THE MORNING OREGOMAX, FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1909. 1 ' i Y BALLING EH WILL HEAR COMPLAINTS Many Protests Heard Against Government's System of Reclamation. SEVERE HARDSHIPS FELT Department Accused of Breaking Promise to Provide Water Pri vate Projects Progress Better Than V. S. Enterprise. Scores and perhaps hundreds of bitter ;omplatntF will be poured into the ears of R. A. Ballinger. Secretary of the In terior, on hi. visits to the 1- mat la. Mmidoka and Boise-Payette '7'"'" projects. If reports heard In Portland are to be believed. While these reports are crculated. as a rule by representatives of companies whose p.lvate projects conflict with those of the Government, they are accompanied by a wealth of detail and apparently re liable statistics which tend to cast severe condemnation upon the present system or -arrying- on the Government reclamation "These stories deal with severest hard ships and near-starvation suffered by the persons who have entered upon lands to le reclaimed under promise from the Heclamatioh repartment that water will ,-e supplied within a (riven period. It Is declared that hundreds of men have moved their families to now barren tracts. Invested their available money In homes and are now In dire straits for the necessities of life while waiting for the often deferred delivery of the water that is the only thing that will make possible the growing of crops on the lands they have taken. flinging to their arid homesteads under the knowledge that departure to fields where they can make a livelihood will lose them all they have undergone and expended in tne past, these men and their families. It Is asserted, know no other meat than that of the Jackrabbit. while their children are being reared In idle ness and without schooling. Even the water they drink, it Is said, has to be hauled for miles In many instances. Cost of Rights Raised. To add to their troubles further the original estimates of the cost of water rights have been Increased from year to year, with the water yet to be delivered. It was told In Portland, yesterday, that the original estimate of for water rights on the Umatilla project had been doubled and again Increased until It now has reached an acre, while an addi tional yearly maintenance cost, not orig inally mentioned, has lately been added. That reports of the progress of work on several projects have been grossly misrepresented to the Interior Depart ment by the reclamation engineers Is an other charge. It is stated that the engi neers have reported the .Boise-Payette project W.7 per cent completed, when, as a matter of fact. It is not 10 per cent completed. Of the original estimate of j1l.rni.Art) as the cost of the project. It is asserted that only about t2.000.000 has been expended and that much ot tne work done haa been a loss through in competency of the men in charge. Comparisons are drawn between the Minidoka project and the Twin Falls project In Idaho, both of which were started in 190t. The Minidoka project is a Government enterprise and the Twin Falls project was undertaken under the Carey act by semi-private means. On the Minidoka tract water has been promised again and again at specified periods and only a portion Is receiving water. In the same locality the Twin Falls lands are rich in crops, the settlers prosperous and getting rich, while their Irrigated lands are making of Twin Falls one of the most substantial of Interior cities In the West. Lack of Funds Blamed. As to the Minidoka project. It is as serted that settlers have entered on lands which comprise a large percentage of the tract It was originally Intended to re claim, but which are under the proposed fourth and fifth lifts, on the south side of the- river In Cassia County. Idaho. It Is now declared that none of these lands will receive water for years to come. iJick of funds, so It is announced by the reclamation officers, will prevent the building of additional canals required to irrigate the higher lands and the settlers will be forced to lose their rights or hang on and scratch for a livelihood while neighbors but a few miles away are growing wealthy. For irrigating 66.000 acres ef Minidoka lands under the gravity system proposed by the Government the original estimate waa tl3 an acre. Fifty-three- thousand additional acres under a pumping system were to be Irrigated at an estimated cost of J17. an acre. Later it was found that the cost under the gravity system would not be less than J22 an acre and under the pumping system not less than . an acre. Then. too. If the settlers d'd not live up to the letter of the law. trt'y