Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-08

Washington to reel the crop of cocoons
and teach the nrt to our own people.
u The crop reporting system OF the de
partment Of agriculture Is being
brought closer to accuracy every year
1t has 100000 reporters, selected FROM
people IN eight vocations "a life. 1t has
arrangements With most European coun.
tries FOR fnterchangeo OF estimates. so that
our people may know as nearly as pos.
sible with what they must compete.
irrigation.
During the two and n half years that
have elapsed since the passage OF the
reclamation net rapid progress has
been made in the surveys and eSaml.
nations OF the opportunities for rec.
lamation in the thirteen states and
three territories Of the arid west. Con.
struction 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
| lions are being carried on by the rec-
. ialnatlon service, q corps OF engineers
selected through competitive civil serv-
Ice examinations. This corps includes
experienced consulting and construct
Ing engineers az we'll as various ex-
perts in mechanical and legal matters
ana is composed largely of men who
have spent most Of their lives in prac-
tlcal affairs connected with irrigation.
Ihe larger problems have been solved,
and 1t now remains to execute with
care, economy and thoroughness the
work which has been laid out All i'm
portant details are being carefully con-
sldered by boards Of consulting en-
gineers, selected for their thorough
knowledge and practical experience.
Each project is taken up on the ground
by competent men and viewed from
the standpoint OF the creation of pros
porous homes and of promptly refund
ing to the treasury the cost Of construc-
ton. The reclamation act has been
found to be remarkably complete and
effective and so broad in Its provisions
that wide range Of undertakings has
been possible under it. At the same
time economy is guaranteed by the
fact that the funds must. ultimately be
returned to be used over again.
Forests.
It is the cardinal principle of the
forest reserve policy of this admins.
tration that the reserves are for USE
Whatever interferes with the use of
their resources is to be avoided by ev-
cry possible means. But these re-
resources must be used in such way
as to make them permanent.
The forest policy Of the government |
is just now a subject Of vivid public
interest throughout the west and to the
people of the United States in general. /
The forest reserves themselves are Of .
extreme value to the present as well as
70 the future welfare of all the west
arn public land states. They powerful
Y affect the use and disposal of the
public lands. They are of special i'm
portance because they preserve the
water supply and the supply of timber
for. domestic purposes and so promote |
settlement under the reclamation act.
indeed they are essential to the well
are of every one of the great interests
If the west.
Forest reserves are created for two
principal purposes. The first is to pre-
'erve the water supply. This is their
most important use. The principal
lsers of the water thus preserved are
irrigation ranchers and settlers, cities
md towns to whom their municipal
water supplies are Of the very first i'm
'ortance, users and furnishers of wa
er power and the users of water for
manufacturing, mining and
,ther purposes. All these are directly
dependent upon the forest reserves.
The second reason for which forest
'eserves are created is to preserve the
imber supply for various classes of
wood users. Among the more impor-
ant of these are settlers under the
reclamation act and other acts, for
whom cheap and accessible supply
# timber for domestic uses is absolute
necessary; miners and prospectors,
Who are in serious danger of losing
heir timber supply by fire or through
Export by lumber companies when tim
'er lands adjacent to their mines pass
INTO private ownership; lumbermen,
companies, builders and
commercial interests in general.
Although the wisdom of creating for
st reserves Is nearly everywhere
heartily recognized, vet in few locali-
les there has been misunderstanding
md complaint. The following state
nent is therefore desirable:
The forest reserve policy can be sue
essful only when it has the full sup
'ort of the people Of the west 1t can
lot safely and should not in any case
re imposed upon them against their
vii. But neither can we accept the
Jews of those whose only interest in
he forest is temporary, who are anx- ,
Gus to reap what they have not sown
nd then move away, leaving desola-
ion behind them. On the contrary, it s
everywhere and always the interest
I the permanent settler and the per-
lament business man, the man with q
take in the country, which must be I
onsldered and which must decide. {
Tho nj, iIr Of e