The Detroit times., 1915-07-09
Defeat of Ballinger Is
Practically
:, Nullified
ENTIRE POLICY
: OVERTURNED
u. S. Reclamation Ser
vice Becomes Part of
Pork Barrel
nv gibson GARDNER.

WASHINGTON, July Son July
!. the United States reclamation
service became pork barrel.
For IL years the reclamation SER
vice has been unique In government
work in that II has been non-politi-
cal. II has been notably free from
graft. as proved by many investiga-
tions and It's history has been
marked by success. All this time
Frederick II. Newell has been It's
director.
" Now the reclamation service has
taken It's place along with the po-
litical navy yard. the spending OF
money on useless waterways and
the maintenance OF useless military
posts.
When the reclamation service was
established and up TO the present
time the work was carried on with
funds received from the sale Of pub
lie lands in the arid and semtarid
states OF the west. These funds
were used for the irrigation work
and refunded to the treasury by the
rcclas, alton settlers. theoretically
the fund Was 10 be a continuing
fund for the indefinite retaining OF
lands.
Under new law. passed by con-
gress July 30. 1914. but which be
came effective July /. money from
the sale Of public lands Is hereafter
10 be put In the treasury and ex-
pended. not by reclamation experts.
but by congress,
~ tho present moment this re-
suits IN the remarkable spectacle Of
n large PARTY OF committee on ap.
preparations congressman junketing
Throw gl the west TO decide on re.
c!5aticn rejects and how to spend
nation money,
"a titc meanwhile another series
mf p.ouif havo practically removed
ftG,g the reclamation service Fred
,ES n NeNcli. Known al over the
coiiatry 80 lie fstAer OF rccleue.
lion Mr. Newell was the a. s. 81
rector appointed sitter tho pas =
or The reclamation &C: OF 1909
Oae ~ sh" cruces cf tar !,moga
rei'.n e.? ?.ach.t cc1'r3Te-ey wGs
,hr .ano nerl grlcze ~ s c:cta-y
; ,el,. &C. - rT2 Eetti az
tu.a ev- re reel ua.ian &c .c'
IaMi rai.r fcra to-, litt~ q.
tc.t ea'rc-,heA Newell II fis pG,i
sficn nnt hts successful work wcr,
forSar,
WAea President wilson va
e'ce'c1 aad lane became secrrtart
nj TIC iater's-. ire cor erva,.oa!sts
wcro no ,asa saIadal IL w.
n cc,scrvc:' oe't, ard III most mat
to- hel t.st.H"ai - bc So 'Fh :
b. haigcro - .tc cese o, Newell
rri the reclamation service IL there.
icfe tlHcu't C uni1rytcud
E,sht monhs af;e- Secretary
I.rne assumed once. Re began to
rcor~sclzc TIC reclara ;ioa service
II place OF eirg.c director be sub.
yt:tutad . ccmmifsioa Of Ave men.
Thesc i7re: r. II. Newell. direct.
or: A. =. Davis. chief engineer. who
hal bees Il tho service from the
beginning with Newell; and three
western men WHO were not either
engineers or specialists IN irriga.
ton. One was VIII X. King. former.
~ Justice OF the supreme court OF
Oregon and who came to the ma
tional capital rs rumored aspirant
fol several Offices; w. A. Ryan. q
California politician, formerly with
Lane in the interstate commerce
commission. ard !. ID. O'Donnell. OF
Montana, banker and promoter OF
private irrigation enterprises.
Thus NewcIls authority rs al
rector was really renewed. He be-
came minority member Of board
whose majority were not reclama.
ton engineers. but political APP
pointees.
Then came the congressional &C.
fion which has overturned the en-
tire reclamation policy. Oscar W..
Underwood. democratic leader, ably
assisted nv lanes II. Mann. Repub.