Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-03-25

with coal and iron and some of these
sources of material and power are al
ready largely completed; while our
inland waterways as a whole have
thus far received scant attention. 1t
Is becoming clear that our streams
should be considered and conserved
as great natural resources. Works
designed to control our waterways
have thus far usually been under
taken for a single purpose, such as
the improvement of navigation, the
development of power. the irrigation
of arid lands, the protection of low
lands from floods, or to supply water
for domestic and manufacturing pur-
poses. While the rights of the peo-
pie TO these and similar uses of
water must be respected, the time
has come for merging local projects
and uses of the inland waters in n
comprehensive plan designed for the
benefit of the entire country. Such
a plan should consider and include
all the uses to which streams may
be put, and should bring together
and co-ordinare the points of view
of all users of water. The task in
volved in the full and orderly de-
velopment and control of the river
systems of the United States is a
great one, yet It is certainly not too
great for us to approach. The re-
suits which it seem to promise are
even greater.
1T Is common knowledge that the
railroads of the United States are no
longer able to move crops and manu-
features rapidly enough to secure
the prompt transaction of the busi-
ness of the nation, and there is small
prospect of immediate relief. Rep
resentative railroad men point out
that the products of the northern in
terror states have doubled I'm ten
years, while the railroad facilities
have increased but one-eighth and
there is reason to doubt whether any
development of the railroads in the
near future will suffice to keep trans
portation abreast OF production
There appears TO be but one complete
remedy-the development OF a COM
plimentary system of transportation
by water. The present congestion
Affects chiefly the people of the Mis-
sissippi valley and they demand re-
lief. When the congestion of which
they complain is relieved the whole
nation will share the goods results.
while rivers are natural re-
sources of the first rank they are also
liable to become destructive agencies,
endangering life and property and
some OF our most notable engineering
enterprises have grown out of efforts
to control them. II was computed
by Generals Humphreys and Albeit
half century ago, that the Missis-
sippi alone sweeps into it's lower
reaches and the gulf 100000, 900. 900
OF floating sediment each year
about twice the amount OF the ma.
terial 10 b. excavated In the opening
OF the Panama canal, besides an enoT.
nous but unmeasured amount %
earth salts and soil matter carried in
solution. This vast load not only
causes its channels 10 close and food
the lowlands OF the lower river, but
renders the flow capricious and DIFF
ficult TO control. Furthermore, the
greater part OF the sediment and soil
matter Is composed OF the most fer
tile material OF the fields and past
ures drained by the smaller and
large tributaries. Any plan for uti-
LIKING our inland waterways should
consider floods and their control by
forests and other means: the proteo-
tion OF bottom lands from injury by
overfiOws. and uplands from loss by
soil wash; the physic OF sediment
charged waters and the physical or
other ways OF purifying them; the
construction OF dams and locks, not
only 10 facilitate navigation, but 10
control the character OF the waters;
and should look to the full use and
control Of our running waters and
the complete artihcation OF ous
waterways for the benefit OF our peo-
pie as a whole.
1T Is not possible properly to
frame so large a plan as this for the
control OF our rivers without taking
account OF the orderly development
OF other natural resources. There
fore ask that the inland waterways
commission shall consider the rela-