The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-09-16
OVER 1900 DELEGATES
PRESENT CREDENTIALS



ana vigorous population Vast though
the benefits of the reclamation law.
there viii be many disappointlnents
which necessarily await both the
advocate OF special projects and thu
men whose desire Of accomplished re-
suits outruns the slow and steady de-
Nelopment Of these great undertake
ings. 1t should be borne in mind
that broad survey of all possible
projects gives the conception of their
relative value and that work of
prime importance to one group Of
men may seem less desirable in the
light of wider knowledge"
Nor is il wise IN large affairs TO be-
gin construction first. and elaborate
details a--erwards Each important
point must be carefully studied in
advance. and the whole plan tested
and approved before work can be-
gin. Yet if we proceed both cautious
ly and persistently under this benefi-
cent law. we may confidently eX-
pect the largest possible develop
ment Of our arid lands and their set
Element by Industrious, prosperous,
self-respecting men and women, who
win exchange the products Of irri-
gated agriculture for the products Of
mills and factories throughout the
United States. Communities flourish
ing I'm what is now the desert VIII
finally take their places among the
strongest pillars Of our common
wealth
The irrigation development Of the
arid west cannot stand alone. For
estry is the companion and support
of irrigation. Without forestry irri-
cation must fall. Permanent irriga-
ton development and forest destruc-
ton cannot exist together. Never
forget that the forest reserve
policy Of the national government
means the use Of all the resources Of
the forest reserves. There is little
profit in destruction compared with
use The settlement Of the great ariy
west by the makers of homes is the
central object. both of the irrigation
and the forest policy Of the United
states In forestry as i'm irrigation
the immediate private interests ~
some individual must occasionally
yield 20 their permanent advantage.
which is the public good. The benc.
fits of forestry are not only for the
future but for the present. The for
est reserves are for all the people
but first for the people in the immed-
late neighbOThOOd for whom supplies
of wood and water are among the
wiser and more skillfuI management!
or the reserves by trained men the
geater obviously will their useful
ness be To the public We must ney
err allow our chagrin at temporary de
feat and difficulties in the manage
ment Of the forest reserves to blind
US 10 the absolute necessity Of these
reserves 10 the people Of the west
support Of the forest reserve policy
has grown with wonderful rapiditN
IN the west during the last few years.
- vii, continue to grow til the last
Nesulge Of opposition now almost gone.
has wholly disappeared before the
understanding Of the object and the
erect Of the reservation. The great
err the support Of the forest reserve
by the people of the west the greater
the assurance that the National Irri-
cation policy viii not fail. for Lhe
preservation Of the forests fS vital 20
the success OF this policy
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Senator Burton Of Kansas was the
main speaker Of the afternoon and his
deas met with ready response and in
.orsemeut from the congress. Judging
rom the hearty applause given them.
senator Burton argued for the proven
ion of floods. and his first sentence
Teated a burst OF laughter. but later.
IS MS ideas were grasped by the dele
-ates. they understood that the idea
Z flood prevention as set forth by
imself was closely allied with the best
interests Of Irriga tors in the flood dis
riots. Senator Burton spoke in part
s follows:
Losses From Floods.
GODS. Some parts of Kansas last
fay had too much water. There was
DO much water in Nebraska. i'm Hi
OILS, I'm Missouri. The usual floods of
asst spring destroyed more than 100
yes and more than S50.000.000 worth of
roperty, 20 say nothing Of the loss
r business. the broken hearts and ru-
led homes i'm the flooded districts. The
CODED area was larger than all New
.ngland. In 1891, at the foot Of the
ppalaChian range in South Carolina
nd North Carolina there was de-
-royed by floods more than SO. 900. 600
Orth or property. and this spring as
luch property and many lives. caused
ernaps by the riotOus prOdigality of
)rest destruction on the apex and
opes of the Appalachian range. Ere
uenty destructive floods have Oc-
lrred in the valleys of the Red. the
rkansas, the Kaw, the Platte the
Iissouri. the Ohio. and other tribu-
Iries to the great Father Of Wa
IFS. foundations Of the Missouri and
Mississippi valleys are expected. and
most with as much certainty as tho
ranges OF the seasons. IT all the loss
life and property from floods could
? tabulated and published to the
Frfl d.
7ople. especially so when we remem-
Pr that nothing has as yet been done
y the states or the country that has
al for its direct purpose the pre-
milton of floods True. for the past
.rty years or more. we have been do
& something to the lower Mississippi
nj lower Missouri to control the flood
alter, bUt nothing. 7 repeat. has been
me TO prevent the massing of flood (
aters.
Prevent Fires; Why Not FloodsP
Every municipality in the country |
yislates against destruction by fires. /
more ways than one we seek 20 cur 1
u the loss from that destructive ele- 1
ant. Towns and cities pass ordinances /
.ainst the erection of combustible I
.ildings i'm the congested districts. In (
vidualS and corporations insure \
'ainSt losses by fire. and "A great deal /
intelligent attention has been given
q subject of loss by Ere But nothing
rs been done TO prevent the annual
IS by floods. The question is: Can
ything be done? To would seem. at
glance, more intelligent to harness
@ flood waters, instead Of trying to
ntrol them. We build jetties in order
allow the Mississippi TO scour out a
eper channel and that has been sue
ssful. Can we extend the jetties I'D /
Kansas City, up the Kaw, up the
ate? No. Let US not forget that
tier IN motion Is almost unmanage-
10. and tiny stream OF water in