The Iola register., 1901-12-06
MRssA0R-contIarsa irer, page ,


wdpen who have learned TO find rest,
heath and recreation In tho splendid for
esb and nower clad meadows of our
EnQuntain The forest reserves should be
set apart forever for the use and benefit
Of our people as n whole and not sacrificed
u. the shortsighted greed Of few
The forests are natural reservoirs. BY
reftraining the streams In flood and re-
ptAnishing them In drought they make
possible the use of waters otherwise
iag and so protect the storage reservoirs
H@tn filling up with sllt. Forest conservs.
hdb Is therefore an essential condition OF
water conservation.
The Government should Assist.
TIE forests alone cannot. however, fully
regulate and conserve the waters OF the
aH1 region. Great storage works are nee.
csgt,ry to equall1e the iow of streams ana
70 save the nood waters; Their eonstrue-
hpp has beeh eoncluslvely shown to be an
Undertaking too vast for private effort.
Nor can IL bo best accomplishing by the IN
SYidual states acting alone T EsT-rsnSh,hhs nS ihs
rsgpurces sf single states would often be
hlaHequate. II Ia properly national
function, at least in some Of its features.
IL M as right for the national government
10 make the streams and rivers of the
ACID region useful by engineering works
~ wateT storage as TO make, make usstni tin0 the me
engineering works Of another klnd Ihe
stirring OF the foods In reservoirs at the
lhs2dwateFs of our rivers is bu' 9n On
control under which levees are built on
e,e lower reaches of the same streams
The government should construct ana
maintain these reservoirs as II does other
public works. Where their purpose Is to
regulate the nOw OF streams the water
ftiould be turned freely into the channels
in the dry season TO take the same course
under the same laws as the natural how
The reclamation OF the unsettled htlo
public lands presents different propiem
Here II is not enough to regulate the now
of streams. The object OF the government
is to dispose of the land to settlers VINO
will build homes upon II. 70 accoinpun95n pn5
tftis object water must be brought Wlthlh
Tbe pioneer settlers on the arid public
domain chose their homes along streamss
from which they could themselves ulVeIt
the water to reclaim their holdings. Such
opportunities are practically gone, Ihere
remain. however vast areas o. PuS,Is ~
homestead settlement. but only by reseT-
yoirs and main line canals impracucanie
for private enterpr,ser mess lrIitG1r1i rIrint,1orai
government. The lands reclaimed ny
them should be reserved by the govern,
ment for actual settlers. and the cosi ,,Id Gi
eonstructton should so FAR as pOsslnle
be repaid by the land reclaimed lne
distribution OF the water, the diVlsloh oI
ta,e streams among ifrigators' snoutu De
Iefl 10 the settlers themselves in conform
Hy with state laws and without interter,
eace with those laws or win TesIeu
rishts. The policy OF the aI!onai EvE ~
SEVERAL states and territories In such man,
ner as will enable the people IN the ipcas az
communities TO help Themselves anS etoas
viii stirnulate needed reforms IN the stats t
laRA and regulations governing irrigation
value of Irrigation.
gyhe reclamation and settlement OF the
Aid lands will enrich every poItlon ~, ~.
orr country, Just as the settle1nent u Wy
ohio and mississippi valleys orousTt TSa p'G In-
creased demand for manufactured aru-
oiee will stimulate Industrial proouctlohi,
while wider home markets ana ina sno s,ne
uiies and effectually prevent western
competition with eastern agriculture, n
decd the products OF irr,gatlohn n,ai VIZ ceD-
consumed chiefly in upbuilding locaI cen
teh of mining and other industries W Whlcn
Would otherwise not come INTO iS eNls.eI,v,e .i,,
at all our people as a whole WIN pthnr p,vh,,N,
for er,ccessful homemaking Is but anotner
NAME for the upbuilding of the nation.
The necessary foundation has alreaqy
been laid for the inauguratlon Oh tnG POI -
cg tist described. IL would be unWiSs 70 10
begin by doing too much for great deai
VIII doubtless he learned, both as 70 Wna' Wna
oan and what cannot be safely attetnplSS
ed by the early efforts, which must OF
nereesitv he partly eNpcrmental IN char-
asaer. At the very beginning the govern
ment should make clear, beyond sha1ttpHM ttH
OF doubt. it's intention to pursue tnls
ndsicy on lines of the broadest pupnc m
terest No reservoir or canal should ever
be built 10 satisfy selnsh persohai OF
,,fih the advice OF trained experts aftcr
lohp Investigation has shown the local
ifV where all the conditions comulhe 70
make the work most needed and traught
via, the greatest usefulness to the com
munity as a whole, There shoulu pe 70
eNfravagance, and the believers IN the
NEED OF irrigation will most beneht thelr
cause by seeing TO It that it Is free from
Nh least faint Of excessive or reckless
expenditure Of the public moneys
Needed Irrigation Laws.
whatever the nation does for the ex-
tesi;iou Of irrigation should harmoniZe
Svlh, and tend, to improve the condition
81 those now living on irrigated lana.
We are not at the starting polnt OF th,s
o1bital has already heen expended IN tns
odnstruotion Of irrigation WORKS ana
rRany million acres OF arc lanu ~
cgaimed high degree OF enterprise ana
at}iifv has been shown in the work It
sMf but as much cannot he sald IN
reterence to the laws relating thereto,
Try,e security and value of the homrs
created depend largely on the st9bllty
nf titles to water. but the malor,ty OF
p1,,se rest on the uncertain fonndat,on OF
conrt decisions rendered In ord nary
sliIts at law with few creditRhlc eN-
oeptions the arid states have ta,Fu TO
provide for the certain and Just DIVISION
a. streams In times of scarcely IN L2E aito to
uHcertain laws have made II possible 70
establish rights to water IN excess ol
actual uses or necessities, ana many
streams have already passed INTO prVate
ownership
whoever controls a stream practically
controls the land II renders productive
ana the doctrine OF private ownership ot
water apart from land cannot prevail
Without causing enduring wrong. The
recognition of such ownership. which hes
heen permitted to grow up IN the arid
regions. should give way TO- more en-
Hfhtened and larrer recognition OF inc
rights of the public in the control ana
disposal Of the public water supplies
Laws founded upon conditions obtaining
in humid regions. where water IS TOO
abundant 10 Justify boarding IT, nave no
pToper application in a dry country,
In the arid states the only right 10 wa
ter which should be recognized Is that ot
use In IRRIGATION this right should at
tach to the land reclaimed and he insep-
arabic thercfrom Granting perpetual
water rights 10 others than users with
ont commentator to the public Is open
10 all the objections which amply TO Civ
ing away perpetual franchises 10 the
public utilities Of cities. a few Of the
western states have already recognized
this and have incorporated I'm their con
stitutons the doctrine ~ perpetual state
ownership OF water.
Nations Ala justified.
The benefits which have followed the
unaided development of the past justify
tho nations aid and cooperation In the