The state herald., 1907-12-06

laws evils such as child labor as the
oVer-working of women, as the fail
ure to protect employees from loss of
life or limb, can be effectively reached
any more than the evils of rebates and
stock watering can be reached without
good laws, To fail to stop these prac-
tices by legislation means to force
honest men into them, because other
wise the dishonest who surely will
take advantage OF them will have
everything their own way. II the states
VIII correct these evils, well and good
but the nation must stand ready to aid
them.
Inland Waterway systems
should lie Developed.
''rhe 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 n nation we
not only enjoy n wonderful measure OF
present prosperity but II this prosper
ity is used Alright 1t Is 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 a realization OF the fact
that to waste. to destroy. our natural
resources. to skin and exhaust the land
instead OF using 1t 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 amplifed and devel-
opcd, For the last few years, through
several agencies. the government has
IL
look ahead and to substitute n planned
and orderly development of our re-
sources In place of a haphazard striv-
ing for immediate profit our great
river systems should be developed as
national water highways; the Missls-
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
ernment should undertake this work.
and | hope beginning viii 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 a deep wa
terwny with deep waterways leading
from II 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. II would he
Of inCalculable benefit to our people, II
begun ut once II can be carried through
In time apprcciably to relieve the con-
EestiOn 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 efficiency before the improve
mcnt Of the branches is attempted; and
the work should he kept free from
every taint Of recklcssness or Jobbery,"
Attention is called to the work OF ir-
riRatinn and reclamation Of govern
mcut lands. In the same connection h"
asks for n revision of the public land
laws along the lines proposed by the
public lands commission, Believes the
government should Increase it's efforts
to conserve our forests and should in
crease by purchase the existing forest
preserves. on the subject OF the natural
resources of the nation he says:
In the eastern United States the
mineral fuels have already passed into
the hands of large private owners and
those OF the west are rapidly following
II is obvious that these fuels should be
conserved and not wasted. and II would
ba well to protect the people against
unjust and extortionate prices. 30 far
MS that can stlll be done. what has
been accomplished In the great oil
nelds Of the Indian Territory by the
action Of the administration offers
striking example OF the good results
of such policy. In my Judgment the
government should have the right to
keep the fee OF the coal oil and gas
iolds In It's own possession and to lease
the rights 10 develop them under
proper regulations: or else, II the CON
rress Will not adopt this method, the
coal deposits should be sold under lin
itatlons, to conserve them MS public
utilities. the right to mine coal being
aeparated from the title to the soil
The regulations should permit coal
lands to be worked In sufficient guam
tity by the several corporations. Tn.
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"
I'roEress Of the Work
I'm The psusma Canal