Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-10-04

VARIETY OF RESOURCES.
The wonderful variety OF resources in
different portions OF the valley make
The demand Tor transportation alto
Tcther exceptional Coal. lumber. corn.
wheat. cotton. cattle--un the surface
OF tho soil ana beneath the soil The
riches are great There are already
evident strong tendencies to increase
the carrying OF freight from the NORTH
ern part Of the valley To- The E1lt.
throughout the valley the land is so
fertile as TO make Che field FOR The
farmer peculiarly attractive. ANA where
IN the west the climate becomes dryer
W. enter upon the ranchlug country,
while in addition Co the products or
the soil there are also che mHnufic-
lures supplied in lnnumcrahie Wanu-
featuring ccntors, great and smaI'
Cities OF astonishing growth are touno
everywhere from the gulf to the Rieal
lakes, from the Alioghcuies 90 Lhe
Rockies; most of them being siiuatrt
on the great river which flows hN your
doors or upon some OF .lts nume iuus
navigablo tributaries. New MINER a'
nelds are discovered every year anu
tho constantly increasing use OF al tne
devices OF intensive cultivation steal-
ily adds 20 tho productive power or
the farms. Above all. the average man
IS honest. Intelligent. self-rolanl aho
orderly, and therefore n good cluHeni
NnNINNL
the last analysis the two most import
ant men In the community q
standard OF living. and have developed
n standard of solf-rcspectlnE self-re-
liant manhood. which are OF good aug
IVY for the future OF the entire renub-
lie No man can foresec the limit OF
the possibility or development IN the
Mississippi valley.
NATURAL HIGHWAYS.
Such being the case. and this valley
being literally the heart OF the United
States, all that concerns Its welfare
must cocern likewise the whole coun-
trv. Therefore. the Mississippi river
and its tributaries ought by all means
20 be utilized 10 their utmost posi-
hility. Facility OF cheap transportation
"a an essential IN our modern ciNliza-
ton. and we can not afford any longer
10 neglect the great highways whlch
nature has provided for as. These ma
tural highways, the waterways, can
never be monorolized by any corpora
ton. They belong TO an the people
and u is I'm the power or no one % take
them away. Wherever naViganle
river runs beside railroads the prob
lem Of regulating the rates on the rail-
roads becomes far easier. because river
regulation is rate regulation. When
the water rate sinks, the land rate can
not be kept at an excessive height.
Therefore Il Is Of national Importance
TO develop these streams as highways
20 the fullest extent which Is genuinely
profitable.
DEEP CHANNEL1NG RIVERS.
Year by year transportation prob
lens become more acute, and the time
has come when the rivers really ht 20
serve as arteries OF trade should be
provided with channels deep enough
uuT vrfHa eunuwh Ia make the invest
nent Of the necessary money proht-
able TO the public. The national gov
eminent should undertake this work
Where the Immediately abutting land
Is markedly henehted. and this benefit
can be definitely localized, ! trust that
there viii be careful Investigation to
see whether some way can be devised
By which the immediate benehciarles
may pay "a portion OF the expenses
as is now the custom az regards GER
tain classes Of improvements in our
municipalities: and measures should be
taken 20 secure from the localities
specially benefited proper terminal Ia
cihties. The expense 10 the nation OF
entering upon such a scheme OF river
Improvement as that which believe II
should undertake. Nil necessarily be
great. Many cautious and conservative
people win look askance upon the
project. and from every standpoint
IL Is necessary. 10 we wish to
make ~ successful that we should en-
ter upon Il only under conditions which
will guarantee the nation against waste
Of its money, and which viii insure us
against entering upon any project un-
IN after the most elaborate expert eX-
Animation. and reliable calculation OF
the proportion between cost and bene-
o. In any project like this there
should be a definite policy, and reso-
hlte purpose TO keep In mind that the
nlllN fuInrDV nT1IRnlg made should be
those really national In their character.
We should act on the same principle
IN improving our rivers that We should
follow In improving our harbors. The
great harbors are Of consequence not
merely 20 the immediate localities but
10 immense stretches OF country; and
the same IS true Of the great rivers.
1t Is these great rivers and great har-
bors tho Improvement Of which ts OF
primary national interests The main
streams should be improved 10 the
highest practical degree Of efficiency
before improvements are attempted on
the branches, and work should be un-
dertaken only when completion De- IN
sight within a reasonable time, 40 mat
assured results may be gained and The
communities affected depend upon the
improvements. Moreover as am Incl
dent in caring for the river s0 that 10
may become an efficient channel OF
transportation the United states gOv-
crnment should do its tull part In lc-
wee building. which. Boz the lower
reaches OF the river. viii not only give
"A channel for commerce but VIII also
give protection TO the adjacent bottom
lands.
MISSISSIPPI IMPROVEMENT.
Immense sums have already been
spent upon the Mississippi by the state,
and the nation. yet much of it remains
practically unused for commerce. Ih.
reasons for this fact are many. ON.
IS that the work done by the uatlona
government al least has not been uasel
upon a definite and continuous plan
AppropriatlOns by Congress, lustcu.
81 assuring the steady progress au'
timely completion OF each piece %
work as il was undertaken, have beer
Irregular and uncertain. As a dlrrc
consequences far-rcaching plans have
been discouraged and continuity ID
execution has been made Impossible
m IS altogether unlikely that bette
results will be obtained go long as Oh
method Dr. followed of making partla
approuriatlons al Irregular interval
for works which should never De under