Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-02-29

after the cost Of administration and
Improvement has been met, should
naturally be devoted to the develop
ment Of our inland waterways.
Valuable Natural Asset.
The report justly calls attention tothe
fact that hitherto our national pohcy
has been one OF almost unrestricted
disposition and waste of natural re-
sources, and emphasizes the funda-
mental necessity for conserving these
resources upon which our present and
future success as a nation primarily
rests. Running water is a most valu-
able natural asset OF the people, and
there is urgent need for conserving It
for navigation, for power, for irriga-
ton, and for domestic and municipal
supply.
The Commission was appointed to
obtain Information concerning orr
waterways as related to the general
welfare. Much work was done, but
more remains to be done before plan
for their development can be prepared
in detail We need additional in-
formation on the flow Of our streams,
the condition Of channels, the amount
and cost of water traffic, the require
mentS for terminals, the area in each
watershed which should be kept I'M
der forest, and the means Of prevent
ing soil-waSte and the consequent
damage to our rivers. But 1t is neither
necessary nor desirable to postpone
the beginning of the work until all
ho foOfC OllfaiOqhin We have
suffered heavily In the past from the
lack of adequate transportation faclli-
ties, and unless a beginning is made
promptly we shall suffer still more
heavily in the future. +
Mississippi Loop of Sea.
Being without funds or an expert
staff, the Commission has confined it.
self to principles affecting the whole
problem and the entire country. Its
report is a plea, In the light Of actual
facts, for simplicity and directness in
dealing with the great problem Of our
inland waterways in the interest of the
people. 1t submits no specific plans
or recommendations concerning even
the most important projects. The
Mississippi and it's tributaries, whose
commercial development will directly
affect half our people. The MISSISSIPPI
pi should be ms lie a loop Of the sea
and work upon it should be begun at
| the earliest possible moment. Only
| less important is the Atlantic inner
passage, parts ofwhich are already un-
der way. The inner passages along the
Gulf coast should be extended and
connected with the Atlantic waters.
The need for the developing of the
Pacific coast rivers is not less pressing.
Our people are united in support Of the
immediate adoption of a progressive
policy of inland waterway develop
ment.
Hitherto our national policy of in
land waterway development has been
largely negative. No single agency
has been responsible under the con
gress for making the best use of our
rivers, or for exercising foresight IN,
their development. In the absence OF
comprehensive plan, the only safe.
policy was one Of repression and
] procrastination. Frequent changes of
/
projects have still further hampered
| Improvement A channel is no deep
er than it's shallowest reach, and to
| improve a river short of the point of
effective navigability is sheer waste
| of all it's costs. In spite of large app
preparations for their Improvement.
| our rivers are less serviceable for in
| terstate commerce today than they
were half a century ago, and in spite
of the vast increase in our population
and commerce they are on the whole
less used
Definite and Progressive Policy.
The first condition of successful de-
velopment of our waterways is
definite and progressive policy. The
second is a concrete general plan, pre-
pared by the best experts available,
covering every use to which our
streams can be put. We shall not sue
coed until the responsibility for admin
istering the policy and executing and
extending the plan is definitely laid
on one man or group of men who can
be held accountable. Every portion
of the general plan should consider
and so far as practicable secure to the
people the use of water for power, irs
rigation, and domestic supply as we'll
as for navigation. No project should
be begun until the funds necessary to
complete it promptly are provided, and
no plan once under way should be
changed except for grave reasons.
Work once begun should be prosecuted
steadily and vigorously to completion.
We must make sure that projects are
not ndertaken except for sound busi-
ness reasons, and that the best modern
business methods are applied in ex
ecuting them. The decision to under
take any project should rest on actual
need ascertained by investigation and
judgment of experts and on its rela-
ton to great river systems or to the
general plan, and never on mere