Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1922-01-06
HOOVER WILL BUILD
 THE COLORADO DAM

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 As an illustration of the fight that is being started against Secretary of the Interior, Albert B. Fall, we are giving below the views of Washing ton correspondent, covering some features of the controversy over the building of the various dams that are to be built in the Colorado River. The impression given out by this writer is that Secretary Fall believes that this great waterway be given over to private individuals for ex- ploitation and that he is opposed to government ownership and operation under any condition. That this is false, we have but to call public at tention to the Secretary's position, as expressed by him at Riverside and San Diego, where he put himself uncom- promisingly on the side of the govern ment, and asked Director Davis to not only emphasize this position, but to also inform the farmers of the Goa chella Valley and those in the Imperial Valley that the government was big enough and strong enough to carry through this project without the aid of private or public funds, and that no offer of aid from any locality would be welcomed. Col. Fly, ot Yuma, who attended the meetings at both Riverside and San Diego, in re- porting the meetings to his home paper, stated that there, could be no misinterpretation of Secretary Falls attitude, and that Director Davis had amended his report to conform to Sec. Falls attitude and at the request or the secretary. MT. Davis went over his late report and excepted there from the proposal to accept private contributions to the dam building program, which former position was strongly inveighed against by the farming communities of the lower Colorado river communities.
 That the same line of procedure, offensive and defensive, put on against Secretary Ballinger, is being actively pushed against Secretary Fall is evidenced by everything that is coming out of Washington at this time. Secretary Fall has taken no active part in any matter affecting Alaska, but he is made to say, by these willy individuals, that he is in favor of turning over to private ln- terests the exploitation of that terri tory, especially its coal, iron, oil, rail road and other important interests. While this is all untrue it follows out the Ine of Dombardment that put Bal linger out of office and estranged large part of the cabinet officers from Pres. Taft. Read the article below and dissect it's covert attack on the administration through its cabinet, with the view that slap at Secretary Fall may be the entering wedge in spreading dissension among the mem- bers of the presidents family and compel the resignation of the secre- tary of the interior and the appoint ment of man who may be handled by the interests:
 Washington, Dec. 26.-Secretary Hoover has just taken on the direc- tion of half-billion dollar project, affecting millions of acres of land, millions of people, and it will require the three years remaining of his term the htree years remaining of his term of office.
 Behind the screen of arms confer ence developments, the simple notice that Hoover has been appointed by President Harding as chairman of the Colorado River Commission has gone forth with little comprehension of his tremendous political potentialities.
 Tremendous Project
 The Colorado River project is of tremendous interest for the follow ing reasons:
 1. It is the greatest reclamation undertaking ever contemplated.
 2. It involves development of the Colorado River for purposes of irri- gation, reclamation and water power at a cost of $500,00O,000.
 8. It embraces development of ap- proximately 7,OO0,000 acres of arid land in the States of California, Ari- zona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wy oming and Montana.
 It is estimated that some 6,OOO,OOO horse power of water power can be obtained by the proposed harnessing of the river.
 It is estimated that approximately twenty years will be required to com plete the whole work.
 But, as important as any of these items is, the fact that the undertak- ing revived the old question, which was influential in sweeping the late Theodore Roosevelt into powertthe . question of whether this giant rec lamation project shall be publicly or privately financed-stands out in strong relief.