Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-12-05

Inland waterway systems
Should he Developed.
"The conservation OF our national re-
sources and their proper use constitute
the fundamental problem which under
lies almost every other problem OF our
national life. We must maintain for
our civilization the adequate material
basis without which that civilization
cannot exist. We must show foresight,
we must look ahead. As a nation we
not only enjoy a wonderful measure OF
present prosperity but II this prosper
ity is used Alright 1t 10 an earnest OF
future success such as no other nation
will have. The reward Of foresight foi
this nation is great and easily foretold'
But there must be the look ahead,
there must be q realization Of the fact
that to waste, to destroy. our natural
resources, to skin and exhaust the land
instead of using It so as to increase its
usefulness, will result in undermining
In the days of our children the very
prosperity which we ought by right TO
hand down to them amplified and devel-
oped. For the last few years, through
several agencies, the government has
been endeavoring to get our people TO
look ahead and to substitute planned
and orderly development OF our re-
sources in place Of q haphaxard striv-
ing for immediate profit. Our great
river systems should be developed as
national water highways; the Missis-
sippi, with its tributaries, standing first
in Importance, and the Columbia sec
ond, although there are many others OF
Importance on the Pacific and Atlantic
and the gulf slopes. The national gov
ernmert should undertake this work,
and hope a beginning will be made
In the present congress; and the great
est of all our rivers, the Mississippi,
should receive especial attention. From
the Great Lakes to the mouth OF the
Mississippi there should be deep wa
terway, with deep waterways leading
from Il to the east and the west. Such
a waterway would practically mean
the extension of our coast line into the
very heart Of our country. 1t would be
Of incalculable benefit to our people. II
begun at once II can be carried through
In time appreciably to relieve the con-
Restion Of our great freight-carrying
lines of railroads, The work should be
systematically and continuously carried
forward in accordance with some we'll
conceived plan. The main streams
should be improved to the highest
point Of efflciency before the improve
ment Of the branches IL attempted; and
the work should be kept free from
every taint Of recklessness or jobbery.'
o Attention is called to the work OF ir-
rigatlon and reclamation OF govern
ment lands. In the same connection he
asks for q revision Of the public land
laws along the lines proposed by the
public lands commission. Believes the
government should increase Its efforts
to conserve our forests and should In
crease by purchase the existing for4t
preserves. on Hne subJect or the natural
resources Of the nation heNaD5s;
"In the eastern United States the
mineral fuels have already passed into
the hands of large private owners, ana
those of the west are rapidly Following.
1t 10 obvious that these fuels should be
conserved and not wasted, and It would
be we'll to protect the people against
unjust and extortionate prices, 80 far
az that can still be done. What mas
been accomplished in the great oil
fields of the Indian Territory by the
action Of the administration onerg
striking example OF the good results
of such q policy In my judgment the
keep the fee of the coal, oil and gas
fields in Its own possession and to lease
the rights to develop them under
proper regulations; or else, II the con-
gress will not adopt this method, the
coal deposits should be sold under linn
itations. to conserve them as public
utilities, the right to mine coal being
separated from the title to the soil.
The regulations should permit coal
lands to be worked in sufiicient guam
tity by the several corporations. The
present limitations have been absurd.
excessive, and serve no useful purpose,
and often render II necessary that
there should be either fraud or else
abandonment Of the work Of getting
out the coal"
Progress Of the Work
On the Panama Canal
Work on the Panama canal is pro-
ceeding in a highly satisfactory man
ner. In March the total excavation In
the Culebra Cut. where effort was
chiefly concentrated, was Slb,27O cubic
yards In April this was increased to
97q. .5Z7 cubic yards. There vas con-
siderable decrease in the output for
May and June owing partly to the ad-
vent of the rainy season and partly to
temporary trouble with the steam
shovel men over the question Of wages.
This trouble was settled satisfactorily
TO all parties and in July the total ex-
cayation advanced materially and In
August the grand total from all points
in the canal prism by steam shovelS
and dredges exceeded all previous
United states records. reaching i,274,-
IoS cubic yards In September this rec
ord was ecIipsed and a total Of 1871
lia cubic yards was removed. OF this
amount 1881. 3O7 cubic yards were from
the canal prism and s6.1O6 cubic yards
were from accessory works. These re-
suits were achieved In the rainy sea-
son with q rainfall in August Of 1l.ss
inches and in September Of i1.6b inches.
Finally, in october. the record was
again eclipsed. the total excavation be-
ing i,S6s.72S cubic yards; truly ex-
traordinary record. especially In view
OF the heavy rainfall, which was III
inches. In fact. experiences during the
last two rainy seasons demonstrates
that the rains are a less serious OBJ
stacle to progress than has hitherto
been supposed.
Work on the locks and dams at
Gatun, which began actively In March
last has advanced so far that II is
thought that masonry work on the
locks can be begun within is months.
Last winter bids were requested and
received for doing the work Of canal
BY contract None Of them
was found 20 be satisfactory and all
were rejected. II IL the unanimous
opinion Of the present commission that
the work can be done better. more
eheaply. and more quickly BY the gov
ernment than BY private contractors.
Fully 90 per cent Of the entire plant
needed for construction has been pur-
.E....a - rcrNrarfaN fors f,achfHa