The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-12-10
RECLAMATION is
BRIGHT PAGE IN
NATIONS HISTORY

Fred II. Reed, Secretary Of Idaho
Reclamation Service, Re fu ties
Charges Characterized by Mis-
statements and Bias
Characterizing a bulletin purpnrt-
ed to have been issued by the Ma
tional Parks association at Washing
ton, d. c., concerning the proposed
Fall River project in Yellowstone
park, as being full of "misstate
ments, bias and evidence of lack of
knowledge as to facts" Maj. Fred r.
Reed, managing secretary of the Ida
ho Reclamation association, has
made a statement defending the pro-
ject
His statement follows:
''War on the Yellowstone'
"a document dated September 80,
styled bulletin No. II, 'and pur-
porting to beissued by the National
Parks association, Washington, D.
c. headed The War on the Yellow
stone has been before us for some
time, but as the copy received bore
no signature OF any responsible indi-
vidual and is full OF misstatements,
bias, and evidence OF lack OF know
ledge as to facts, the contents were
not given serious attention.
However, since the Literary Di-
gest credits this article to Robert
Sterling Yard, executive secretary
of the above named association, and
has dignified it by quoting therefrom
at some length in its valuable col
umns OF Ocober 90, take this op-
portunity of correcting some erro-
neous impressions that might have
been made by certain paragraphs of
this bulletin, upon the minds of those
not thoroughly familiar with the
facts.
Reclamation Bright Page In History
FIN the first place, 1t seems in
credible, at this day and date, that a
man attempting to voice the senti-
progressive and thoughtful citizens
should stultify his own remarks by
referring in disparaging manner to
the class of men who have, by their
untiring devotion and labor, made
possible one OF the brightest pages in
American history, the reclamation of
the once so called Great American
desert
"Our government has established
the United States reclamation SER
vice, which has made homes for four
hundred thousand people, and they
are real homes. A. p Davis, direc-
tor in charge, is a big, broad. capable
man, and the people of the west do
not think that his motives are doubt
full or that he Is discriminating in IA
vor of anybody, but that he and his
department have done and are doing
a wonderful work Why should not
the writer OF this bulletin go and
thresh this matter out thoroughly
with Mr.. Davis and get some facts,
instead of rushing into print in a
manner that might arouse feeling
between the east and west, which
would be very detrimental to all
parts Of the country?
Oregon Senator Quotes History
'tBut we have always with us a
class of mind having zeal without
knowledge, that sees ruin in every
step OF progress. Referring to the
antagonisms from the old states
which ever attend the development
OF he new, Mr.. Sinnott, of Oregon
has called our @ttention to the op
position brought forth in 1852 by
Andrew Johnson's homestead law
The following quaint but authentic
quotation is from the old record
This wholesale robbery of the ole
states for the benefit Of the new
should be denounced by every homes
man the land over. Will not the
good sense of the senate strangl'
this political monstrosity? Besides
the injury done to the old states b.
depriving them of their property II
the public lands and draining of
their population, the agrarian char
acter OF the bill is most objectiona
BILE. 1t is the most fragrant act O
depreciation on the public domain
yet attempted by demagogues.
The people approve not such agrari
an and Utopian schemes
, West Above Sectionalism
"If the writer OF Bulletin No. 1
hid a better understanding of ou
western problems, he would not ss
readily malign the motives of thos'
who bespeak a western man for sec
retary of the interior.
"It Is this very local view, this sec
tionalism, that we wish to steer clea
OF when we ask for western maj
to- no sorrotarv NJ the interior w