The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1907-12-03
-AsRtcu'Ig6Rf
s@skAyES~



Irrigation should b. faf
mere extensively devaiapsd than az
present. not only in The states ~
the great piaius and the Rocky
mountains hui IN many others. as.
Tor instance. IN large portions ~ the
South Atlantic and Nuf states
where u should - hand in hand
with the reclamation % swamp
Hand The federal government should
seriously devote itself 60 this task.
realizing that utilization ~ water
ways and water power. forestry. ir-
rlEatip0 aud the reclamation 81
lands Threatened with overflow arc
an intrrdrpendFnt parts nf the same
problem.
Pebble Lard Problem.
The effort - the govern
ment % deal with The public land
has been based upon the same prin-
cipie az that % the reclamation
service The land law system which
was designed To- mert thr needs gf
the fertile and we'll -wstered regions
~ the Middle West has largely
broken down when applied to the
dryer regions ef the ureat piaina
the mountains and much 90 the Pa
CifiC siopc where "a farm ~ 100
aCros rs inadequate for self-w1ppnrt
IN these regions THE system tent g.
self to fraud aud much land passed
out ~ the hands ~ the government
without passing into the hands of
the home maker Tho department ~
the Interior and the department nf
justice Joined in prosecuting the Of
fondefa against the law. and they
have accomplished much. white
Rhcre the administration ~ the law
has been defective 81 has been
changed Hut the laws themselves
are defective.
Public Lard Frauds.
Three years ago public lands
commission was appointed. To- scru-
tinlze the law and defeCts. and rec
Commend remedy Their exnml-
nation specifically showed the CIV
istcnCo 81 great fraud upon the
public domain. and their recon-
mendutiona foT changes On the law
were made with the design of con
serving the natural resources Of eve
cry part vt the public lands by put
ting 10 to lta heRt ace Especial at
tcntion was called 90 the prevention
~ settlement by the passage Of great
OF a frW mon. and 30 the enormous
waste caused hy unrestricted graz
Ing upon the open range The rcr-
concentrations ~ the public lands
commission are sound Tor they are
specially in the interest of the ace
tllm home maker. and where tho
amQu home -makcr cannot at proe-
emit utilize the land they provide
that the government shall keep con
troll ~ a. Ho that 10 may not be
mounfe llzed b. "a few mon The
c0nRrsaH has not yet acted upon
These recommendation bat thry
are ga lnHt and proper. sn essential
tn ear national welfare. that ] frrl
confident " the congress VIII take
time fn consider Thorn. that thpf
wilt o. ultimately adopted
Some such legislation aH that pro-
posed tH essential in order 10 pre-
HeiVt ihe great stretches of public
rflrinr land which are unfit FOR
cultivation under present methods
uud 'nre valuable only Tor the for
oee which thoy supply
Forest Reserves.
We have made begin
ming in forest preservation. but a.
iH only O. beginning At present
numbering o. che fourth greatest In
duHtfp iu thc UnItcl states. aud
yct. so rapid haas boon enc mto OF
cNhaustlou uf timber in the United
States Boo che past and Ho rapidly i8
che remainder being cEhauatDd that
tho country Do Internationally ON
Enc Verge of timber famine which
Wlu he folt in cvcry household ln
thc land The only trouble