The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-12-12
ment along all the Vnes Indicated. Later 7
shall lay its report before the Congress
Reclamation Work.

Reclamation Work.
Irrigation should be far more extensively
developed than at present. not only In the
States of the great plains, and the Rocky
Mountains, but In many others, as for in
stance. in large portions of the south Allan
tic and Gulf States. where IL should go
hand In hand with the reclamation Of
swamp land. The Federal Government
should seriously devote itself to this task.
realizing that utilization of waterways and
water power, forestry, irrigation, and the
reclamation of lands threatened with over
flow, are all interdepcndent parts of the
same problem The work of the reclamation
service in developing the larger opportuni
ties of the western half OF our country for
irrigation Is more important than almost
any other movement.
Public Lands.
The effort OF the Government to deal with
the public land has been based upon the
same principle that of the reclamation
service The land law system which was
designed TO meet the needs of the fertile
and well-watered regions OF the middle
west has largely broken down when ap.
piled to the drier regions of the great
plains, the mountains, and much OF the
Pacific SLOPE where a farm of 100 acres
is inadequate for sef-suppOrt. In these re-
gions the system lent itself 10 fraud. Three
years ago n public lands commission was
appointed to scrutinize the law, and de-
fects, and recommend remedy. Their ex-
of great fraud upon the public domain, and
their recommended tiOnS for changes in the
law were made with the design of cOnserv-
ing the natural resources Of every part of
the public lands by putting II to It's hest
use. The recommendations of the public
lands commission are sound: for they are
especially i'll the interest of the actual
home maker: and where the small home
maker cannot at present utilize the land
they provide that the Government shall
keen control of it that ii may not he
monOpolized by few men. Some such
legislation as that proposed Is essential
in order to preserve the great stretches or
public grazing land which are unfit for cui-
tivstion under present methods and are
valuable only for the forage which they
supply.
Preservation of Forests.
Optimism is a good chars, cteristic. but IL
carried to an excess 1t becomes foOlishness
We are prone TO speak of the resources OF
this country as inexhaustible; this Is not
so. The mineral wealth of the country the
COAL iron. oil, gas. and the like does not re-
produce itself, and therefore Is certain TO be
exhausted ultimately; and wastefulness in
dealing with II to-day means that our de-
scendants will feel the exhaustion a gener-
alton or two before they otherwise would
But there are certain other forms of waste
which could be entirely stoppeG-the waste
of soil by washing. for instance. which is
among the most dangerous OF all wastes
now in progress in the United States, is
enormous loss OF fertility is entirely un-
necessary. The preservation or replacement
of the forests Is one Of the most important
means Of preventing this loss. We have
but it is only beginning. At present
numbering Is the fourth greatest industry
In the United States and yet, so rapid has
been the rate Of exhaustion OF timber in
the United States In the past, and 80 ran
idly is the remainder being exhausted, that
the country is unquestionably on the verge
of a timber FAM which will be felt In
every household In the land There has
already been rise In the price of lumber,
but there Is certain TO be a more rapid
and heavier rise in the future. The present
annual consumption of lumber is certainly
three times as great as the annual growth
and II the consumption and growth continue
unchanged, practically all our lumber will
be exhausted In another generation, while
long before the limit TO complete exhaus.
ton is reached the growing scarcity will
upon our national welfare. Forests can be
numbered so as to give to the public the
full use Of their mercantile timber without
the slightest detriment to the forest any
more than 1t is detriment to farm 70
furnish a harvest. But forests II used as
all our forests have been used In the past
and most OF them are still used will be
either wholly destroyed, or so damaged that
use can be made Of them again. All these
facts ar so obvious that II Is extraordinary
that 1t should be necessary to repeat them.
Tariff on Wood Pulp.
There should be no tariff on any forest
product grown in this country: and, In
especial, there should be no tariff on wood
pulp; due notice of the change being of
course given to those engaged In the busi-
ness so rs to enable them to adjust them
selves to the new conditions. The repeal
Of the duty on wood pulp should If possible
be accompanied by an agreemnt with Can
there
Canadian pulp wood.
The Panama Canal.
Work on the Panama Canal Is proceeding
In highly satisfactory manner. Last win
ter bids were requested and received for
doing the work Of canal construction by
contract None OF them was found to be
satisfactory and all were rejected. 1t Is
the unanimous opinion of the present com
mission that the work can be done better,
more cheaply, and more quickly by the Gov
ernment than by private contractors. Fully
so per cent of the entire plant needed for
construction has been purchased or con
tracted for machine shops have been erect
ed and equipped for making all needed re-
pairs to the plant; many thousands Of EN-
ployes have been secured; an effective or
ganization has been perfected; recruiting
system is in operation which is capable Of
furnishing more labor than can be used ad-
vantageouSly; employees are well sheltered
and well fed salaries paid are satisfactory
and the work Is not only going forward
smoothly, but 1t is producing results far in
advance of the most sanguine anticipa-
tiOns. Under these favorable conditions,
change in the method of prosecuting the
work would be unwise and unjustihable, for
1t would inevitably disorganize existing con
dltlons check progress, and increase the
cost and lengthen the time Of completing
the canal.
The chief engineer and all his profes
sional associates are firmly convinced that
the S5-foOt level lock canal which they are
constructing In the best that could be de
sired. Some of them had doubts on tais
point when they went to the lsthmus. As
the plans have developed under their direc-
tion their doubts have been dispelled. While
they may decide upon changes in detail as
construction advances, they are in hearty
accord in approving the general plan. They
believe that IL provides canal not only
adequate to all demands that will he made
upon 1t. but superior in every way to sea
level canal. | concur In this belief.
Postal Affairs.
I commend to the favorable consideration
Of the Congress a postal savings bank sys-