Show Our Government How How It Operates By William am Bruckert Bruckart DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNDER r govern v our system of or govern gl ment went predicated on alignment of political the citizens into two major po- po po parties changes arc are effected very slowly In time the matter of expand expand- ing ing expanding or accomplishing a shrinkage functions In any establishment or Its Some politician rises up and makes an Issue of ot every efery proposal ot of that kind and quite ob obviously he has his following Thus Thus oftentimes functions of government go on Ion long after their necessity has lias ceased sed But nut I am going to discuss changes that have come about whether the political parties desired or not changes that were accomplished ina In Ina Ina a manner comparable In erse re reverse to the history of or the memorable character Topsy who just grooved They are centered In the Depart Depart- Department Department ment meat of the Interior It was not so many years a ago o less than half a century that the coun count country try looked to the time Department of ot the Interior In connection with the grave gra Indian problem It looked l to time the same agency concerning disposition tion of ot the vast public lands ont and the same agency was In charge of all veterans pensions though the number was small as compo compared red to now In the meantime the West was developing Public lands were be- be beling be being ling lag ing absorbed and th the number of In Indians was decreasing and the blood was being diffused seeing For Far statesmen recognized that conserva conserva- conservation conservation tion of the beauty spots required early action and ond preservation of them as national parks got under underway underway underway way The course of the times carrIed with It the time constituent elements of new problems such as ns administration tion of Irrigation projects as the arid states received the overflow of population Reclamation of ot lands lants was time the premise from which the movement had hat to proceed Thus the time Department of ot the In- In InterIor Interior In Interior saw Its Influence wane In some sections of the country and on some matters of national Import and observed Its expanding in oth oth- others others ers ors The public domain has de de- declined declined declined in size and Importance until the general ren erR I land lant office otTIce la Is only a fraction of ot Its former self though still an of consequence and time the office omee of commissioner of Indian affairs once among the powerful of- of offices of of the government go has declined de de- declined declined In Importance correspond correspond- correspondingly Inglr with the shrinkage e of Indian population ant and problems I I Through the years ears of course tile the department has received additions such as the office once of education and time the national park service has been built up as the nation sought to conserve for the future the beauty spots and recreational grounds nat nat- naturally naturally presented in virgin form The development of the great resources of Alaska to a large extent Is un under der del the direction of the secretary of the interior who has the Alaska railroad under unter his administration As to the changes that have ha comein come comeIn comeIn In the department since its inception thou tion however none stand out more than does the expansion of ot Influence ence through construction and management man management of Irrigation projects Actually none bear more Important Important- Importantly ly on the economic and ph physical being well being of what hat was the West of yore ore Time The director of reclamation reclamation reclamation tion has been exerting this Influence ence of ot the federal government go for 30 years ears and ant It if one may use the constant calls for additional legis then as a n criterion the limit of power and Influence of that elUce Is yet et afar off ofT Irrigation Is only In its Infancy As the work In connection with educating the Indians Indiana and provid pro providing providing ing for their future welfare and protection prot of ot their funds grows less and as the area of the public domain declines the functions ot of government decline there but In InI another part of the tile great root that bous houses S the department the tuna functions functions of the time government are expand expand- expanding expanding In ing that the national parks may be bed II protected and preserved for future generations And so it Is too with I the commissioner of education who Is the Mason lInson between een the state school system and ond the federal gov go gov- gov government government as us well as ser ln serving In co co- co cooperation operation co-operation operation with all nil educational In- In InstitutIons In Institutions throughput throughout the countr country It is not Intended In this discus discus- discussion discussion sion slon to depreciate the value alue of or the work done by any of the units mak mak- makIng ing Ing up the Department of ot the in- in In Interior tenor The purpose Is to show how howa a changing of ot conditions resulting from growth of ot the nation Itself has brought about of ot the work and the demands upon gov gov- government government None can say that the general Jeneral land hand office for example lacks consequence when It Is re rc recalled called that every day and everywhere every everywhere where there Is some one or group e group clamoring to gain a Ii leasehold on public land to exploit mineral re re- resources re- re resources resources sources of or oil or copper or a n dozen other things These are owned owne l b by bytho tho f federal government and prop prOf- proper er ration of or them then Is Just as vitally tally Important as sound construe construction tion lion nf or time the gigantic project Ul uh In hoover 1111 dint Iam and the lie Colorado rl river r basin uD 3 1132 Union |