Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-12-06

people may know rs nearly as possible
with what they must compete,
Irrigation,
During the two and a half years that
have elapsed since the passage of the
reclamation act rapid progress has
been made In the surveys and oX'
aminatlons Of the opportunities for
reclamation IN the thirteen states and
three territories of the arid west. Con.
strucion has already been begun on
the largest and most important OF the
irrigation works. and plans are being
completed for works which will utilize
the funds now available. The opera.
tions are being carried on by the rec
lamation service, a corps OF engineers
selected through competitive civil
service examinations, This corps in
cludes experienced consulting and con
~structing engineers as well as various
experts In mechanical and legal mat
tiers, and Is composed largely of men
who have spent most OF their lives In
practical affairs connected with irri-
cation. The larger problems have
been solved and 1t now remains to
execute with care. economy. and thor
oughness the work which has been
laid out. All important details are
being carefully considered by boards
Of consulting engineers. selected for
their thorough knowledge and prac'
teal experience. Each project Is TAX
en- up on the ground by competent
men and viewed from the standpoint
OF the creation Of prosperous homes
and Of promptly ~refunding 10 the
treasury the cost Of construction
The reclamation act has been found tc
be remarkably complete and effective
and so broad In It's provisions that
wide range Of undertakings has beer
possible under 1t. At the same time
economy Is guaranteed by the fac'
that the funds nus ultimately be re
turned to be used over again.
Forests.
1t Is the cardinal principle OF thu
forest reserve policy of this admins
tratiOn that the reserves are for use
Whatever interferes with the use o
their resources is to be avoided by
every possible means. But these re
cout Ue uSGu III 6uNu u Wdy
as to make them permanent.
The forest policy of the govern
ment is just now a subject of vivit
tpublic interest throughout the ives
and to the people of the United States
In general. The forest reserves them
selves are of extreme value to thu
present as well as to the future welfar,
Of all the western public land states
They powerfully affect the use ant
disposal of the public lands. The.
are of special Importance becaus,
they preserve the water supply ant
the supply of timber for domestic pur
poses, and so promote settlement I'm
der the reclamation act. Indeed, the,
are essential to the welfare of every
one of the great interests of the west
Forset reserves are created for twt
principal purposes. The first is t
preserve the water supply. This |!
their most important use. The prin
cipal users of the water thus preserv
ed are irrigation ranchers and settlers
cities and towns to whom their mu
nicipal water supplies are of the yer,
first importance, users and furnisheri
of water power, and the users of wa
ter for domestic. manufacturing, min
ing, and other purposes. All these ar,
directly dependent upon the forest re
serves.
The second reason for which fores
reserves are created Is to preserv,
the timber supply for various classe
of wood users. Among the more i'm
portant of these are settlers unde
the reclamation act and other acts
for whom a cheap and accessible sur
ply of timber for domestic uses Is al
soluteiy necessary; miners and pros
pectors, who are in serious danger o
losing their timber supply by fire o
through export by lumber companie
when timber lands adjacent TO thei
mines pass into private ownership
lumbermen, transportation companies
builders, and commercial interests i
general.
Although the wisdom of creatin
4, forest reserves Is nearly everywher
+. heartily recognized, yet in a few lC
ca tiles there has been misunderstood
ing and complaint. The following
statement N therefore desirable:
5 The fo-rest-reserve policy can b
! successful only when it has the FIJI
support Of the people of the west. !
> can not safely, and should not in an
case, be imposed upon them agains
their will. But neither can we at
/ cept the views of those whose onl
) interest in the forest is temporary
who are anxious to reap what the
have not sown and then move away
! leaving desolation behind them. o
the contrary, it is everywhere and a
$ ways the interest of the permanen
| settler and the permanent bushes
: man, the man with a stake In th
e country, which must be considere
! and which must decide.
The making of forest reserves will
In railroad and wagon road lane
grant limits will hereafter, as for tn
: past three years, be SO managed a
to prevent the issue, under the act q
June 4, 1897, OF base for exchange o
, lieu selection casually called scrip. 1
all cases where forest reserve with
In areas covered by land grants al
pear to be essential 10 the ~prosperit
; OF settlers, miners, OF others, the go,
eminent lands within such propose
forest reserves will. as in the recen
past, be Withdrawn from sale or entr
pending the completion OF such negt