Evening star., 1925-09-15
bORAH TAKES LAND.
! ISSUE TOCOOL|DGE.
Idaho Senator Is Not Likely
to Get Far With His
kis Complaints.
BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG.

Cd.
President Coolidge is to have con-
ference this afternoon with Senator
William e. Borah of Idaho, chair
man of the foreign relations COM
mittee, when number of subjects
will he discussed, and when. ii Is un-
derstood, the latter will informally
present the complaints of number
of Northwestern senators and others
against the established policy of the
Interior Department in dealing with
public lands.
While Senator Borah today declined
to be specific, it is assumed, however,
he will inform the President of the
entire situation in the public domain
controversy and in all probability will
suggest changes be made in the de-
partment policy which will meet with
Inc approval of the protestantS.
Won't Get Far
Although President Coolidge is
Known to have always had a high
regard for Senator Borahs opinion, it
was said by one who is very close to
him today that the Idaho senator is
not likely to get very far with Mr..
Coolidge in this matter.
The President is known to be pretty
we'll satisfied with the way Secretary
Work is administering his office and
indicated there is very little likeli-
hood of any change of policy. The
President has made it very evident
since the outcry has been set up by
the group of Western Senators against
Secretary Work and his policy that
ne IS very little concerned.
1t was stated by a spokesman for
the President today that he, has not
Yet received any information that any
particular group of Republican Sen
ators have a grievanve against the
Secretary's method of handling the re-
riamaton and irrigation problem and
neither does he suspect any organized
movement, as has been alleged, on the
part of these Senators to get the scalp
of Secretary Work.
Sees Legislation Need.
While discussing this subject at the
White House today a spokesman for
the President said that Mr.. Coolidge
fully realizes that there Is necessity
for some legislation which would pro-
vide relief for those homesteaders who
have located on unpreductive land and
VINO had been unable to make any
profits during the past few days.
The President asked the last Con
eress for legislation of this nature
and he had the support of practically
every Senator in the section of the
not see mt to pass this
In the opinion of President Coolidge
the question of reclamation and irriga-
ton administration is fixed by law and
no changes can be made by either the
President himself or the Secretary Of
Interior. If there are to be changes
they must be made by Congress. 1t
was explained that the President was
impressed with the work done last
|N-- Go, i
set up by Secretary Work, which, after
u thorough study of the reclamation
and irrigation problems, made what
the President considered was the most
Commendable report, which report
was the basis for the efforts on the
part of President Coolidge to obtain
relief Legislation at the last session of
congress. The President is known to
have been kept advised regarding con.
dftions in the Northwest, not only by
Secretary Work. but by the Western
Senators themselves and also former
Secretary of the Interior Garfield.
Irked at Delay.
1t is understood that President
Coolidge is mindful of the fact that
considerable of the alleged grievances
may be due to the delay on the
part of the Interior Department in
providing the new reclamation prof.
ects which have been authorized by
law. A spokesman for the President
explained that Secretary Work had
deliberately gone slow in this matter
until he has received assurances that
the lands to be served by these new
projects can be made productive and
profitable. The Secretary sees no ra-
son for going to great expense in
building these projects unless there
Is reason TO feel certain that the
lands can be made productive by ir-
rigation. Also the Secretary has de
layed because of his desire TO see
the land on other completed projects
more fully taken up by homesteaders
There has been a slump during thc
past few years in taking up irriga
tion lands because of the declining
prices of agricultural products. In
other words. the administration is pro
CeedinG along the theory that IL
wants to afford ample opportunity
for profitable agricultural production
Not Fighting Work.
Although Senator Borah did not
care TO make public his attitude, there
are those who are familiar with /
who are of the opinion that when he
sees the President today he will LAY
the reasons for the grievance on the
part of the Western Senators. Among
the latter are known to be Senators
McNary and Stanfield of Oregon
Oddie of Nevada and Cameron o.
Arizona. Those who know Senator
Borah we'll say that while he in al
reliability is in sympathy with the
grievance of these Senators that he
has no intention of urging the re
moval of Secretary Work.
lnasmuCh as the President has no
talked with the chairman of the for
eign relations committee since he lef
Washington in June, it is thought
likely that among the number of cur
rent public questions that will come
UP during their conference this after
noon will be the foreign debt situa
tion, particularly the terms upor
which the Belgian debt was nego
tiated. The Idaho Senator has made
no secret of the fact this settlemen
did not meet with his approval and i