forfeited their claims, or sold to others when not able to make their pay ments. The price was raised to ICO an acre under that section of the canal where $3 was the estimated cost. Politics and civil sen-ice in the en gineering branch of the Reclamation Serv ice are declared to be responsible for the failure of -the Government to complete irrigation works within the time prom ised and for the errors in estimates. Political pressure, it is asserted, has brought about the approval of too many promts for the funds available for the work. Estimates have been made of the aTnount necessary to complete the Gov ernment projects now under way and are placed at JS9.430.tfW. To offset this it is estimated that the revenues from the sales of public land and the returns from projects already completed will provide only about JT.Att.Ofl0 for reclamation work during 1910. This amount. It Is asserted, would not complete the Payette project alone. Only $52,000 on Hand. Tlie total receipts of the reclamation furd. actual and estimated, for "309, are p:ace,i at JvT30.0. with J3o.734.000 already allotted, leaving only JS2.000 on hand for other and newer projects. If these figures, which ha-e been com piled by promoters of private enterprises ostensibly from Government reports, are correct, there seems to be little likelihood nf the Government taking up any new projects In Oregon or any other state In the near future. As to the complaint against the en gineering service, it is asserted that the Government Is putting young men Just out of school, who receive from the Gov ernment !.- or l0 a month, on the char- rr of work for which private compa res pay engine-rs from J.T a month up. While tne young men employed are bright and soon gain experience, it Is further said that so soon as they become of value a their profession they ara enticed away from Government employ by the higher salaries paid by tne pnvaie The Government Js compelled to draft engineers from raw material continually and young men are entering the service almost solely for the experience. - James A. Garfield. ex-Secretary of the Interior, In a report of February. 1909, said: No Fund for New Projects. That portion of fund derived from receipts daring the past year and recently made available for expenditure during the calen dar year lo9. will be needed for filling contracts already entered Into and for pay ment ot expenses In connection with work In hand, as well as for maintenance ana operation. There is now but little oppor tunity to use the reclamation fund for t. tirely new projects, as each of the works already begun and partly completed Is de manding all and possibly more money than can be had In the near future. In tact. It may be said that from now on the moat difficult question to be solved In this con nection Is not what new work to take up but rather what part of the work already begun can be .safely deferred until funds are available. These are some of the many things that will be brought to the attention of Secre tary Ballinger during his present visit to the semi-arid districts of Oregon and Idaho. It is surmised there will be of fered to him voluntarily much matter tending to sustain the Secretary's position regarding the work of Chief Engineer Newell. Men who know the new Secre tary are predicting that there will be a great shakeup in reclamation circles af ter the Inspections by Mr. Ballinger are completed. Alex McPherson. director of the Twin Falls project and also Interested in the Owyhee and other projects, while in Portland yesterday went into consider able detail as to the character of the Government's reclamation work. "I am not actuated by personal Inter ests." he remarked, "when I say that the settlers on the lands under the Govern ment's proposed irrigation works have in many instances been treated unjustly and compelled to undergo the greatest of hardships. Three corrections should be made in Governmental reclamation. The projects should be confined to Government lands and kept clear of enterprises which private capital is ready to finance; the Government tracts should not be thrown open to entry until the water Is ready to be turned on the land and no Govern ment irrigation enterprises should be un dertaken until the money is available to complete the works in a reasonable length of time." LAi PROMPTS QUERIES 700,000 RESERVATION ACRES TO BE DIVIDED. Residence Begins Six Months After Drawing Superintendent Witten. Issues Information Circular. FORFJST GROVE. Or.. July 20. (To the Editor.) Will you pleaae answer the follow ing questions: (It How many acres are there to be thrown open In the Spokane and Coeur d'AIene reservations? i2) Can a per son commute on an agricultural claim after a residence of 14 months, or is ha required to live on the claim for a period of five rears? Answering these questions will be greatly appreciated by a great many people In this section. C. U LARGE. (1) Total acreage to be thrown open to entry 700.000, as follows: Flathead lands, Montana. 