Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-12-03

sldEQ. WnlCn measures production Inc
western half of the United States would
sustain a population greater than that Of
Y whole country today If the waters
that now run to waste were saved and
used for Irrigation The forest and water
problems are perhaps the most vital in-
ternal questions OF the United States.
Certain s@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 in deer, elk and
other animals in the Yellowstone park
shows what may be expected when other
mountain forests are properly protected
by law and properly guarded: Some Of
these areas have been; so denuded of sur
face vegetation by o~vergrazing that the
ground breeding birds. including grouse
and quail. and many mammals. including
deer, have been exterminated or driven
away AT the same time the water stor-
ing capacity of the surface has been de-
creased or destroyed. thus promoting
floods in times Of rain and diminishing the
flow of streams between rains: t =
In cases where natural conditions have
been restored for a few years vegetation
has again carpeted the, ground. birds and
deer are coming back. and hundreds Of
persons. especially from the immediate
HeIS LUOEIlOOu. come each summer TO ell
JOY the privilege Of camping Some at
least of the forest reserves should afford
perpetual protection to the native fauna
and fora. safe Ravens of refuge to our
rapidly diminishing wild animals Of the
larger kinds and free camping grounds for
the ever increasing numbers of men and
women who have learned to find. rest,
health and recreation in the splendid for
ests and flower clad meadows of our
mountains. The forest reserves should be
set apart forever for the use and benefit
of our people as a whole and not sacrificed
to the shortstghted greed of a few.
The forests are natural reservoirs. By
restraining the streams in food and re-
plenishing them in drought they make
possible the use of waters otherwise
wasted. They prevent the soil from wash
ing and SO protect the storage reservoirs
from filling up with silt Forest conserva-
ton Is therefore an essential condition of
water conservation
Storage Works Necessary.
The forests alone cannot. however. fully
egulat and conserve the waters Of the
arid region. Great storage works are nee
essary to e%qualize the flow of streams and
to save the flood waters Their construc-
ton has been conclusively shown to be an
undertaking too vast for private effort.
Nor can 1t be best accomplished by the in
Jividual states acting alone. Farreaching.
Interstate problems are involved. and the
resources of single states would often be
inadequate. 1t is properly a national
function. at least In some of its 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 en-
targenent OF our present policy of river
control under which levees are built on
the lower caches of the same streams.
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 la VS. as the natural low
The reclamation OF the unsettled arid
public lands presents a different problem
Here it Is not enough to regulate the flow
OF streams. The object of the government
Is to dispose of the land to settlers who
will buiId homes upon 1t. To accomplish
this object water must be brought within
their reach.
The pioneer settlers on the arid public
domain chose their homes along streams
from which they could themselves divert
the water to reclaim their holdings. Such
opportunities are practically gone. There
remain, however, vast areas of public
land which can be made available for
homestead settlement. but only by reser.
voirs and main line canals impracticable
for private enterprise. These irrigation
works should be built by the national
government. The lands reclaimed by
them should be reserved by the govern
ment for actual settlers. and the cost of
construction should SOY far as possible
be repaid by the and reclaimed The
distribution of. the water. the division of
the streams among irrigators. should be
left to the settlers themselves in conform
fty with state laws and without interfer-
ence with those laws or with vested
rig hts. The policy of the national gov.
rnmen should be to aid Irrigation in the
several states and territories in such man
ner as will enable the people in the local
communities TO help themselves and as
will stimulate needed reforms in the state
laws and regulations governing irrigation
Will Enrich the Whole Country.
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 sfor manufactured arti-
cles will stimulate Industrial production.
while wider home markets and the tsade
~ ~ NAAA SAA%AAA NAA~ e. sSSa oH-
plies and effectuaily prevent western com.
petition with eastern agriculture. Indeed
the products of irrigation will be con-
sumed chiefly in ,upbuilding local centers
of mining and other Industries which
would otherwise not come into existence
at all. Our people as a whole will profit,
for successful homemaking is but another
name for the upbuilding of the nation.
The necessary foundation has already
been laid for the Inauguration of the poll
cy just described. 1t would be unwise to
begin by doing too much. for a great deal
will doubtless be learned, both as to what
can and what cannot be safely attempted.
by the early efforts, which must of neces.
sity be partly experimental in character.
At the very beginning the government
should. make clear beyond shadow Of
doubt, its intention to pursue this policy
on lines of the broadcast public interest.
No reservoir. or canal should eyer be built
to satisfy selfish personal or local inter-
ests, but only in accordance with the ad-
vice OF trained experts after long investi-
cation has show the locality where all
the conditions combine to make the work
ynost needed and fraught with the great
est usefulness to the community as q
whole. There should be no extravaganza.
and the believers in the need of irriga-
ton will most benefit their cause by see
ing to 1t that it Is free from the least
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