The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1919-01-16

I Asst week t.e Herald carried a news item an
nonncinR the appointment Of Charles l.. Sea
graves. for years The chief Of The Santa 70
railroad coionization work. as chairman Of the
railroad administration = committee for western
Immigration aud development work. The appoint
ment was npnsmiced af the same time Of y y. Far
rcli ~ chirf Of western publicity work IN counec-
ton with immigration and development FARRELL
was For years he chief Of snnta Fe railroad pub
licity in the west. II Director General Hines had
searched the whols station through he could MOI
have chosen two men better fitted for ,his work
than are his selections. Mr.. Seagrnves has been
one o. the great ndisidunl forces IN the building
that has been done IN ''Santa Re territory during
the pas; fifteen years His handiwork appears IN
grain elevators and feed lots in Kansas and Colo.
RADIO; in irrigation projects aud prosperous ranches
III New Mexico. y great colonization projects in
California and Ia the splendid development Of the
Texas gulf coast country. lie has been helped NJ
every slep Of BIZ fine work by Mr.. darrell.
THESE men are accustomed TO get r~esnlts. They
will come a. near 10 getting results under the gov
ernmeni operation system, as men can come; hut
they will not get the same direct results ihLt they
were ACCUSTOMED 10 get when they were working
under a single railroad infringement IN private
hands. No better illustration could be had Of the
veakncss II the policy Of government, ownership,
"A v relates TO the states IN urgent need Of inmedi-
nfs development. Our own y snch a state.
The government operation in immigration has
been a fiat AND dismal failure. Our idle lands I'M
der finished reclamation projects are eloquent tes-
timenials 20 how great the failure has been. Il
has not been due 20 lack 81 effort and energy and
loyalty ON the par, Of the men who have done the
work. II has been the system.
The rnilroad administration development chiefs
are asking for voluntary cooperation IN the field.
They win yet It 20 a c-rtain extent. But IL will not
be possible 10 organize that voluntary cooperation
nsd direct Il against q single project, as was posi-
bic under The individual railroad company. I'M
der the private management regime the Santa Fe
railroad. when il desired 10 develop a given terri
tory. first saw 10 its transportation system. II not
adequate IL was made adequate. The railroad adj.
minisfration ns now constituted cannot do that or
h not likely 20 undertake II, except IN isolated
eases. Under the old system paid men were sent
into a given district, experts who knew how aud
whose jobs depended ON getting immediate results.
They provided the co-opcration. the spirit. the push
for that district. The ne~ system cannnt work that
way. It's field Il too big the calls upon Il too
many and too varied 10 permit Il 10 concentrate.
II will not get results
This does not mean that no goodwill result from
the railroad administration ; new homeseckcr's bu-
reau. On the other hand. with experts like the men
fnvinrge on the job re bureau will be ablr 10 give
tremendous help to homcseekcrx, beth discharged
soldiers and others. These men know their west.
and their advice will be sound and definite. The
point u simply that they will be limited 20 giving
advice aud suggestions 20 furnishing informa.
ton, when under their old system they actually
built up the district wherein development was pro