The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-12-03

good laws. 10 fall 81 stop those pfae- ]
tices by legislation means 60 force
honest men into them. because other
wise The dishonest who surely VIII
take advantage OF them viii have
everything their own way. II the states
win correct these evils wen and good
but the nation must stand ready to aid
them.
Hnland Waterway systems
should Rc 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 ia used Alright IL 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, 4
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 II so as to increase its
usefulness. win result in undermining
in the days OF our children the very
prosperity which we ought by right to
hand down to them ampiihed and devel-
oped. For the last few years, through
several agencies, the government has
been endeavorlng to get our people to
look ahead and to substitute a 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 Missis-
sippi with it's 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 win 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
terway. with deep waterways leading
from II 70 the east and the west. Such
a waterway would practically mean
the extension Of our coast line into the
very heart Of our country. It would be
Of incalculable benefit to our people. II
begun at once 1t can be carried through
in time appreciably to relieve the con-
gestion 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
ment Of the branches Is attempted; and
the work should be kept free from
every taint Of recklessness or jobbery"
Attention Is called to the work OF ir-
rigatiOn and reclamation OF govern
ment lands. In the same connection he
asks for 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 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
be well to protect the people against
unjust and extortionate prices, so far
been accomplished In the great oil
fields OF the Indian Territory by the
action OF the administration offers a
striking example OF the good results
OF such a policy. In my judgment the
government should have the right to
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 Goa
lands to be worked in sufficient guam.
tity BY the several corporations. This
present limitations have been absurd
excessive, and serve no useful purpose
and often render It necessary that
there should be either fraud or else
abandonment Of the work Of gettine
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 Il
the Culebra Cut. where effort wal
chiefly concentrated. was sl5.270 cubil
yards. In April this was increased I,
SIS. .527 cubic yards. There was con
siderable decrease In the output 70
May and June owing partly to the ad
vent Of the rainy season and partly Il
temporary trouble with the stean
shovel men over the question Of wages
This trouble was settled satisfactoril,
to all parties and In July the total ex
cavation advanced materially and Ii
August the grand total from all point
In the canal prism by steam shovel
and dredges exceeded all previou
United States records. reaching 1.274,
904 cubic yards. In September this rec
ord was eclipsed and a total OF 1917.
412 cubic yards was removed. OF thi
amount 1881. S07 cubic yards were frof
the canal prism and So los cubic yard
were from accessory works. These re
suits were achieved in the rainy sea
son with a rainfall Ia August OF lis
inches and In September Of f1.65 inehel
Finally, In October, the record wa
again eelipsed. the total excavation Be
ing l,86S,729 cubic yards: a truly ex
traordinary record, especially in vie'
OF the heavy rainfall. which was IT,
inches. In fact. experience during tn
last two rainy seasons demonstrate
that the rains are a less serious OF
stacle 10 progress than has hithert
been supposed.
Work on the locks and dams Z
Gatun which began actively In Marc
last. has advanced so Tar that Il
thought that masonry work on III
: locks can be begun Within is months.
, Last winter bids were requested an
received for doing the work OF can,
! n.