Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-12-05
Irriga alton.

pay expense OF 1ld1illlS OWtY3 vi 81 oloA1PS
for cloth-bound volume. Address DR.. K.
v. Pierce, Buffalo, N. Y.
IrriGa ton.
The wise administration of the forest
reserves will be not less helpful to the in
terests which depend on water than to
those which depend on wood and grass
The water supply itself depends upon the
forest. In the arid region 1t is water, not
land. which measures production. The
western half of the United States would
sustain population greater than that of
our whole country today If the waters
that now run to waste were saved and
used for irrigation. The forest and water
problems are perhaps the most vital in
ternal questions of the United States.
Certain of the forest reserves should
also be made preserves for the wild forest
creatures All of the reserves should be
better protected from fires Many of them
need special protection because of the
great injury done by live stock. above all
by sheep. The increase in deer. elk and
other animals In the Yellowstone park
shows what may be expected when other
mountain forests are properly protected
by law and properly guarded Some of
these areas have been SO denuded of sur
face vegetation by overgTazing that the
ground breeding birds. including grouse
deer. have been exterminated or driven
away. At the same time the water stor-
ing capacity Of the surface has been de-
creased or destroyed thus promoting
floods in times of rain and diminishing the
flow of streams between rains
In cases where natural conditions have
been restored for a few years vegetation
has again carpeted the ground, birds and
deer are coming back, and hundreds of
persons. especially from the immediate
neighborhood. come each summer to en-
JOY the privilege of camping. Some at
least of the forest reserves should afford
perpetual protection to the native fauna
and flora, safe Ravens of refuge to our
rapidly diminishing wild animals of the
larger kinds and free camping grounds for
the ever increasing numbers of men and
women who have learned to find rest,
health and recreation in the splendid for
ests and flower clad meadows of our
mountains. The forest reserves should be
set apart forever for the use and benefit
of our people as whole and not sacrificed
to the shortsighted greed of a few.
The forests are natural reservoirs. BY
restraining the streams in flood and re-
plenishing them in drought they make
possible the use of waters otherwise
wasted. They prevent the soil from wash
ing and so protect the storage reservoirs
from filling up with silt. Forest conserva-
ZION IS therefore an SSSGnlld4 SOAOAb4Oh "a
water conservation
Storage Works Necessary.
The forests alone cannot. however, fully
regulate and conserve the waters of the
arid region. Great storage works are nee
essary to equalize the flow of streams and
to save the food waters. Their construc-
ton has been conclusively shown to be an
undertaking too vast for private effort
Nor can it be best accomplished by the in
dividual states acting alone. Farreach1ng
Interstate problems are involved, and the
resources of single states would often be
inadequate. 1t is properly national
function, at least in some of its features
1t is as 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 by
engineering works of another kind The
storing of the foods in reservoirs at the
headwaters of our rivers is but an en-
largement 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 it 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 different problem
Here 1t 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 1t. 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 pubic
land which can be made available for
homestead settlement but only by reser-
voirs and main line canals impracticable
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 fer 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 irrigators. should be
left to >Ne settlers themselves in conform
ity with state laws and without interior
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 10 help themselves and as
will stimulate needed reforms in the state
laws and regulations governing irrigation
Will Enrich the Whole Country.
The reclamation and settlement of the
arid 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 arti-
cIes will stimulate industrial production
while wider home markets and the trade
of Asia will consume the larger food sup
plies and effectuaIly prevent western COM
petition with eastern agriculture. Indeed
the products of irrigation will be con-
sumed chiefly in upbuilding local centers
of mining and other Industries which
would otherwise not come into existence
at ALL Our people as a whole will profit,
for successful homemaking is but another
name for the upbuilding of the nation.
The necessary foundation has already
been laid for the Inauguration of the poll
cy just described. 1t would be unwise to
begin by doing too much. for great deal
will doubtless be learned, both as to 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
to satisfy selfish personal or local inter-
ests, but only in accordance with the adj
vice of trained experts after long investi-
cation has shown the locality where all
the conditions combine to make the work
most needed and fraught with the great
est usefulness to the community as a
whole There should be no extravaganza
and the believers in the need of irriga-
ton will most benefit their cause by see
ing to it that 1t is free from the least
faint of excessive or reckless expenditure
of the public moneys.
Irrigation Laws.
Whatever the nation does for the extern
sion of irrigation should harmonic with
and tend to improve the condition of
those now living on irrigated land. We
are not at the starting point of this de-
velopment. Over two hundred millions of
private capital has already been expended
in the construction of irrigation works
and many million acres of arid land re-
claimed. A high degree of enterprise and
ability has been shown in the work ITSELF
but as much cannot be said in reference
to tho laws relating thereto The securi-
ty and value of the homes created depend
largely on the stability of titles to water,
but the majority of these rest on the I'M
certain foundation of court decisions rem
dered in ordinary suits at law. With
few creditabIe exceptions, the arid states
have failed to provide for the certain and
just division of streams in times Of search