451.437 acres; Coeur d'AIene lands, Idaho. 200.000 acres; Spo kane lands, Washington. 50.000 acres. (2) Yes. On the question of resi dence on' lands included in the three reservations. James W. Witten, su perintendent of the drawing, in a cir cular gives the following- Information: "Residence must begin within six months after the date on which the entry Is made and continued, with cul tivation, until a patent has been earned. Patents may be obtained either by five years' residence and cultivation and the payment of the installments an nually, or by 14 months' actual and continuous residence and cultivation and the payment of all the unpaid pur chase money on all the lands except the Umbered lands in the Coeur d'AIene reservation. Couer d'AIene timber lands can only be obtained by five years' actual and continuous residence and cultivation, and the payment of the annual Installments, as commutation Is not allowed for them." ASTORIA. Or., July 19. (To the Editor.) I would be greatly obliged to you If you would Uiferm me whether, according to your opinion. I am eligible to file an application for a claim in any one of the three reserva tions to be opened for settlement next month. I own 100 acres of timber land, also five town lots I secured the former tract as a so-called timber claim from the United States Government. J. J. ROBINSON. Under the rules governing: the entry of lands included in the three Indian reservations. Mr. Robinson cannot par ticipate in the drawing;- For the in formation of the public The Oregonlan prints herewith an excerpt from Su perintendent Witten's official circular showing what persons are qualified to make entry on these lands. Mr. Rob inson, evidently, is barred under the provisions of the fourth condition. The circular referred to declares that the following persons are disqualified from participating in the drawing: First A married woman, unless she has been deserted or abandoned by her husband, or unless her husband Is In capacitaed by disease or otherwise from earning a support for his family, and she is the head and main support of the family. Second One not a citizen of the Vnltod States, and he who has not declared his Intention to become such. Third One under 21 years of age, not the head of a family. Fourth One who is the proprietor of 160 acres of land in any state or territory. The ownership of 160 acres and a town lot 'disqualifies the owner from making entry. Fifth One who has acquired title to, or Is claiming, under any of the non mineral public land laws, through set tlement or entry made since August SO, 1S90. any other lands, which, with the lands applied for. would amount in the aggregate to more than 320 acres. Sixth One who has previosuly made homestead entry, unless he is entitled to make second homestead entry, which second entry may be made by: (a) One who commuted a homestead entry prior to June 5. 1900. and has not since that date made another home stead entry. (b) One who. prior to May 17. 1900. paid for lands In a former Indian res ervation, to which he would have been afterwards entitled to receive patent without payments under the "free homes" act. c One who for any cause lost, for feited or abandoned his homestead en try prior to February S. 190S. if the former entry was not cancelled for fraud or relinquished for a valuable consideration. Where such entrant sold his Improvements or sold the re linquishment of his entry, he not entitled to make a second homestead entry, regardless of the fact that his improvements may have cost him more than the amount received for them. (d)-klne who has already made final proof on less than 160 acres of land may. If he is otherwise qualified, make an adltlonal entry for such amount of land as will, when added to the amount for which he has already made final proof, not exceed in the aggregate 160 acres. Portland Grocers Spend Great " Day at Camas. SALESMEN WIN BALL GAME Contest, Which Goes II Innings, Is Feature Event, While Men's and Women's Races Add to Gen eral Jlerrlment. Twenty-five hundred grocers, with their families and friends. Journeyed 25 miles on two special trains of IB coaches eaoh yesterday to attend their ninth annual picnic held in the new park at Camas. Considered from standpoint of attendance and