Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-10-05

(CCntinued from Page I, Col. -
interest. The decision is obviously o
capital importance to our Internal de
velopment and scarcely less so in re
latiOn to external commerce.
This is but one Of the many pro,
jects which it is time to consider. al
though a most important one. Plan.
FOR the Improvement of our inlant
navigation may fairly begin with oul
greatest river and its chief tributaries
but they can not end there. The land,
which the Columbia drains include a
vast area of rich grain fields and frui
lands, much OF which is not easily
reached by railways. The removal OF
distractions in the Columbia and its
chief tributaries w0uld open to navi-
cation and inexpensive freight trans
portation fully 1000 miles or chan
mel. The Sacramento ana san Joaquin
rivers with their tidal openings into
san francisco bay are partly naElga-
bic now. Their navigation should be
maintained and improved, so as 20
open the m3rvelouslv rich valley of
California to Inexpensive traffic. in or
der to facilitate both rate regulation
ana the control of the waters for other
purposes. And many other rivers OF
the United States demand improve
ment. 50 as better 70 meet the require
ments Of Increasing production from
the soil increasing manufacture, and
q rapidly growing population.
While thus the improvement Of in
land navigation is "a vital problem.
there are other questions Of no less
consequence connected with our wa
terWays. One of these relates 10 the
purity of waters used for The supply
of towns and cities, TO the prevention
OF pollution by manufacturing and
other industries. anQ to the protection
OF drainage areas from soil wash
through forest covering or judicious
cultivation. With our constantly in
%crcasing population this question be-
M more and more pressing. he
cause the health and safety Of great
bodies of citizens are directly involved
Another important group of guess
lions concerns the irrigation Of afid
lands, the prevention Of floods. and
the reclamation Of swamps. Already
many thousands OF homes have been
established in the arid regions. and
the population and wealth OF seven
teen states and territories have been
largely increased through irrigation.
Yet this means of national develop
ment is still in its infancy, and win
doubtless long continue TO multiply
homes and increase the pr~ydUctiyeness
and power Of the nation. The recla-
nation OF overflow lands and marshes.
both 10 the Interior and along the
coasts has already been carried on
with admirable results. but in this
field, too, scarcely more than a good
beginning has vet been made, Stllt
another Fundamentally importauF
question Is that of water power
It's significance ia the future de-
velopmcnt Of our whole couu-
Try, and especially of the west.
is but just beginning to be Under-
stood. The plan of the city Of Los
Angeles, for example, to bring water
for Its use a distance of ucarfy ESQ
miles-perhaps the ooldest project a.
the Kind I'm modern times-promiscs
not only 90 achieve It's purpose, but in
addition To produce "a water power
sufficiently valuable 10 pay a laraa s
interest on the Investment OF over
$4,000 geo. I,
Hitherto such opportunities for us ,
ing water 70 double purpose have not
always been seized. Thus it has rec
Gently been shown tnat water enough F.
Is flowing unusued over government
dams, built TO improve navigation, to
produce many hundreds of thousands
OF horse power. lt is computed thutIt
the annual value Of the available bu-
unusued water power In the United |
States exceeds the annual value of the 1
PRODUCTS oi AN N mines. Further .
more, 1T b. calculated that under judi
cious handling the power of oup
streams may Doe made to pay for ail
the works required for the complete \
development ana control OF odr inland
waterways.
Forests are the most Inexpensive pre-
NtntcI- 90 floods. especially Wt1en they IA
grow an the higher mountain slopes.
The national foreist policy iuaugu-
rated primarily to avert or mitigate
she timber famine which b. upN he-
ginning 70 De felt, has been effective