The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-12-11

tons OF dollars upon these waterways,
yet he traffic on nearly all OF them is
steadily declining This condition is the
.lirecS result OF me absence % any COM
p.ehensive and far-seeins plan or water
cay Improvement. obviously VIZ cannot
Continue to thus eXpeld the revenues OF
ihe government without return. 1t is
poor business to spend money for inland
! navigation unless we get Ii.
! Inquiry into the condition of the Missis-
, slppi and It's principal tributaries reveals
! very many instances OF the utter waste
caused by the methods which have hither-
TO obtained for the so-culied Improve
is supplied by the "iml roNetnent" OF the
Ohio. which begun IN LA, was continued
under a single plan for half a century. In
1875 a new plan was adopted and followed
for d quarter of Ii century. In 1892 still
a different plan was adopted and has
since been pursued at a rate which only
promises Il iIaNigable river IN from TWEEN
ty to one hundred years longer.
Such shortsigh,ed, Nacillating, mud fu-
tile methods are accompanied by decreas-
ting water-borne commerce and increasing
traffic congestion Oh land. by increasing
floods. and by the waste of public money.
The remedy lies in abandoning the meth
DDS which have SO signally failed and
adopting new ones in keeping with the
needs and demands of our people.
Until the work OF river Improvement 4.
undertaken in a modern way 1t can not
have results that Will meet the needs cs
this modern nation. These needs should
be met without further dilly-dallying or
49, AAsS l'AA' "iAHA III lHc OCSt
and quickest results is that of q permu-
nent commission authorized 10 coordinate
the work Of all government departments
relating to the waterways. and to frame
and supervise the execution of q compre-
hensiNe plan. Under such a commission
the actual work of construction might be
entrusted to the service: or
to the military engineers acting with = SUI
hcient number of civilians 10 continue the
work in time OF war: or it might be d.
Nided between the reclamation service
and the corps of engineers. Funds should
be provided from current revenues IL it
is deemed Wise-otllerwise from the sale
pf bonds. The essential thing is that the
work should go forward under the best
possible plan, and with the least possible
delay. We should have u new type OF
work and 2 new organization for planning
and directing it. The time for playing with
our waterways is past. The country de-
,lands results.
National Parks.
! urge that all our national nnrlx %
jacent to national forests be placed com
pletely under the control of the forest ser
vice of the agricultural department., in
under the interior department and polire,i
by tile army. The congress should ,rovids
FOR superintendents with adequate corps
OF first class civilian scouts. or rangers
and further. place the road construetion
under the superintendent instead of leaV-
ing it with the war department.. Such a
change IN park Management would result
in economy and avoid the difficulties Of
administration which now arise from hay.
ing the responsibility of care and protec-
ments. The need OF this purpose is pec,,i.
iarly great in Yellowstone park. This.
and should be kept as a national MAY,
ground. In both all wild things should he
protected, and the scenery kept wholly
/ am happy to say that I have been ,h,.
to set aside in various parts of the com
Try, small, well chosen tracts of GROUND
TO serve as sanctuaries and nurseries for
wild creatures.