The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1919-02-05
i. s. R. S. CHIEF PEEVED At
4 CRITICISM OF THE SERVICE
Denies Admits and Excuses But Offers No Suggestions
To Improve Conditions

1t is with a mixed feeling Of dis
| appointment and pleasure that the
Standard presents the reply of Mr..
A. p. Davis. Director and Chief En-
gineer of the u. s. Reclamation Ser
vice, to recent articles in these col
umns. commenting upon the failure
of the Service to redeem its glowing
promises to the settlers on the True
kee-Carson project. 1t is a pleasure
to have confirmation of all our criti-
cisms embodied in a letter from the
chief official of the Service, but a
disappointment to receive the admis-
sion that there is apparently no re-
| lief in sight. and that the Service
through its head Official can point
out no way in which the difficulties
under which we labor can be miti-
gated This is but another co1frma-
tion of our statement that under the
bureau system of the Service no hope
is held out that the system can be
improved by its own initiative. Mr.
Davis, by his silence on this vital
point. practically admits taat lie
knows of no remedy Tor the condi-
tions which he so freely ssknowled =
es And this after tweYe years OF
experiment.
With reference TO the policy OF the
Service in providing "a few OF tao
employees with quarters" VIC lave
no particular quarrel But WIZ ..
few?v
II may be news to Mr. Davis, bu'
this policy" Is very recent one on
the Truckee-carson project. In flct
this Is the frst instance OF 1t. How
ever, our criticism lies in the state
ment that II has been fouad neses
sary "for an efficient management OF
the Service" II the era of efficiency
IL really at hand we welcome the in.
novation. and the balance of us will
cheerfully give up our homes in The
middle of winter to provide comfort
able quarters for the advance gus d
of the efficiency squad.
But In all fairness, we still te-
lieve that the Service would have
shown a better spirit had 1t erected
its own buildings rather than dispos-
sess people who were already here
and who are certainly as necessary
to the success OF the project as the
new corners. BE II understood that
the housing situation Is a problem
In Fallon, and the backwardness OF
the project is responsible for the
lack of enthusiasm In home building,
as Il is in everything else.
We are quite well aware that the
law does not permit of the Service
building homes for the settlers and
We are also quite we'll aware that no
Reclamation Official, so far as we
have been able TO learn, has ever ad-
vocated this or any other policy that
will make II easier for the settler to
make good 1t is but another II.
Illustration that the Service is more
concerned over the comfort and phy-
steal we'll being of the elect OF its
membership than 1t is over the poor
devil who must foot the bill.
The Standard never. either direct.
iy or indirectly. made the statement
that settlers had been induced to
settle under an agreement to pay s22
per acre for water rights and have
afterwards been charged 500" We
did say. and we repeat that the land
was first opened at s22 per acre and
later raised to $50 and again TO s6o
per acre. But surely Mr. Davis
would not claim that this was for
the purpose of inducing settlers to
.H.rs3unaJ On Pare Ilrepl