The state herald., 1904-09-02

products which shall meet the necessities
and satisfy the luxurious tastes Of mil
lions yet unborn. This and more will
the precious waters accomplish as they
20 from their great natural reservoirs,
high up the mountains, and from the
artificial. forced impounding prisons,
lower down the mountain sides. on their
journey of fruct!ication, laughing, to
the sea.
Presidents Message to Congress.
Indeed the efforts of those interested
in the west may be said to have found u
fitting elimination in the first message
Of President Roosevelt in December,
1901. The portions of this message
which relate to irrigation have peculiar
interest in connection with the recnma
tion law, since the latter is somewhat
general, and the working out of details
is left largely to executive action. In
considering the possible application of
the law, light may be thrown upon the
future by weighing carefully the opin.
ions of the Chief Executive, which are
as follows:
''rhc forests are natural reservoirs.
by restraining the streams in flood and
replenishing them in drought they make
possible the use Of waters otherwise
wasted. They prevent the soil from
washing and 50 protect the storage rcser-
voirs from filling up with silt Forest
conservation is therefore an essential
condition of water conservation.
The forests alone cannot. however.
fully regulate and conserve the waters
Of the arid region. Great storage works
are necessary to cqualizc the flow of
streams and To save the food waters.
Their construction has been conclusvcly
shown to be an undertak king too vast for
p-ivat. effort Nor can il be best nc-
complished by the individual States act.
ing alone. fnr-rcaching interstate prob
lens are involved. and the resources Of
single States would often he inadequate.
II is properly n national function, Mt
least In some Of its features 1t is ms
right for the National Government Ia
make the streams and rivers Of the arid
region useful by engineering works for
pntcr storage as TO make useful the riv.
ers nnl harbors Of the humid region by
engineering works Of another kind. Tho
storing Of the foods In reservoirs nj the
hcadwatcrs uf our rivers is but an en-
largement of our present policy Of river
control. under which lcvecs ARE built on
the lower reaches of the same streams
Duty OF Our Government.
The Government should construct
and maintain these reservoirs ms IL doe,
other public works. Where their pur
pose Is 1, rcEulat. the flow Of streams
the water should he turned freely inic
the channels In the dry season to take
the same course under the same laws NJ
the natural flow.
''fhe reclamation Of the unsettled arid
public lands presents different prob
lem. Here II Is not enough 10 regulate
the How II streams. The object Of the
Government is to dispose Of the land to
settlers who will build homes upon II
To accomplish this object water must
he brought within their reach.
''rh. pioneer settlers on the arid pub.
lie domain chose their homes along
streams from which they could them.
selves divert IN. water 10 reclaim their
holdings. Such opportunities are prnc-
iicnlly gone. There remain. however,
vast areas of public land which can
be made available for homestead settle.
mcnt, but only by reservoirs and main.
line canals impracticnblc for private en-.
t.rprise. These Irrigation works should
be built by the National Government.
The lands reci'imed by them should Ice
reserved by the Government for actual
settlers. and the cost Of construction
should. 50 far ns possible. be repaid hy
the land reclaimed. The distribution ~
the water. the division nf the streams
among irrirators. should Ice left To III.
settlers themselves, Ia conformity with
State laws and without interference.
with those laws or with vested rights.
The policy II III. National Governmef
should be TO aid irrigation In the sev.
cral States aud Territories In such man.
ner ms will enable the people In the 10.
cal communities 20 help themselves aud
us will stimulni. needed reforms In th,
State laws and regulations governing ir
rigntlon.
VIII Enrich Whole Nation.
'"rhc reclamation aud settlement oi
the arid lands will enrich every portion
Of our country. just ns the settlement
of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys
brought prosperity to the Atlantic
States. The Increased demand for
manufactured articles will stimulate In.
dustriHl production. while wider home
markets aud IN. trad. of Asia will con.
sum. the larger food supplies and II
fectnnlly prevent Western competition
with Eastern agriculture. Indeed, the
products n irrigation will he consumed
chiefly In nphuiiiing local eenter- ai
mining aud other Industries. which would
Otherwise not come Into existence hi
AL Our people nS whole will profit.
for successful home, making IL but nn'
other name for III. upbulldins ~ the ma
tion.
''rh. necessary foundation has already
been laid for th. Inauguration of the
pulicy Just described, II would b. I'M
sis- 10 begin by doing too much, for a
rrsa, deal will doubtless be learned. both
H- 4" vhA, eau and what cannot DO
safely attempted. by the early efforts,
which must of necessity b. partly %,
p.rinsntai In character ~ the very
bsrinnlhF the government should make
clear beyond shadow ~ doubt it, In
ten,ion 10 pursue this policy on lines of
the btnadrst public interest No res
-iynir or canal should ever he built 10
satisfy selfish personal or local inter
esis, but only In accordance with the
advice ~ trained experts, after long
ini esiiRnti6n hiss shown the locality
where oil the conditions combine 10
make the work most needed and ffHnHht
with the greatest usefulness 10 the com
munl,Y ne u whole There should be no
etttAvaEahee, aud the believers In the
need NJ irrigation will most benefit theif
cause by seeing TO Il that u IL free ffnm
the least tsint ~ excessive or reckless
.,uoniitufe AZ sbs huhita fnau0ts