Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-12-18

WaJcTNdNs WHICH he lNNl NuNh VI Nh'S
whole eastern and southern coasts}
should likewise he developed More-{
over, the development of our water-}
ways involves many other importantly
water problems, all Of which should beg
considered as part OF the same general{
scheme. The government dams shOuld}
be used to produce hundreds OF thOu$
sands Of horsepower AZ an incident toy
improving navigation, for the annual$
value Of the unused water power off
the United States perhaps exceeds the{
annual value Of the products of all our}
mines As an incident to creating tbe{
deep waterway down the Mississippi
the government should build along its$
whole lower length leyees which, tak-S
en- together with the control Of the}
hcadwatprs. will at once and forever
put complete stop to all threat OF
floods in the Immensely fertile delta
region. The territory lying adjacent
to the Mississippi along its lower
course will thereby become one Of the
most prosperous and pOpulous az It al
ready Is one Oi the most fertile farm
ing regions In all the world. | have
appointed an inland waterways com
mission to study and outline compre-
henslve scheme Of development along
all the lines indicated. Later ! shalt
lay its report before the congress.
Reclamation Work.
Irrigation should he far more exteu.
sively developed than ut present, not
only In the states Of the great plains
and the Rocky mountains but In many
others-as, for instance In large por-
tons Of the south Atlantic and gulf
states. where It should 20 hand In
hand with the reclamation Of swamp
land The federal government should
seriously devote itself to this tusk,
realizing that utilization of waterways
and water power, forestry. irrigation
and the reclamation of lands threat
cncd with overflow are all iutCrde-
pendent parts Of the same problem.
The worl; Of the reclamation service In
developing the larger opportunities or
the western half Of our country for
/ irrigation Is more important than all
1 most any other movement. The con-
slant purpose Of the government I'M
/ connection with the reclamation serv-
/ Ice has been to Use the water resources,
/ Of the public lands for the ultimatci
| greatest good Of the greatest number,
| IN other words. to put upon the land
permanent homCmakcrs, TO use and
develop It for themselves and for their
children aud chIIdreu's children. There
has been. of course. opposition TO this
work-OppOsition from some Interested
men who desire to exhaust the land
for their own immediate profit without
regard 10 the welfare Of the next gen
cmllpn aud opposition from honest and
. wC.l Leaning men who did not fully
| UNDER ana the subject or who did not
look far enough ahead. This opposi.
tion is. think. dying away, and our
people are understanding that 1t would
be utterly wrong to allow few in
dviduals to exhaust for their own
temporary personal profit the resources
which ought to be developed through
use so rs To be conserved FOR the per.
maneut common advantage Of the PEG.
pie as u whole.
Public Lands.
The effort Of the government to deal
with the public land has been based
upon the same principle as that Of the
reclamation service. The land law sys-
TEN which was designed to meet the
needs Of the fertile and well watercd
regions OF the middle west has largely
broken down when applied to the dricr
regions Of the great plains, the noun
, talnS and much Of the Pacific slope.
where II farm of 1850 acres Is made.
quntc for self support. In these re.
giOns. the system lent itself 10 fraud,
and much land passed out OF the hands
Of the government without passing into
the hands Of tn" humcmuicr. The de,
partmcnt Of the interior aud the de
partmcnt Of Justice Joined IN prosecute
ing the offenders against the law. and
: they have accomplished much, while
. where the administration Of the Law
has been defective II has been changed
, But the laws themselves are defective
Three years ago public lands com
!, mission was appointed to sCrutInl2c tn,
law and defects and recommend .
=, remedy. Their examination specific
4. ally showed the existence of grea
! fraud upon the public domain, unt
= their recommendation for changes II
. the law We're made with the design o
!, conserving the natural resources o
!, every part Of the public lands 10y put
!, ting II to It's bcst use. Especial atten
ton was called 10 the prevention o
|, settlement by the passage of grea
areas of public land into the hands Of
- few men and 10 the enormous vast
:. caused by unrestricted grazing upo
!, the open range. The recommendation
= OF the public lands commission NJ
:. sound. for they are especially in the II
n tcrcst Of the actual homemnEcr an
" where the small homcmakcr cannot Il
present utilize the land they prOvid
- that the government shall keep contrC
-, os it 50 that II may not be munopolii
'! cd 10y few men. The congress Ia
~ not yet acted uDon these recommend
~, ! tons but they are So just and prope
III SO essential to our national welfar
- that feet Cuuhlrut lr the COugre'