Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-12-05


ried on by the department of agricul.
ture Is next considered and praised
highly. The president then turns to
forest preservation and irrigation of
arid lands, saying that both are highly
necessary. He would put all the work
in connection with the forest reserves
In charge of the bureau of forestry.
Irrigation.
The president continues by tracing
the connection between the forest re-
serves and the water supply. lie says:
The forests are natural reservoirs.
BY restraining the streams in flood
and replcnishing them in drought they
make possible the use OF waters other
wise wasted. They prevent the soil
from washing and so protect the stor-
age reservoirs from filling up with
silt. Forest conservation is. therefore,
an essential condition of water conser-
walton.
The forests alone cannot. however
fully regulate and conserve the waters
Of the arid region Great storage works
are necessary to equauzc the flow Of
streams and TO save the food waters.
Their construction has been conclu-
svcly shown to be an undertaking
too vast for private effort. Nor can it
be best accomplished by the individual
states acting alone. The government
should construct and maintain these
reservoirs as 1t does other public works.
Where their purpose is to regulate the
flow 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 Of the unsettled arid
public lands presents a different prob
lem. Here it is not enough to regulate
the flow of streams. The object of the
government Is to dispose of the land
to settlers who will build homes upon
it. To accomplish this object water
must be brought within their reach.
The pioneer settlers on the arid pub
lie domain chose their homes along
streams from which they could them
selves divert the water to reclaim their
holdings. Such opportunities are prac-
tically gone. There remain, however,
vast areas of public land which can be
made available for homestead settle
ment, but only by reservoirs and main
line canals impracticable for private
enterprise. These irrigation works
should be built by the national govern
mcnt. The lands reclaimed by them
should be reserved by the government
for actual settlers. and the cost of con-
struction should, so far as possible. lie
repaid by the land reclaimed The dis
trihutiOn of the water. the division of
the streams among irrigators, should
be left to the settlers themselves in
conformity with state laws and with
out interference with those laws or
with vested rights.
The declaration Is made that in the
arid states the only right to water
which should be recognized Is that of
use. The president says that the doc,
trne of private ownership of water
apart from land cannot prevail without
causing wrong.
Insular Problems.
Insular questions are next treated.
In Hawaii our aim must be to develop
the territory on the traditional Amer
lean lines. Porto Rico is declared to be
thriving as never before. The atten-
ton of congress is called to the need Of
legislation concerning the islands pub
lie lands. In Cuba II is stated that
much progress has been made toward
putting the independent government of
the island upon firm footing. and it Is
declared that independence will be an
accomplished fact. The president
adds:
Elsewhere | have discussed the Ques-
ton Of reciprocity. In tho case of Gu
ba, however, there are weighty reasons
OF morality and Of national interest
why the policy should be held to have
n peculiar application. and most ear
nestly ask your attention to the wis
dom, indeed TO the vital need. of pro-
viding for substantial reduction in
The tariff dunes on Cuban imports into
the United States.
In dealing with the Philippine peo-
pie we must show both patience and
strength, forbearance and steadfast res
olution. Our aim is high. We do not
desire to do for the islanders merely
what has elsewh here been done for trop.
ic peoples by even the best foreign
governments. We hope tt4lo for them
what has never before been done for
any people OF the tropics-to make
them fit for self government after the
fashion Of the really free nations.
The only fear is lest in our overanx-
jety we give them a degree OF indie
pcndcnce for which they are unfit
thereby inviting reaction and disaster
AS fast as there is any reasonable hope
that in given district the people can
govern themselves self government
has been given in that district. There
is not locality fitted for self govern
mcnt which has not received it. But il
may well be that in certain cases il
will have to be withdrawn because the
Inhabitants show themselves unfit tC
exercise IT. such instances have already
occurred. In other words, there is not
the slightest chance OF our failing tc
show a sufficiently humanitarian spirit
The danger comes in the opposite direc
ton.
Troubles Ahead Yet.
There are still troubles ahead in The
islands. The instruction has become
an affair of local bandtti and maraud
a