The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1901-12-06

unnecessarily interfere. with the deve rnp !
ment and operation OF these coniiie'e ~
agencies"
Agricultural interests.
~. nresident cites the forest legislation
AZ the past and the great gooo OF ior s'siII
preserves to the people ana says tnes 49, y -
Inevitably be of still greater value Noh
'i naf present the protection Of the forest
Reserves rests with the general ianu oiI w.
the mapping and description OF tnell iii VI,
Der with the United states ggsns for their
Conservative use with the bureau OF lot
estrv which is also charged with the gen
eral advancement Of practlcai torestff ,nn ~
inns ths should be united in the bureau Of
forestry to which they. properly , peiorS \.
The present diffusion OF respQnslDil!ly y
bad from every stanopoint' raan the
government and the men VINO ulliize tns
resources of the reserves without Wn mSa
the interests of both must suIleI.
scientific bureaus generally should De T Rus
under the department of agriculture. Inc
president should have by law N, f,.i ~ We.
of transferring lands for use as IqreSe ,e
serves to the department OF agric naee ~
He already has such power In the case Y.
lands needed by the departments OF war
and the navy"
Irrigation in connection with the waste
lands of the west is question 70 WHICH
the president gives conslderapie ,ions for
government assistance in retaining my
waste lands by assisting IN tnelr irrstsa
tion and the control OF water rlgnts Wnel-
ever that is possible, and of this he says
"In the arid region it is water, not iano,
which measures production. The western
half of the United States would sustain q
population greater than that OF our Wnole
country to-day If the waters that now run
to waste were saved and used Tor 1rriga-
ton. The forest and water problems are
perhaps the most vital internal questions
of the United States. 80.
regulate and conserve the waters OF the
arid region. Great storage works are nee,
essary to equaliZe the flow OF streams anu
to save the flood waters; Their construc-
undertaking too vast for private enort.
Nor can 1t be best accomplished by the m
divtdual states acting alone. Far-reachuls
interstate problems are involved, ana the
resources of single states would oIten pc
inadequate. 1t is properly natlonai
function, at least in some of its features.
1t Is as right for the national government t
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. n ne
storing of the floods in reservoirs at the
largement of our present policy OF RIVER
control under which levees are pullt oil
the lower reaches of the same streams.
THE government should construct anu
maintain these reservoirs as 1t does otner
public works. Where their purpose IS "
regulate the flow of streams the water
should be turned freely. into the cnanneis
in the dry season to take the same e Go,,,
under the same laws as the natural now;
1.-THE reclamation and settlement OF the
arid lands will enrich every portion OF
our country, just as the settlement VI tlo
Ohio and Mississippi valleys brougnt pros
perity to the Atlantic states. Inc IN
creased demand for manufacturer artl-
cles will stimulate industrial production,
while wider home markets ana tne 'raue
of Asia will consume the larger 1000 sup
Competition with eastern agriculture; IN
deed. the products of irrigation Will De
consumed chiefly in upbuilding locaI cen
ters of mining and other Industries Whlcn
would otherwise not come into eXlstence
at all Our people as whole VIII pront,
for successful homemaking Is put announcer
name for the upbuilding of the nation.
He counsels against attempting TOO muc en-
Experience on a small plan teach the pos
sibilities of greater undertakings. he also
cites the conditions under which the set,
tiers of the west are attempIlng 10 ouiiu
''The security and value of the MONIES
created depend largely on the staplilty OF
titles to water. but the majority OF these
rest on the uncertain foundation of court
decisions rendered in ordinary suits at
law With a few creditable exceptions,
the arid states have failed to provide for
the certain and just division of streams in
times of scarcity. Lax and uncertain laws
have made it possible to establish rights
to water In excess of actual uses or ne
cessities, and many streams have already
passed into private ownership or a control
equivalent to ownership.
'1n the arid states the only right to water
which should be recognized is that of use.
In irrigation this right, should attach to
rights to other than users without
compensation to the public is open to all
the objections which apply to giving away
perpetual franchises to the public uttli-
ties of the cities A few Of the western
states have already recognized this and
have incorporated in their constitutions
the doctrine of perpetual state ownership
of water"
The Colonies.
Considerable attention is given the col
onies, and especially the Philippines. This
section of the message begins by citing
the needs of Hawaii and Porto Rico, OF
which he says:
I'm Hawaii our aim must be to develop
the territory on the traditional American
lines. We do not wish a region of large
estates titled by cheap labor. We wish a
healthy American community of men
j.
All our legislation for the islands should
be shaped with this end in view The well
being of the average homemaker must
afford the true test OF the healthy devel-
opment of the islands. The land policy
should as nearly as possible be modelled
on our homestead system"
OF Porto Rico he says the island Is thriv-
ing as never before, and is being aiminis-
tered efficiently and honestly He deems
no legislation necessary except that con-
corning the public lands of the island.
He calls attention to the fact that in
Cuba the independent government of the
island will soon be in control, and in the
same connection urges strongly the need
of reciprocal trade relations with the new
nation, upon which subject he says:
"In the case of Cuba there are weighty
reasons of morality and of national inter-
est why the policy should be held to have
a peculiar application, and most earnest
ly ask your attention to the wisdom. indeed
to the vital need. of providing for a sub
fs,,han ,ronorfe into the Hates o.. vi