The Washington herald., 1913-05-13
ATTACK IS MADE /
ON RECLAMATION
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

the proceeds of which went into tire
reclamation fund.
Senator Newlands then spoke of the
Secretaries of the Interior OF Whom
there have been five in ten years, none
of whom were familiar with conditions
in the West, except the present incum-
bent This ne said, had caused
changing policy because every man
strong enough TO be chosen as Secretary
of Interior is the kind to follow MS
own policy. He spoke of the diHerehce
in opinion among the settlers themselves
many of whom in his own State are not
eager to have their projects turned over
by the government, because. as one Ola
farmer expressed it at a public meeting,
none of us can trust each otner, put
all can trust Uncle Sam He thought
IL worthy of comment that the expendi-
ture Of $4,000, 600 had been accomplished
without graft or dishonesty.
Newlands Denies Accusations.
Senator NewIands spoke of the regu-
larly recurring accusation that he had
prof1ted enormously by his "nefarious
connection with the Occidental Land
Improvement Company, whose holdings
went into this project. AS matter or
fact. it is said that Senator Newiands
was instrumental in the sale OF this
property at a price considerably below
the market value, and at most one-haif
of the valuation which would have been
put upon it in condemnation proceedings.
The whole matter involved the payment
by the government of some $4,000. OF
which the Senator himself owned one
twelfth interest.
Brief discussion followed by Mr.
Raker, of California. and Mr.. Sears on
h., ,,lra prnin T.
tor on the Carlsbad project. Then came
Mr.. Francis G. Tracey, formerly of the Pc
cos Irrigation Company, and now of Cars
bad In view of Mr.. Traceys pessimis-
tic attitude on all things connected with
the Reclamation Service. there should be
stated for the sake of the readers faith
in government works two points: FIRST
that as compared with the Pecos lrriga-
ton Companys works, government lrrl-
cation is something more than perfec-
ton. Second, the Reclamation Service
maintains that ii has nothing 10 FEAR
from Mr.. Tracey and can refute every
thing that he has to say. According 10
Mr. Tracey's accusations the Reclama-
ton Service is in the hands OF those
who have had little experience in en-
cheering Except what they have gained
through experiments at the poor set
ness and law. Mr.. Tracey's statements
must have been most discouraging in
the ears of the new Secretary.
Mr.. Tracy more than Intimated that
Senator Newlands knowledge of irriga-
ton matters was not what might be
hoped II he had any confidence in the
resusitatio of the reclamation fund.
He attacked Mr.. a. p. Davis, chief en-
gineer. more severely than any other
person except Mr.. Newell, and told OF
charges against the former which
had unfortunately gotten into the Bal
lnger-Pinchot controversy and had
never been heard of again" He gave
several specific examples of alleged in
efficiency. and said that the Carlsbad
project was 40 per cent waste" He
believed the accounts and records of
the service to be unreliable.
Senator Thomas of Colorado took up
the Rio GTande matter on which Texas
Representatives are waiting to speak.
The water users submitted their sug-
gestions to the secretary, but did not
wish to give them for publication until
taken up by the secretary.