Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1901-12-07

HlWB. Nothing could be more foolish than
the enactment Of legislation which would
unnecessarily interfere with the develop
ment and operation Of these commercial
agencies"
Agricultural Interests.
The president cites the forest legislation
Of the past and the great good Of forest
preserves 70 the people, and says they will
inevitably be or still greater value. Con-
AT present the protection Of the forest
reserves rests with the general land office,
the mapping and description Of their tim
Der with the United States geological sur
vey and the preparation Of plans for their
conservative use with the bureau OF for
estry, Which is also charged with the gen
eral Advancement Of practical forestry in
the United States. These various func-
tlons should be- united in the bureau Of
forestry to which they properly belorg,
The present diffusion Of responsibility Is
bad from every standpoint. II prevents
that effective cooperation between the
government and the men who utilize the
resources OF the reserves, without which
the interests of both must suffer The
scientific bureaus generally should be put
under the department of agriculture. The
! president should have by law the power
OF transferring lands for use as forest re-
serves to. the department Of agriculture:
he already has such power in the case OF
lands needed by the departments Of war
and the navy"
Irrigation.
Irrigation In connection with the waste
lands of the west is a question TO which
the president gives considerable attention,
ana makes strong recommendations for
government assistance in retaining the
/ waste LANDS by assisting In their irrlga-
/ tOA and the control of water rights Wher-
/ ever lhat is possible, and Of this he says:
IN the arid region 1t is water, not land,
| when measures production. The western
/ man OF the United States would sustain
/ population greater than that Of our whole
| country to-day il the waters that now run
| 10 waste were saved and used for irrlga-
| ton, The forest and water problems are
/ perhaps the most vital internal questions
| Of the United States.
In cases where natural conditions have
/ been restored Tor few years vegetation
/ has again Carpeted the ground, birds and
/ deer are coming back, and hundreds Of
1 persons, especially from the immediate
] helghborhOod, come each summer TO enjoy
/ the privilege Of camping. Some at least
| OF the forest reserves should afford per-
| petuaI protection to the native fauna and
/ flora, safe haYens OF refuge to our rapidly
/ diminishing wild animals Of the larger
/ kinds and free camping grounds for the
/ er-lncreaslng numbers OF men and WOm-
] en- who have learned to find rest, health
! and recreation IN th6 splendid forests and
/ n0Wer-Clad meadows Of our mountains.
/ The forest reserves should be set apart
| forever for the use and benefit Of our peo-
| pie as whole and not sacrificed TO the
| shortsighted greed Of q few"
/ THE forests alone cannot however, fully
/ regulate and conserve the waters Of the
arid region. Great storage works are nee
! essary TO equalze the flow of streams and
| to save the food waters. Their COnstTuc-
tion has been concluslvely shown to be an
Undertaking too vast for private effort.
| Nor can It be best accomplished by the In
| dyldual states acting alone, Far-reaching
Interstate problems are involved, and the
Inadequate 1t Is properly a national
] function, at least in some of It's features,
/ 1t is as right for the national government
! to make fhe streams and rivers Of the
arid region useful by engineering works
for water storage as to make useful the
riyers ana %9rb6Ts oP the bTmjd region BY
engineering works of another kind. The
| storing of the floods in reservoirs at the
headwaters of our rivers is but an en-
largement of our present policy of river
control un6er which Ieyees are built on
tEo io},,ar C''rl ro9che. of the same streams,
"TGYa r,teTrr1egt sGguld construct and
naintai5 these reservoirs as it does other
public works. Where their purpose Is to
| regulate the few Of streams the water
shoIlu pc turned lreely tTo me- coIIrse
~ ~ no " go. 9UoSois i nc as tbe nstural flow
NM rooiornotion and settiement of the
iHe T ~ ,liii o+ricb eveTv norton Of
Si,r coIintrv. lust as the settlement Of the
I'D te ig &
OILQ an ~ tgipo,tic states The in
| penny " NJ Ilo 60 T,,fo rfurad arti-
Ci1asGG U,iiiata irdustrial production,
CIes Will ,l IS ,,ari,ets and the trade
Whte WlueT noiil1 I',' no ioTger food sup
Oh ASIA T4u t5atraii,, nrsvsnt western
pl,es atiI idr Vim ea sfern agriculture In
Goihpe.tLloH i,i,9S VIZ "a of jrrisafion viii be
ueeut. Wy Riiga,, Ri IN JnbiIil5inr local cen
tomsuIl'Vu ,Ii,ry and other Industries which
Lels u itI.r,5 h,,s}se nor come into existence
] WOulQ OlHtl W $50 l4o1 ~N'1 .roF+
at al. our PoVpig a. I,ime ie biit another
lor successful mJit'iiiSidine o9 tbe nation"
"die dUI v.i sgoIrst attempting too much
=, lg tba eOSesII Sesnnirg but advises that we let
experience Oh 81, Si.'it' t'tsTtalyjras He also
siolnV!es VI l}i1}ore TTder which the set
| Cle9 Is7 ,,.,st ara attemnting TO build
/ !Iets Oh lAg MeSe IL - isySs ard saws:
HVTfS @Tbo V~ seenrIty t and value Of the homes
created oepehu ial6ety VI ta ~, t4ar,fv of these
| titles TO water, put ne htayotitSg ~ cn,Irt
rest on lhe uiieSl AN ~ orGinary suits at
DECISIONS LeAugtg .. gu 1n SItai1ia avcentions
/ law, WIN 4S@ - tfaiie5 ~ nrovide for
/ the arid states nave Ldigu " PlUrtuT too,,e ~,
the certain aHu JUS ut''st9t' ~ 80 ia ~ c
times OF scaIc4ty, L4A 9l,u staIiisb riehts
have mace II poss4plF 90 so +Ii.i ,,eeg or ne
TO water III enGeSS S,75, strsoyns Rave airesdv
cessltles, anu many in or antr6l
passed INTO pTlEate oM s'''p VI =" e0'''
equMalehl 70 uNneis 49, isia'P Pstr.or, nrac+Icallv
NhoeNer con Gon'{1Is n asrs nrod,ctive t-' and
controls we iahu - ppebi of wafer
the aoGtiine % dr9 csrrot nrevai without
odp@5ing apati iIT enduTing ring wrong The recognition
OF such ownership, WLHth "aS aS,d ro,.,ppTs
mitted TO grow up Ia IN eiIe Ieeriigbtens3 and
should give way to more eL!!saSti,leu ~ I, aLu
larger recogniuon OIL oI f9 5inosa Of Of he he pub
lie in the conlr0I anu ulsPos@t u s40 ,trn,,
| lie water supplies LAWS LuuIugu Ipoi' ~,
conditions ooialHs h,,rGaIt M tait'G n insfif,
where water is 700 aDunGe1 "a IN
boarding 1t, nave no proper appI'ca''oh III