Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-01-18
RECLAMATION CHAIRMAN
PRESENTS vALEO|CTQRY
w. w. Sherman, Retiring State Treas
urer, Expresses Appreciation of
Colleagues and Staff

Before taking his final leave as
chairman of the state reclamation
board, w. W. Sherman, formerly
state treasurer, presented the follow
ing letter. which was received by
Secretary Clark v. Savidge of the
board. The board passed a resoiu-
ton instructing Secretary Savidge TO
send an appropriate answer to Mr..
Sherman.
The letter follows:
Before retiring from the chairman
ship of the state reclamation board
desire to express my sincere appre-
citation of your cooperation during
my association with you.
The responsibilities entrusted to us
by the legislature are so great and
numerous that / shall not attempt to
relate them in this letter, except by
referring to our biennial report to
the legislature.
In all public work it is manifesiiy
impossible to please everybody and
consequently there will be some crit
icism from time to time regarding
our activities during the past two
years. This is to be expected in any
work statewide in scope. However,
/ am satisfied and am sure that the
members Of the board are also, that
we have accomplished the pioneer
work of organizing the policies Of
the board in such manner that the
public can have little cause for rriti-
cism.
My part in this work would never
have been possible without your sup
port. cooperation and wise counsel
at all times.
/ also wish to express my apprecia-
tion Of the services of our capable
chief engineer, Ebert M. Chandler,
and am sure that the public is to be
congratulated upon having man Of
his calibre in charge Of the engineer
ink work. which in itself calls for
considerable executive ability. l am
confident that the large engineering
force we have employed cannot be
duplicated by any similar department
in the United States doing reclama-
ton work, and it is largely, IL not en-
tirely up to the chief engineer to Sc
lect these men. besides the general
office force, which he has kept down
to one person.
There are so many districts
throughout the state and men to
thank for their cooperation in all
branches of the work that any at
tempt on my part to meet the situa-
ion by mere words would be made
quate indeed.
Reclamation of waste lands involves
In n in "
in effect 1t is one of the greatest
works entrusted to man and furnish
es opportunity for constructive work
seldom found in any other branch, It
is for this reason that | have given
nearly all of my spare time-limited
as it has been by the other duties in
cumbent upon me by virtue Of my
office, and l trust that my efforts
have served our state well as be-
ginning Of the tremendous program
upon which we have merely touched
am convinced that my successor
Hon. c. l.. Babcock, will prove to be
all that can be reasonably expected
OF him. His broad experience has
qualified him to take his place as a
member Of the board with little In
terruption in the smooth running OF
a statewide policy.
! The last meeting of the state re-
clamation board during the present
administration was held Monday even
! ing in the Office Of the state land
/ commissioner, Clark ' .Savidgo, with
representatives from the Manson
project better known as the Lake
Chelan irrigation district, present,
who offered a land settlement prop
osition to the reclamation board,