Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-07

Lakes to the mouth of the Mississippi
there should be deep waterway, with
deep waterways leading from 1t to the
east and west Such a waterway would
country. 1t would be of incalcuable
benefit to our people. II begun at once
Gladly to relieve the congestion of our
great freight-carrying lines of railroads.
The work should be Systematically and
contenuously carried forward in accord
ance with some, well-conceived plan. The
main streams should be improved to the
highest point OF efficiency before the
Improvement Of the branches Is attempt
from every faint of recklessness, or Job
berry. The inland waterways which lie
just back of the whole eastern and south
ern coasts should likewise be developed.
ways involves many other important
water problems, all of which should be
considered as part of the same general
use to preduee Of bou
sands OF horsepower as an incident to
improving navigation; for the annual
value of the unused water-power OF the
United States perhaps exceeds the annual
value of the products of all our mines.
AS an incident to creating the deep wat
erway down the Mississippi, the. govern
length levees which taken together with
the control of the headwaters. will at
once and forever put a complete stop
to all threat Of floods in the immensely
adjacent TO the Mississippi along its low
er course will thereby become one of the
most prosperous and populous, as 1t al
ready is one of the most fertile. farming
pointed an inland waterways commission
to study and outline comprehensive
scheme of development along all the
lines indicated. Later / shall lay its re-
port before the congress. at
RECLAMATION WORK
Irrigati ton should be far more extern
sively developed than at present, not only
In the states of the great plains and the
Rocky mountains, but in many others,
as, for instance. in large portions OF
where It should go hand in hand with
federal government should seriously de.
vote itself to. this task realizing that
utilization of waterways and wat
the reclamation of lands threat.
ened with overflow; are all inter
The work Of the reclamation service In
developing the larger opportunities OF
the western half of our country for .irrl-
cation is more important than almost
pose of the government in connection
with the reclamation service has beer
to use the water resources OF the public
! lanQS TOT the ultimate greatest SoOQ oi
| the greatest number: in other words, .tc
put upon the land permanent home-mak.
ers. to use and develop 1t for themselves
| and for their children and children.
children. There has been, of course. op
position to this work; opposition from
some interested men who desire to ex
haust the land for their own immediate
profit without regard to the welfare O.
the next generation, and opposition from
| honest and well-meaning men who dit
not fully understand the subject or wht
| did not look far enough ahead. This op
| position IS. i think, diving away, and olll
people are understanding that 1t would
| be utterly wrong to allow a few individ
uals to exhaust for their own temporary
personal profit the resources which ough
| TO be developed through use so as to b
conserved f9r +h re eP Permanent w f9mmof