The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-07-23
LANE WOULD APPOINT
MEAD DIRECTOR OF
THE SERVICE

10 I'll eCtOF In TACT as the representa-
tive of the Pinchot clique.
Mr.. Lane would like to appoint Ell
wood Mead of Wyoming, an irriga-
lon expert, as director of the service
AR. Mead will not accept the Office un-
less he can have it on his own terms
mere is no haggling over salary.
Tor Mr. Mead would be quite content
TO accept the Office at the same sal
airy paid +. NJ. Newell, and now paid
a. L, Davis. But Mr.. Mead will ac-
cept the appointment only on condi-
tion he is given full say in the con
duct CT the reclamation service. He
Will not take office if subordinates
are to be allowed to Interfere with
ms plans; he will not accept the office
II ne IS not authorized in advance
% weed out Of the service any en-
ploye he believes to be disloyal he
VIII not accept the appointment if
other officials of the service are TO
be permitted to interfere with his
plans and his policies.
The question now is, can Secretary
Lane offer the job Of director to Mr.
Mead on terms which will be accent
able to Mr. Mead? 1t will be diff-
$500 ~ LliSNl MI AhCdu terms.
Second Reorganization.
Only recently Secretary Lane di-
rected second reorganization of the
reclamation service, making Sydney
3. williamson Chief Of construction"
and sending him to Denver to take
general charge of all construction
work OF the reclamation service
More authority was conferred upon
Mr. Williamson than heretofore rest
ed on any other official of the rccla-
nation service since the days Of Di-
rector F. H. Newell On most ques-
tons affecting the service, Mr.. Will
hanson is supreme. His authority is
SC, great, in fact that he instructed
all project engineers to Disregard all
orders from Washington" and to act
only on orders which he himself
might issue. When Mr.. Williamson
was made chief of construction it was
intended that he should be "it',, with
capital letters. And Mr.. Williamson
is living up to his instructions.
Can the Two Agree?
Having elevated Mr.. Williamson to
SO high an office, the problem con
fronting Secretary Lane is how to
meet with demands of Mr.. Mead and
at the same time retain the services
OF Mr.. Williamson. Mr.. Williamson
today is exercising much of the au-
thorlty which Mr. Mead would ex-
pect to exercise if he became direc-
tor. Can the secretary diminish the
authority of Mr.. Williamson, or
rather, will he be disposed to do so,
having only recently conferred upon
Mr.. Williamson the virtual direction
OF the reclamation service? A. p.
Davis, who now fills the office of d.
rector is only the nominal head of
the service and realizes that he is on
the toboggan. He does not today
know much about the service as he
did formerly when he was second in
rank under Director Newell.
Mead Well Qualified.
Mr.. Mead probably knows as mucl
about irrigation as any man in the |
United States. He is both an engineer
and an irrigation expert He knows |
the settlement problem. Mr.. William |
son, on the other hand, is purely an
engineer, but is reputed to be a splen-
did administrative officer as shown by |
his work at Panama. But this is Mr..
first venture in irrigation
engineering. There is this difference
between the two men. They are much
alike in that they do not brook inter
ference with their plans. And there
fore it is doubted whether there is
room in the reclamation service for
both Elwood Mead and Sydney B.
Men Loyal to Newell
But there is still another factor en-
tering into the Mead problem. Mead
and Newell were bitter enemies.
Mead was a candidate for the di-
rcctorship when the service was
created, As director, Mr. Newell
built up in the reclamation service
strong personal organization. He
was idolizcd by the officials and en-
ploycs of the service just as Clifford
Pinchot was idolizcd by the entire
personnel of the forest service. And
the old officials of the reclamation
service today are loyal to Newell, 1t
is no secret that they deplored the
ousting of Newell
Mr.. Mead knows this, and he is
aware that some Of the employees who
were so intensely loyal to the first
director might not be inclined to be
loyal to him if he should become di-
rector, for the enmity between Mead
and Newell is no secret in Washing
ton or through the field force of the
reclamation service. If Mr.. Mead's !
terms are met, he will insist upon the
right to remove from Office any en-
ploye of the service whom he finds |
disloyal to him. But on this point
there will be no difference between
Mr.. Mead and Secretary Lane for
Secretary Lane became sour on Di-
rector Newell long before Newell was
let out, and he would interpose no OBJ
lection if any of the Novelties, as
they are known, should be eliminated
The main trouble, however, is to
meet the other terms laid down by
Mr.. Mead If some way can be de
vised to comply with those condi-
tions, Mr.. Mead will be appointed |
And if Mr., Mead is appointed, there
will be wholesale dismissals from the
reclamation service.