Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-12-05

competition with the shipping of foreign
countries. Many Of the fast foreign steam
ships, at q speed of ii knots or above, are
subsidized; and all our ships, sailing yes
sells and steamers alike. cargo carriers Of
slow speed and mail carriers of high speed,
have to meet the fact that the original cost
Of building American ships is greater than
Is the case abroad; that the wages paid
American officers and Seamen are very
much higher than those ] re officers
and Seamen of foreign competing cOun-
tries; and that the standard of living on
our ships Is far superior to the standard
of living on the ships of our commercial
&ValS. Our government should take such
action as will remedy these inequalities
The American merchant marine should be
restored to the ocean.
The gold standard is endorsed and econ
Omy is urged but it is suggested that care
should be taken not to reduce the revenues
SO that there will be any possibility Of a
deficit; but, after providing against any
such contingency, means should be adopted
which will bring the revenues more nearly
within the limit Of our actual feeds.
The Interstate railway act should be
amended, says the president. The railway
is a public servant. It's rates should be just
to and open to all shippers alike. The gov
ernment should see to it that within it's
jurisdiction this is and should provide
speedy, inexpensive and effective remedy to
that end.
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.
The department of agriculture has stead
lily brOadened its work on economic lines,
and has accomplished results OF real value
in upbuilding domestic and foreign trade.
1t has gone into new fields until 1t is now
III touch with all sections of our country
and with two Of the island groups that
have lately come under our jurisdiction,
whose people must look to agriculture as
livelihood. 1t is searching the world for
grains, grasses, fruits and vegetables Spe-
cially fitted for introduction into localities
Ia the several states and territories where
they may add materially to our resources
BY scientific attention to soil survey and
possible new crops, to breeding of new va
rieties of plants, to experimental ship
ments, to animal industry and applied
chemistry, very practical aid has been
given our farming and stOck-grOwing in
terests. Public opinion throughout the
United States has moved steadily toward
just appreciation of the value of forests,
whether planted Of natural growth. The
great part played by them IN the creation
and maintenance of the national wealth Is
now more fully realized than ever before.
Wise forest protection does not mean the
withdrawal of forest resources, whether of
wood, water, or grass, from contributing
their full share to the welfare of the peO- |
pie, but, on the contrary, gives the assur-
ance of larger and more certain supplies |
The fundamental idea of forestry is the |
perpetuatiOn of forests by use. Forest pro- |
lection is not an end of itself; it is q |
means to increase and sustain the resources |
of our country and the industries which
depend upon them. The preservation of |
our forests is an imperative business neces-
sity. The president should have by law
the power of transferring lands for as
forest reserves to the department of agri-
culture. The forest and water problems
Ire perhaps the most vital internal queS-
ions of the United States, declared Mr..
Roosevelt.
The forests are natural reservoirs. BY
restraining the streams in flood and re-
them in drought they make pos
ible the use of waters otherwise wasted:
They prevent the soil from washing, and
10 protect the storage reservoirs from I'LL
ng ND with silt. Forest conservation is
therefore, an essential condition of water
conservation. The forests alone cannot,
owever. fully regulate and conserve the
waters of the arid region. Great storage
works are necessary to equaliZe the flow OF
treams and to save the flood waters IhelF
obstruction has been conclusiyely shown
O he an undertaking too vast for private {
fort Nor can it he best accomplished by :
he individual states acting alone. Far 4
Paching interstate problems are involved;
nd the resources OF single states womb
ftpn be inadequate. 1t is as right for the <
ational government to make the streams |
nd rivers Of the arid region useful by en- I
inaerinc works for water storage as TO i
AXE useful the rivers and harbors of the y
umid region by engineering works OF an u
Their kind. The storing OF the noods I'D
,servoiFs at the headwaters OF our rivers p
but IN enlargement Of our present POI a
Y of river control, under which leTees are q
liIt on the lower reaches o. the same =
reams The government should CONSTRUCT -
1d maintain these reservoirs as 1t does =
her nuhIic works Where their purpose g
to regulate the flow Of streams, the q
alter should be turned freely into the az
lannels in the dry season to take the same | ~
,urse under the same laws as the natural ~
NV. - >, ~
The reclamation of the unsettled arid Il
lblic lands presents 4 different problem. N
ere it is not enough 10 regulate the no" ! 81 81
streams The object of the government dc
to dispose Of the land TO settlers who &C
III build homes upon it. To accomplish W
is object water must he brought WithII az
cir reach There remain vast areas OF de
blic land which can he made available ne
r homestead settlement, bnt only ny it
servoirs and mainline canals impfac- If'
.able for private enterprise. These irri- tic
ton works should be built by the ma ey
NAL government. The lands reclaimed by vi