Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-16
FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION.

The paragraphs In President Roose-
'yolts message relating TO forestry and
irrigation, are said to bear fruit. Con-
siderable Increase is reported, Of mem
bershlp In the American Forestry as
ISOLATION in New York, Massachusetts
and Pennsylvania, as well as in other
states, indicating greater interest in
the subject, as a result OF more wide
spread Information.
The President characterized the for
est and water problems as perhaps the
most vital internal question Of the
United States Forests he pointed out,
are natural reservoirs, They prevent
the soil from washing they restrain the
streams In food, and replenish them in
drouth. Forest conservation Is there
fore an essential condition Of water
conservation.
AS TO the reclamation OF arid lands.
the President recommended that lrri-
cation works should be built by the
national government, and the cost Of
construction repaid by the land re-
claimed, The distribution Of the water
the division Of the streams among lr-
rigators, should be left to the settlers
themselves In conformity with state
laws and without interference with
those laws or with vested rights. Such
an enterprise he further stated, would
enrich every portion Of the country
just as the settlement Of the Ohio and
Mississippi valleys brought prosperity
to the Atlantic states, His argument
on this proposition Is sound. He said
1.-THE increased demand for manu-
featured articles win stimulate indus.
trial production while wider home mar
Pets and the trade of Asia will con.
rune the larger food supplies and eff
fectually prevent western competition
with eastern agriculture. Indeed the
products Of irrigation win be consumed
chiefly In upbuilding local centers of
mining and other industries, which
would otherwise not come into exis-
tence at ALL our people as a whole
| viii profit, for successful homemaking
IS but another name tor the upbuilding
OF the nation
An Illustration Of the soundness OF
this position is furnished by results
achieved by irrigation 10 Egypt Since
! 1885 the government has spent there
SS5.O000OO ON irrigation works, But it is
GAINED that by this outlay the cotton
crop has been doubled and a sum Of
S25.O0OOOO annually added to the income
F. ct the people What the British gov
I eminent is doing for Egypt the Ameri-
can people can do Ton themselves on a
| still larger scale The area that would
/ eventually become directly affected by
o system OF reservoirs Is equal to about
cne.thrd Of the entire country. 1t
stretches from the seml-troplcal south
orn Arizona 10 the northern boundary
Of the Republic, and from the Missls-
aipm to the Pacific It has every variety
Of climate and the richest soil, and IN
the Included region every variety of
fTult cereal and plant can be produced.
| It is, in The language Of Mr. Walsh.
president OF the National Irrigation as
ISOLATION IAN undertaking so mighty
ond grand in It's scope and results as
20 be well worthy Of being lifted above
politics sections or states. ana placed
at the very summit Of national under
takIngs It win need the direction and
supervision OF the engineering and
scientific offices Of our government (of
whose ability and integrity, we as a
nation may well feel proud. It will
need the control Of Interstate law O.,
the national rivers and waterways
which only the general government