The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-06-12
so SAYS IRRIGATIONIST
WHO is NOW DISGUISED
Not an Unqualified Admirer of
Former President But Says II
Is His Duty to Support Him for
the Nomination

Sometimes l get Sc disguised that
| think I'll never take another case
which must be handled through the
Interior Department at Washington, q"
said a prominent local attorney yes
terday az have cases in the office
now that have been held up by the
department for two years, Every
thing has been done that can be done
TO secure action either one way or
the other, but without avail
Apparently the unsettled state of
affairs politically together with the eff
feet of the upheaval In that depart
ment that occurred during the reign
of former Secretary Ballinger has
paralyzed the whole machinery IN
the interior department and left X
without a settled policy. Under the
administration of former president
Roosevelt and Secretary Garfield, the
policy OF the department. was pretty
definitely settled and it was possible
to get things done.
When Taft Came In
When President Taft stepped in or
ders We're issued that nothing was to
be approved that could not be jus
titled by strict Interpretation of the
law. Then came the Ballinger in
vestigation ana subsequently his res
ignatiou, so there has not been much
real progress since the beginning OF
the Taft regime"
This sentiment is frequently heard
on the streets from men who have in
tnt tl,at t,,,-
jects where approval of the reclama-
ton service or the interior depart
ment is required. One man who has
heavy interests In the valley for Il
number of years and who is high up
in the councils of irrigationists, de-
clared this week that although he had
supported President Taft ever since
he took office he had decided to
work for former President Roosevelt
because through him he saw the only
hope of progressive administration
of the government bureaus,
Attitude on Roosevelt
Il am not an unqualified admirer of
the former president" he said but
II believe that the interests of the
people of this valley will be better
served by Roosevelt than by Taft. IA
Is true that some of the criticisms of
reclamation when the service was
first instituted, may have been JUS
titled, but II Is not strange that mis-
takes were made, for the, work was
new and the organization was young.
This valley has been made by the
efforts of the reclamation service and
its corps of assistants. Development
here Is but barely past the infancy
stage and 1t is vital that definite
policy be once more instituted in the
interior department with reference to
the reclamation work and diligently
pursued. Otherwise things will re-
main as they are--almost at a stand
still.
Duty of the People
II am going farther and say that I
believe 1t to be the duty of the peo-
pie of this valley to work for the
nomination and election of former
President Roosevelt"
Continuing. the same person said
I'VE can hope for nothing from a
dem ocratic president, for should a
democrat be elected to the White
House lat least one whole admins
tration will be consumed in an effort
to ferret out mistakes that have been
made by previous administrations of
republicans for the purpose of I'M
iluencing the succeeding elections.
That means that progress and settled
administrative policies will be delayed
for another three or four years. We
want things done. For one am
heartily sick and tired of dlatory
methods and vacillating policies"