quality of entertainment furnished, the picnic was declared by all the most successful that has been held. The day was Meal, with a fresh breese blowing up from the river to keep the picnickers from sweltering, and plenty of sunshine to keep them cheerful. Arriving at the picnic grounds at M:30 A. M., the merrymakers scattered to shady spots to make ready the luncheons, to the ball park to watch a game between the grocers and the. city salesmen, and to the new pavilion to dance to the mustc produced by De Caprio's Band. From the time of arrival until the trains pulled out at 6:30 o'clock, there was something doing every minute, and it was a happy, though tired, crowd that boarded the cars for Portland. A programme of athletic events occu pied the entire afternoon.' There were footraces for grocers, their wives, their daughters and their clerks, as well as a peanut race, a shoe race and a tug-of-war for both sexes. The 76-yard races for girls were the features. Grocers' lose Hard Game. The baseball game between the grocers and the city sales-nen lasted 11 innings and was extremely interesting. It re sulted in a to a score in favor of the salesmen, after the groceri. had the game S to 0 In the fifth inning. In the begin ning of the ninth Inning it stood 7 to 6 in favor of the salesmen, but at this point the grocers rallied and tied the score. The stars of the game were Tay lor, ca-.cher for the salesmen, and Ogel by, the salesmen's pitcher. The star in the races was W. A. Gay lord. whJ won in both the 100-yard open race and in the 100-yard grocery clerks' race. In the open race he made a sen sational finish by forging ahead of A. R. Arns in the last five yards. The peanut race consisted of encouraging a peanut along the ground by means of a tooth pick. In this event Mrs. C. B. Smock won 'out in a whirlwind finish. The shoe race waa a rather novel feature. In which the contestants were required to run the length of a 75-yard course, put on a pair of shoes selected from a pile and then return to the starting point. The race was won by A. B. Kelt. Three Claim First Place. About a dozen large but active fat men labored for 100 yards to a close and excit ing finish In one of the most spectacular events of the afternoon. After the race no less than three of the contestants, ex cited by their great efforts, came for ward and claimed first place, and It was with considerable reluctance that two of them finally allowed the victory to be awarded to H. M. Bush. The winners of the various events were as follows: " Ladles' tug-of-war Mrs. If. Metcalf, Mrs. T. Walker, Mrs. Harold J. Anderson, Mrs. E. Miller, Miss Lulu Bryson. Men's tug-of-war S. G. Base, H. M. Batty. J. C. Nelson. S. Splllman, C. V. Bmook, F. G. Urfer. Grocers' raoe S. A. Stubbs, W. E. Hamil ton. E. R. Barnes. Grocery clerks' race G. A. Gaylord, W. C. Kelt. W. Llpkey. Married ladles' race Mrs. George King, Mrs. R. T. McMulen, Mrs. D. A. Hood. Traveling men's race A. R. Arnolds, L. T. Squires, W. A. Hufford. Shoe race Kelt. Reynolds. I.adls peanut race Mrs. C. E. Smock. Hilda Mulkey. Lulu Bryson. Fat men's race H. Bush, 8. A. John son. W. T. Oreer. 100 yards, open W. A. Gaylord, A. R. Arns. W. A. Hummel. Broad Jump W. A. Barnes, W. A. Hum mel. George W. Newell. The Camas people were given much credit for their enterprise in improving the picnic grounds. In one week they cleared the grounds of underbrush and built the pavilion, at an expense of $600. JOLLY GOOD OREGON DAY Weather Man Uncorks Fine Sample of the Real Stuff. The weather man turned out an ideal Oregon day yesterday, for the benefit of residents and tourists alike. The atmos phere was clear and the temperature did not rise above 75 degrees. This was 12.8 degrees cooler than on Wednesday. Dur ing the early morning hours there was a little fog. but this was soon dispelled. All resorts were crowded with pleasure-seekers, and all manner of small craft on the river were out. Hourly temperatures yes terday follow: 6 A. M SS 1 p. 7 A. M 0 S P. 8 A. M 62 3 P. 9 A. M 64 4 P. 10 A. M S 5 P. 11 A. M 7 0 P. 12 noon .' -631 Trunks, suitcases and bags, Largest variety at Harris Trunk Co. RUN DOWN BY STREETCAR Messenger Boy 19 Struck by One While Dodging Another. Wilford Watkins, a Western Union messenger boy, living at 194 Fifteenth street. North, lies at Good Samaritan Hospital in a critical condition as a result of injuries sustained in a street car accident yesterday morning at Oak and Third streets. He was on his bicy cle at the time and had Just dodged in front of a southbound St. John car, barely escaping a collision, and ran in front of a northbound W-car. The street