Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-12-03

OF itself; Il is a means to Increase and
sustain the resources OF our country
and the industries which depend upon
them. The preservation OF forests is
an imperative business necessity. We
have come to see clearly that what
ever destroys the forest. except to
make way for agriculture, threatens
our we'll being.
The practical usefulness OF the ma.
tlonal forest reserves to the mining,
grazing, Irrigation. and other inter.
csts OF the regions in which the re.
serves lie has led to n widespread de-
mand by the people Of the west for
their protection and extension. The
forest reserves will inevitably be OF
still greater use In the future than in
the past. Additions should be made to
them whenever practicable. and their
usefulness should be increased by a
thoroughly buslnessllke management +"
FAvORS IRRIGATION.
The forests alone cannot, however.
fully regulate and conserve the waters
Of the arid region. Great storage works
are necessary tn oqualize the flow OF
streams and to save the flood waters.
Their construction has been conclus.
lively shown by an undertaking too
vast for private effort. Nor can ID be
best accomplished by the individual
states acting alone. Far reaching In.
terstate problems are involved. and
the resources OF single states would
often be inadequate. II Ia properly
a national function, at least In some
of its features. It is as right for the
national government to make the
streams and rivers of the arid region
useful by engineering works for water
storage rs 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 streams,
The government should construct
and maintain these reservoirs as II
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 anne laws as the natural flow.
THE reclamation OF the unsettled
arid public lands presents a different
problem. Here II Is not enough to
regulate the flow OF streams. The oh.
iect 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.
Whoever controls n stream prac'
tically controls the land II renders
productive. and the doctrine OF prl'
vate ownership OF water apart from
land cannot prevail without causing
enduring wrong. The recognition OF
such ownership. which has been per,
mltted to grow up In the arid regions,
should gi;e way to n more enlight'
ened and larger recognition of the
rights OF the public in the control and
disposal OF the public water supplies,
Laws founded upon conditions obtain
ing In humid regions, where water Is
too abundant to Justify boarding 1t,
have no proper application In n dry
country.
On the arid states the only right
to water which should be recognized
In that of use. In irrigation this right
should attach to the land reclaimed
and he in~separablc therefrom. Grant
ing perpetual water rights to Others
than users, without compensation Ia
the public. Is open to all the objec.
lions which apply to giving away per
| petual franchises TO the public utilities
| Of cities. A few Of the western states
have already recognized this. and have
incorporated in their constitutions
the doctrine Of perpetual state owner
| ship OF water"