Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-12-03

rules provided for the administration of the af-
fairs of insolvent debtors. The Inconvenience
resulting from the occasional and temporary
exercise of this power by Congress, and from
the conflicting state codes of insolvency which
come into force intermediately should be re-
moved by the nactment of a simple, inexpen.
sive, and permanent national bankrupt law
l also renew my recommendation in favor of
legislation affording just copyright protection
TO foreign authors footing of reciprocal ad-
vantage for our authors abroad.
Ii may still be possible for this Congress to in
augurate, by suitable legis1 ton, a movement
looking to uniformity and increased safety in
the use of couplers and brakes upon freight
trains engaged in Interstate commerce The
chief difficulty in the way is to secure agree
tectiveness and cost being considered. This
difficulty will only yield to legislation, which
should be based upon full inquiry and impair
tia tests. The purpose should be to secure the
cooperation of all well-disrosed managers and
owners, but the fearful fact that every years
delay involves the sacrifice of 1000 lives and
the manning of 10000 young men sho uld plead
both with Congress and the managers against
any needless delay
Thesubject of the conservation and equal dis
tribution of the water supply of the arid regions
has had much attention from Congress, but has
not as vet been put upon permanent and salts
factory basis. The urgency Of the subject does
not grow out of any large present demand for
the use of these lands for agriculture, but out of
the danger that the water supply and the sites for
theneceSsaryc catch basinsma ytall into the hands
of Individuals or private corporations and be
used to render subservient the large areas de-
pendent upon such supply. The owner of the
water is the owner of the lands, however the
titles may run. All unappropriated natural
water sources and all necessary reservoir
sites should be held by the gov
eminent for the equal use, at fair rates, of the
homestead settlers who will eventually take up
these lands The United States should not, in
my opinion, undertake the construction OF dams
or canals. but should limit its work to such sur
veys and observations will determine the
ter supply, both surface and subteCranean, the
areas capable of irrigation, and the use, loca-
ton and storage capacity of reservoirs. This
done, the use of the water and of the reservoir
sites might be granted to the respective states
territories to individuals associations, upon
the condition that the necessary works should be
constructed and the water furnished at fair
rates, without discrimination, the rates 10 be
subject to supervision by the Legislatures or by
boards of water commissioners duly consti-
tuted. The essential thing TO be secured is the
common and equal use at fair rates of the accu-
mulated water supply. 1t were almost better
that these lands should remain arid than that
those who occupy them should become the
the one essential element of land values and
crop results
The use of the telegraph by the Post-office
Department means for the rapid transmits
sion of written communications is, believe,
upon proper terms, quite desirable The gov
eminent does not own or operate the railroads,
and it should not, think, OWE or operate the
quite practicable for the government to con-
tract with the telegraph companies, as it does
with the railroad companies, TO carry at Speci-
fled rates such communications as the senders
may designate for this method of TRANSMIT ssion.
/ recommend that such legislation be enacted az
will enable the Post-offce Department fairly to
test by experiment the advantages of such use
of % q