was slippery from recent sprinkling and his wheel skidded, precip itating him under the W-car. Watkins sustained a broken thigh and a badly lacerated scalp, aside from other bruises. He will recover. DECIDE INSURANCE CASE Sealed Verdict Today In Buck Creek Company's Suit. At 10 o'clock this morning a Jury In the Vnited States Court will report a sealed verdict In the suit of the Buck Creek Lumber Company, of White Shimon. Wash., against the National Union Fire insurance Company, of Pitts burg. Pa. This is a suit to recover J35O0 for insurance on a lumber mlll in the State of Washington. It has been on trial before Judge Bean four days and 'if 270 WASHINGTON STREET. Stock, Fixtures and Lease Bought by C. H. Baker, of California link to his chain of California shoe rT3 ATXTPn'R'n " T'c nno rf tTif TIPW- VXVfl T as. W Aa JLV kJ Vl' S- In order to add a Portland cnws RqVpt lms bmifht the est, and at the same time, best-known shoe stores in the city, and was sought because it was not nancucappea wain me great xjeiceut age of dead stock common to most general shoe stores. It's a strict ly high-class, specialty proposition, offering all of the newest novel ties in shoes for men and women. NOT ONE OLD STYLE IN THE STORE BUT ALL MUST GO. AO the Latest Styles for Women Every All the Latest Styles for Men Pair of Crawford Shoes must be sold at once. A shoe sale without a parallel in Portland. Baker sells shoes Of all grades carries many makes. 1 ne urawiora Factory cannot serve his general purpose. We want the Crawford location we don t want me shoes. It's your chance act now. CRAWFORD SHOES ARE KNOWN ALL OVER THE WORLD AS THE STRONGEST VALUES SOLD AT REASONABLE PRICES The prices are stamped on the shoes before they leave the factory; they represent what goes into the shoes, not what the storekeeper may be able to get out of his customers. The reductions here indi cated therefore represent more than the usual sale announcement because they mean just what they say. Be in time. I $5.00 "Crawfords" now $4.00 "Crawfords" now $3.50 "Crawfords" now 3.85 33.35 2.95 SEE LOS ANGELES SAN FRANCISCO . t k nr w 1 1 Tv h rUiM'iasAlNU ."STREET! in ! i mm p ii hi i ii ii i i i ii ii i .hi i tt nrtTVTTr tjm'ttz a m: . ii Trara awimrrfff s niTHTBaiatni i mi n n iinn m ,.' "v. went to the Jury at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The defeidant company resisted pay ment of the face of the policy or any - i h TYMCTn that the mill JttI l incicui i l" ' ' ' " was located nearly Ave miles from White i Salmon while the description of the risk ; as set forth In the policy located It "at white Salmon. xne outcome vi case depends entirely on the Interpreta tion of the jury of the meaning of the policy as to the true location of the property. The Instructions of Judge Bean to the Jury were to the effect that the mere fact that the mill was located a few miles from the town of White Salmon did not in itself' render the policy void or excuse the Insurance company from paying the amount of the insurance. WIFE HELPS HUSBAND OUT Rose City Park Man 19 Acquitted of Charge of Robbery. E. A. Harpole. the Rose City Park resident, son of J. S. Harpole, a horse man, who was arrested Monday on a charge of robbing Antone Miller, a Swiss milkman, of J57, was released by Municipal Judge Bennett yesterday morning, following the establishment of an alibi by the defendant in which his divorced wife was the principal witness in his behalf. A peculiar feature of the case was the fact that Mrs. Harpole made an affidavit to District Attorney Cameron prior to the trial In which she said she saw her erstwhile husband at 11 o'clock on the day the robbery was committed, last Sunday. It took place at 9 o'clock. two hours earlier than her statement ..irii rn th witness stand she acknowledged to seeing him at 9 o'clock In her room at 169 Jefferson street, where she said he had been all the previous night. Brewer Withdraws From Race. ABERDEEN, Wash.. July 22. (Spe cial.) Hoquiam's candidate for Congress. Attorney H. Brewer, to succeed the late Congressman Cushman, in the Sec ond district, withdrew today in favor of Edward C. Finch, of this city. r 5 "A Vacation Necessity' n i Ar Tburttaltt "pen! -a fountain pen is especially useful when you are away from home. you will find at our "Pen Section" 'all the leading makes at prices to suit any purse. let us show you what we have for your particular use. Third and Alder Streets, BOOKSELLERS STATIONERS mi r V V Why Risk 4 losing money carelessly carried in your pocket when it would be safe in a bank vault 1 We invite it here. 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