The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1901-12-06

| The forests are natural re- -
! rostrotrin,r the streams In flood and re-
/ Dlenishing them in drought they make
| nossihle the use of waters otherwise
| Vasted They prevent the soil from WASH
] ing and so protect the storage reservoirs
| from filing up with silt Forest conserVa-
ton is therefore an essential condition OF
! water conservation
Storage Works Necessary.
| The forests alone cannot. however. fully
| regulate and conserve the waters or the
I arid region Great storage works are nee
| essary to equalize the flow OF streams ana
RI save the food waters. Their conStruc-
! ton has been conclusively shown to be an
underta king too vast for private effort
Nor can II be best accomplished by the In
| dividual states acting alone. Farreacning
| Interstate problems are involved. ana the
resources of single states would otten De
Inadequate Ii is properly a nationai
| function at least in some of it's features.
II Is IS right for the national government
to make the streams and rivers OF the
arid region useful by engineering works
for water storage as to make useful the
rivers and harbors of the humid region py
engineering works Of another kind Inc
storing OF the floods in reservoirs at the
headwaters of our rivers Is but an en-
Iargement of our present policy OF river
control under which levees are built on
the lower reaches Of the same streams
The government should construct and
maintain these reservoirs as IL does otner
public works Where their purpose Is TO
regulate the fOw of streams the water
should be turned freely into the channels
in the dry season TO take the same course
under the same laws as the natural flow.
The reclamation or the unsettled arid
public lands presents a different problem
Here il is not enough 10 regulate the now
of streams. The object of the government
is TO dispose OF the land TO settlers who
will build homes upon il. To accomplish
this object water must be brought within
their reach
The pioneer settlers on the arid public
domain chose their homes along streams
from which they could themselves divert
the water TO reclaim their holdings. Such
opportunities are practically gone There
remain however. vast areas of public
land which can be made available for
homestead settlement. but only by reser-
voirs and main line canals tmpracticable
for private enterprise. These irrigation
works should be built by the national
government. The lands reclaimed by
them should be reserved by the govern
ment for actual settlers. and the cost of
construction should so far as possible
be repaid by the land reclaimed The
distribution OF the water the division OF
the streams among lEFlBdtOFS, DC
left TO the settlers themselves In conform
ity with state laws and without interfer-
ence with those laws or with vested
rights. The policy OF the national gov
eminent should be to aid Irrigation in the
several states and territories in such man
ner as will enable the people in the local
communities to help themselves and az
will stimulate needed reforms in the state
laws and regulations governing irrigation
viii Enrich the Whole Country.
The reclamation and settlement of the
srid lands will enrich every portion OF
our country, just as the settlement of the
Ohio and Mississippi valleys brought
prosperity TO the Atlantic states. The
increased demand for manufactured artl-
Giles will stimulate industrial production
while wider home markets and the trad.
OF Asia Will consume the larger food SUP /,
plies and effectually prevent western COM /
petition with eastern agriculture. Irdect /
the products of irrigation will be con- /
sumed chiefly in upbuiding local cen,srs !
of mining and other industries which 3
would otherwise not come into existence ,
at all. Our people whole will profit. !.
for successful homemakiag is but another ,
name for the upbuilding of the len.
The necessary foundation mas Already /
been laid for the Inauguration OF tic poll
cy just described. II would be unwise to
begin by doing too much. for great deal
will doubtless be learned both as 10 what
can and what cannot be safely attempted
by the early efforts. which must of neces-
sity be partly experimental in character.
AT the very beginning the government
should make clear. beyond shadow of
doubt. its intention to pursue this policy !
on lines OF the broadcast public interest |
No reservoir or canal should ever be built !
10 satisfy selfish personal or local inter
ests. but only in accordance with rhe ad-
vice of trained experts after long investi-