Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1901-12-05
THE PROBLEM OF THE WEST.
The President Strongly Recon-
mends the Reclamation of
the Arid West

Roosevelt, to Nevada, is on the arid
west and the problem OF forestry and
irrigation. The subject is given as
deep consideration as any OF his rec
concentrations, and coming as 1t does,
when the subject is at full agitation,
there seems to be a chance for federal
action at the hands OF Congress. The
! following covers the most important
points OF the message on this subJect:
The preservation OF our forests is an
imperative business necessity. We have
come to see clearly that whatever de-
stroys the forest, except to make way
ior agriculture. threatens our well-be-
ing, Additions should be made
to them (national forest reserves)
; n.rcver practicable, and their use
iulness should be increased by thor-
/ ouehly busin"ss-iike management.
: .. prez:n: the or"tl...r" Of forest
preserves rest, with the General Lane
.yf:.ov. the .1upping AMI description OF
,he:r timber with the United States
: Geologic>1 Surrey, IiG the prepara-
tion o. p,":.S .-.r i.:>.r - ,.~'-tl't
use with the Bureau OF Forestry,
which !, a'>o charged with the gen
raj advancement OF practical forestry
in the United States, These various
l. nd be united in the Blu
1t reau OF Forestry. to which they prop
bureaus generally should be put un-
;, crlv belong. Ihe scientific
> der the Depa~tr-cnt 81 agriculture.
The President should have by law the
-power OF transferring lands for use as
/ forest r1.v1lts to the Dcp2rtt'l>t:; @
f. agriculture. *
The wise administration OF the ior-
/ : rv.,rt,, vii. not y less helpful to
t the interests which depend on water
than to those which depend on wood
and grass. HE Water supply itself dc
,IDends upon the forest. In the arid
" region it is water, not land, which
measures production.
, The western hall OF the United Stat
j. c, would sustain a population greater
rti?;1 that III ou7 whole country TODAY
if The waters that NOW run to waste
10 -...hIc1ns ar>
he PERHAPS the most vital internal ques
OF tons OF the United States
Certain OF the forest reserves shoul'
also be made preserves for the will
: crest creatures All of the reserve
should be better protected from hrc.
The forest alone cannot, however
fully regulate AMI conserve the water
rs OF the arid region. Great storag
Y. work, az necessary 90 cQual1Zc tn
flow 81 streams and to ave the foo
lwaters. Their construction ha
ay been conclusively shown t
'u' be an undertaking too vast Tor pr
'h- vate efforts Nor can it be best &C
lat complished by the individual states uc1
ZIP ine alone Far reaching interstat
problems are involved and the resoul
ces OF single States would often be il
nd
adequate 1t is right for the nation;
.. government to make the streams an
rivers OF the arid region useful by er
gineering works for water storage {
to make useful the rivers and harbOl
OF the humid region by engneerin
1rv works OF another kind. The STORM
re- 81 the floods in reservoirs at the heat
ar,, waters of our rivers is but an enlarg,
- ment of our present policy OF rive
ere cohtrol' under WHICH le'ees are Duh
81 on the lower reaches OF the san
-, streams.
The government should constru
and maintain these reservoirs as
the does other public works. Where the
old purpose is to regulate the flow OF II
nu- streams, the water should be turnt
us freely into the channel in the dry Sc
the sons to take the same course und
,m. the same laws as the natural flow.
ned The reclamation of the unsettled a
ons id public lands presents a differe
problem. Here it is not enough
regulate the flow OF streams. The O.
70' Ject OF the government is to dispose
vas the land to settlers who will build the
''u homes upon it. To accomplish tn
nm object water must be brought with
ven their reach.