The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-04
~ in the case of lands needed- hv the

"
interests which depend on water than
10 those which depend on wood and
grass. The water supply itself depends
upon the forest. In the arid region it is
water, not land, which measures pro-
duction. The western half of the United
States would sustain a population
greater than that of our whole country
to-day if the waters that now run to
waste were saved and used for irriga-
tion. The forest and water problems
are perhaps the most vital internal
questions eff 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
sn deer elk, and other animals in the
Yellowstone Park shows what may be
expected when other mountain forests
are properly protected by law and prop
erly guarded. Some of these areas have
been so denuded of surface vegetation
by overgTaZing that the ground breed
ing birds, included grouse and quail,
and many mammals, including deer,
have been eXterminated or driven
away. At the same time the water
storing capacity of the surface has
been decreased or des troyed thus pro-
noting floods in times of rain and di-
minishing the flow of streams between
rains.
In cases where natural conditions
have been restored for few years,
vegetation has again carpeted the
ground birds and deer are coming
back, and hundreds of persons, espe-
cially from the immediate neighbor-
hood, come each summer to enjoy the
privilege of camping. Some at least
of the forest reserves should afford
perpetual protection to the native fau-
ma and flora, safe havens of refuge to
our rapidly diminishing wild animals of
the larger kinds, and free camping
grounds for the ever-increasing num-
bers of men and women who have
learned to find rest, health, and recre-
alton in the splendid forests and flower
clad meadows eur #f4etlfiftt ,El4e
forest reserves should be set apart for
ever for the use and benefit of our peo-
pie as a whole and not sacrificed to the
shortsighted greed of a few.
The forests are natural reservoirs.
BY restraining the streams in flood and
replenishing 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.
Irrigation Advocated.
The forests alone cannot. however,
fully regulate and conserve the wa
tiers of the arid region. Great storage
works are necessary to equaliZe the
flow of streams and to save the flood
waters. Their construction has been
conclusively shown to be an under
taking too vast for private effort. Nor
can it be best accomplished by the
ind fxri1rI tot oil EoF
reaching interstate problems are in
volved; and the resources of single
states would often be inadequate. 1t
is properly a national function, at
least in some of it's 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
floods in reservoirs at the headwaters
of our rivers is but an enlargement
of our present policy of river control,
under which levees are built on the
lower reaches of the same sureams.
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 a different prob
lem. Here it is not enough to regu-
late 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 wa
ter 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 set
Element, but only by reservoirs and
mainline canals impracticable for pri-
waite enterprise. These irriga ton
works should be built by the national
government. The lands reclaimed by
them should be reserved by the gov
eminent for actual settlers, and the
cost of construction should so far as
possible be repaid by the land reclaim
ed. The distribution of the water, the
division of the streams among irrigat-
ors, should be left to the settlers them
selves in conformity with state laws
and without interference with those
laws or with vested rights. The policy
of the national government should be
to aid irrigation in the several states
and territories in such manner as will
enable the people in the local
communities to help them
selves and as will stimulate
needed reforms in the state laws and
regulations governing irrigation.
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 man
ufactured articles will stimulate indus
trial production, while wider home
markets and the trade of Asa will con-
sumo the larger food supplies and eff
fectually prevent Western competition
with Eastern agriculture. Indeed, the
products of irrigation will be consum-
ed chiefly in upbuilding local centers
OF mining and other industries, which
would otherwise not come into exist
ence al all. Our people as a whole
VIII profit, for successful home-making
IS but another name for the upbuild-
Ing of a nation.
The necessary foundation has already
been laid for the Inauguration of the
policy just described. 1t would be IN
wise 10 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 eff
forts, which must of necessity be mart