Arizona republican., 1920-10-17
Governor Campbell
 and Reclamation

The dent cratic candidate for gover- nor is not fortunate in trying to belittle what Governor Campbell has wrought for reclamation. If the democratic candidate were better informed. he probably would avoid the W lo'e sub feet.
 The trutn is that Governor Camp bell has wiouek- a really wondesf.l thing. lr reviving reclamation as a na- tional policy.
 When Clover nor Campbell took of- flee, nothing sccmed less likely than that the federal government woiIid re- sume at any early day the construction of water storage and irrigatioi works The national administration had dcfi- niteiy abandoned. 1t appeared, all thought of further construction. Not shovel of dirt had it thrown upon new work. Indeed, there is no evi- dence now that the present occupant Of the White House has any interest .n the west. e. that he has thought Tor anything bu the affairs of Euyoile.
 With this 7iscouraging situation con- fronting him, Governor Campbell oe- cided that Ee. at any rate. would try to impress upon Washington the inn portant fact that the government had made a colossal blunder in its aban- donment of reclamation.
 Following the election of a republican congress he went to Washington ana vigorously pressed the matter upon the attention of the leaders of the two houses. He was told that reclamation had been neglected so ons by tho ad- ministration, and there were so many new members who had no knowledge ~f hn in a IarKa the pioneering work which had Tod n the adoption of reclamation as a na- tional policy in the Ro osevelt admin istration would have to be lepeated- wide campaign of organization in the west and education in the east must be undertaken. FF
 Thereupon Governor Campbell uf
 dertook the great task of properly orN ganizing the west. His several confer. ences with western governors resulted. year ago. in a great convention at Salt Lake City. in which thirteen wes- tern states were fully represented ly men of affairs and influence. The Western States Reclamation assocja- 1 ton was organized; and in January 1 Governor Campbell, with the governors of most of the states interesto1. sc- 1 companied by many members of the association. went to Washington. The I deleRat1On aDDBdI6u DSAOIc AIt Attit~ mittees on irrigation and tho commit l tees on public lands. For the t'tst time since the Underwood tariff Dill | there was a meeting of tho full lnein- bership of the house committee en
 ways and means; and for the first inl@
 on record there was an open meetn Y of the senate steering committce-ail
 to hear these western governors tell | why reclamation should be readopted
 as a national policy. By common con sent Governor Campbell was leader I in these numerous hearings. Within the week the sentiment in congress un- terwent a marvellous change. While there was practically unanimous agree ment that the condition of the treasury
 would not permit of an appropriation
 this year. the governors were assured
 that the leaders of congress were eN- tremely friendly to the policy of rec llamation and that it was their belief
 that definite legislation could be e,-
 peced for the short session this winter.
 It was urged upon the governors, how
 ever that they should do their utmost
 to get the two great parties committed . in their platforms.
 Tn April. at Los Angeles there was
 convention of the League of the Southwest. attended by more than
 thousand delegates. Governor Camp, ; bell was unanimously elected pfesiueht : of the league.
 Tn June, the governor attended the
 republican national convention. lie
 succeeded in having strong reclama-
 ton plank adopted. He did not confine } his efforts to the republican conven- B tion Working with democratic gov ernors. he saw to it that the cause ol l reclamation was properly presented al . the democratic convention, which alse { adopted strong plank
 s In August there was another meet : ing of the League of the Southwest t this time at Denver. There all the con ! flicting interests of the mountain states | relative to the waters of he Colorado 1 river were harmonized and a program e of cordial co-operaion was adopted.
 Following the Denver meeting, th' 1 governor led delegation of western i governors on a visit to Senator liar e ding. who made to them his notaplf f speech on western development where I in he took an unqualified stand for ma - tional reclamation.
 { Tn short, it is due almost wholly tC r Governor Campbell that the resump e ton of a national reclamation policy e is now assured. This fact is so gen
 erally recognized that the name O Q Arizona s governor is everywhere as |. sociated with the question Of westerT | development