Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1920-12-10
RECLAMATION is BRIGHT PAGE
IN NATIONS HISTORY
Fred r Reed, Secretary Of Idaho Pee
Il mstion Service, Refdtss Cha ges
characterized by Misst atenents and
Bias
Csunday Statesman, Nov. ~ .

(Sunday Statesman, Nov. ID ..
Characterizing a bulletin purpostcd
TO have been issued by the National
Parks association at Washington. D. C.
concerning the proposed Fall River
project in Yellowstone park, as being
fun of "misstatements, bias and evil
dent lack of knowledge as to facts
Mai. Fred r. Reed, managing secretary
of the Idaho Reclamation association.
has made a statement defending the
project
His statement follows:
"War on the Yellowstone"
"A document dated September 80,
styled bulletin No. IL, and purporting
to be issued by the National Parks
association, Washington, d. c. headed
The War on the Yellowstone has
been before US for some time but as
the copy received bore no signature Of
any responsible individual and is full
Of misstatements, bias, and evidence
of lack Of knowlegde as to facts, the
contents were not given serious
attention.
However, since the Literary Digest
credits this article to a Robert Ster-
ling Yard, executive secretary of the
above named association, and has dig
niied is by quoting therefrom at some
Ienth in its valuable columns of &C.
tober 23, l take this opportunity Of
correcting some erroneous impressions
that might have been made by GER
tain paragraphs of this bulletin, upon
the minds of those not thoroughly
familiar with the facts.
Reclamation Bright Page in History.
In the first place, it seems incredi-
BILE, at this day and date. that man
attempting to voice the sentiments of
any considerable body of progressive
and thoughtful citizens, should stult- (
ify his own remarks by referring in .
disparaging manner to the class or
men who have, by their untiring devo ,
ton and labor, made possible one of
the brightest pages in American his !
tory, the reclamation of the once so +
called Great American desert
Our government has established
the United States reclamation service,
which has made homes for four hun
dred thousand people, and they are
real homes. A. P. Davis, director in
charge, is a big, broad. capable man,
and the people of the west do not
think that his motives are doubtful
or that he is discriminating in favor of
anybody, but that he and his depart
ment have done and are doing a Won
derfuI 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 detri-
mental to all parts of the country?
Oregon Senator Quotes History.
But we have always with US class
of mind having zeal without knows
edge. that sees ruin in every step Of =
progress. Referring to the antagon-
isms from the old states whichever i,
attend the development of the new,
Mr.. Sinnot, of Oregon, has ctIled our ,
attention to the opposition brought
forthforth in 1852 by Andrew Johnson's
homestead law. The fllwing quaint
but authentic quotation is from the old
record: "This wholesale robbery of !
the old states for the benefit of the new
should be denounced by every honest
man the land over. Will not the good
sense of the senate strangle this polit-
ical monstrosity? Besides the injury
done to the older states by depriving
them of their property in the pubic
lands and draining off their population, il
the agarian character of the bill Is +
most Objectionable. 1t is the most fla
grant act OF depreciation on the public r
domain yet attempted by demagogues n
people approve not such ag- h
rarian and utopian schemes
Harding Favors Reclamation
we of the west now rejoice in the
fact that we have a president-elect r
who has voiced the true vision of what
we are seeking in these words, Aug -
Ist 81:
Il undertake to say that there Is no .
'egion in all the world whose resourc- 81
IS could be developed to the utmost, r'
With greater benefit to the world as 10
Whole, and America In particular than
'ur mountain west. IL
We have come to the time when the
,roblem NJ our for vast 10 one of y,
wisely directed development de- 'n