The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-12-07

scientific bureaus generally should be nnt
under the Department ef agriculture TIE
president should have by law the power
of transferring lands fer use AS forest re
serves te the department. or aEflSuttafs
lie already has saeh rewer in thc case q
LANDS needed by he departments Of war
Irrigation.
Irrigation In connection with the waste
lands ot The Wesi j. question 20 when
tht president EIKts caHs slQCrAtir attention.
and MAKES strong ommtruatlVns auf
govern nent assistance in retaining The
waste lauGs H. asslsung in thelr ufiea=
uou and the control 81 water riEhts "a her
ever that Is possible aua OF this ne sa2 -
In The arid region IL is water tot .Ands
which measures production. The western
hst OF the Anlted states Mouia sustain a
population greater than that oi car Whole
country tu.aAN IL the waters that ROW run
10 waste we're saved aud used Tor irrlga-
uon. The foreSt and water problems are
perhaps the most Vital internal questions
OF the United states.
In cases where natural conditions have
been restored for few years vegetation
has again carpsi1d the ground. bros ana
oeeF are coming back. aid hundreds Of
persons, especially from thu immt cIate
ueignborhuoai come each summer 10 enjoy
the privilege Of camping Some az le5kt
or TIE forest reserves should AFFORD pei
pctual protection 10 the native fauna and
nora, SAFE haNeus OF refuge 10 our rapidly
diminishing Wild animals OF tie larger
kinds ana free camping grounds for The
ever increasing numbers oi men and wom-
I 4
and recreation III the splendid forests and
/ nower-clad meadows eff cur mountains
I The forest reserves should he set apart
1 forever Tor the use and heucnt ot our peo=
pie as a whole and net sacrificed TO the
/ shortsighted greed of a few"
The forests alone cannot, however, fully
/ regulate and conserve the waters OF the
/ arid region. Great storage works are nee
/ essary to equalize the now OF streams and
/ TO save the Hood waters Their construes
| tion has been conciuslvely shown 10 he an
/ undertaking too vast for private effort.
1 Nor can Il be best accomplished by the in
1 Gividual states acting alone. far-reaching
I Interstate problems are involved, and the
4 resources OF single states would often be
! inadequate. Ii Is properly a national
function. at least IN some of its features.
/ 1t Is as right FOR the national government
/ TO make the streams ard rivers OF The
| arid region useful by engineering works
/ Tor water storage as TO make useful the
rivers aud haThofs of the humid region bY
/ engineering works OF another kind Tho
storing OF the floods IN reservoirs at the
] headwaters Of our rivers IS but an en-
/ largemcnt OF our present policy OF river
| control under which lovees are built on
/ the lower reaches Of the same streams
The government should construct and
/ maintain these reservoirs as II does other
/ public works. Where their purpose Is 10
/ regulate the flow OF streams the water
4 should be turned freely into tho channels
/ in the dry season 10 take the same course
under the same laws as the natural noN.
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 pros
| perity to the Atlantic states. The in-
/ creased demand FOR manufactured art-
cles viii stimulate Industrial production,
while wider home markets ana the TRACE
/ Of Asia VIII consume ths larger food sup
] plies and effeetually prevent western
| competition with eastern agriculture. In
| deed, the products of irrigation VIII be
consumed chiefly IN npbuildlng local cen
! ters OF mining and other Industries whieh
| would otherwise not come into existence
| at all Our people as a whole VIII proht
| for successful homemaking IL but another
name for the upbuiiding Of the nation"
He counsels against attempting too mucf
at the beginning, but advises that We le
! experience on a small plan teach the pos
siblities of greater undertakings. lie als'
cites the conditions under whlch the sci
tiers OF the west are attempting TO buili
homes on these arid lands, and says
The security and value Of the home
created depend largely on the stability 0
! titles 10 water. but the majority OF thes
rest on the uncertain foundation OF cour
decisions rendered IN ordinary suits a
law With few oreditable exceptions
the arid states have failed 10 provide 70
the certain and just division OF streams II
times OF scarcity. Lax and uncertain Law
have made 1t possible 10 establish right
10 water In excess Of actual uses or ne
cessities and many streams have ALREADY
| passed Into private ownership or contro
| equivalent to ownership.
| "Whoever controls a stream practicalls
controls the land II renders productive, ant
the doctrine Of private ownership Of wate
! apart from land cannot prevail withou
| causing enduring wrong The recognition
| OF such ownership. which has been per
mitted to grow up In the arid regions
| should give way to a more enlightened ane
| larger recognition Of the rights Of the pub
lie In the control and disposal OF the pub
! lie water supplies. Laws founded upon
! conditions obtaining in humid regions
where water is too abundant TO justify
boarding 1t. have no proper application IN
/ a dry country.
I'm the arid states the only right to water
! which should be recognized is that Of use
| In irrigation this right should attach Il
the land reclaimed and be inseparablf
therefrom Granting perpetual water water
| compensation 10 the public IS open 10 all
the objections which apply TO giving away
perpetual franchises to the public utlli-
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 ia given the col
onies. and especially the Philippines This
4 section Of the message begins by citing
| the needs Of Hawaii and Porto Rico, oi
! which he says.
| I'm Hawaii our aim must be TO develoE
| the territory on the traditional American
| lines. We do not wish region Of large
estates titled BY cheap labor. We wish a
| who themselves I'll the farms they own
| All our legislation for the islands should
| be shaped with this end in view. The well
| being Of the average homemaker musi
| 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 admins
! tered efficiently and honestly. He deemi
| no legislation necessary except that con
| cernIng the public lands OF the island.
! He calls attention to the fact that IN
Cuba the independent government Of The
island Will so9n De IN eontrol, an9 IN m
| same connection urges strongly the neec
| Of reciprocal trade relations with the new
| nation. upon which subject he says:
| SIN the case Of Cuba there are weight5
| reasons Of morality ard Of national inter.
est why the policy should be held 10 have
| a peculiar application, and most earnest.
ly ask your attention 70 the wisdom, indeed
TO the vital need. of proWeinS Tor a sub
stantial reduction IN the tarln duties OF
Cuban imports into the United States
Ciiba has fn her constitution affirmed Whal
! national matters in closer and more friend
ly relations with US than with any ofhei
power, and We are bound BY ever consid
Grafton Of honor and expectancy 70 paa'
commercial measures n the interest O
her material well being.
For the Philippines be recommends mucl
In the way Of legislation, but again coun
sells caution that We 20 neither too far no
with too great haste He says: we hop
TO make our administration OF the island
! honorable 10 our nation by making II OF tn
highest benefit 70 the Fllipiuos themselves
ana as an earnest Of what we Intend TO d
we point 10 what we have done
I Already a greater measure Of materia
! prosperity and Of governmental honest
| and efficiency has been attained in tn
Philippines than ever before IN their his
| tory"
he says we do not desire 10 do for II
| islanders emereIy what has elsewhere bee
dome for iropie peoples by even the bes
foreign government We hope 80 20 70
them what las never before been done 10
snv people Of the troplcs-to make .her
flAr fhe "a him q