxwell bought one farm Tn this valley, a highly improved farm' and a little later he sold it as we understand with little if any profit. Then assisted by railroad officials he started a homecroft movement near Phoenix without prospect or hope of any personal gain but which, if sue cessful would have been of great ad- vantage to the railroads as well as to this city.