The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-12-10
OF dollars upon these waterways.
yet the traffic on nearly all Of them is

hons OF dollars upon these waterways.
yet the traffic on nearly all Of them is
steadily declining. This condition is the
direct direct, result rsss an Of f 6he aeIispe e,s nf any w a9m-
way improvement. Obviously we cannot
continue to thus expend the revenues of
the government without return. 1t Is
Ipoor business to spend money for inland
navigation unless we get it.
Inouirysinto the condition OF the Missis.
tsippi and its principal tributaries reveals
Very many instances of the utter waste
s.oaused by the methods which nave hither-
ITO obtained for the so-called Improves
Ignent' Of navigation. a striking instance
lis supplied by the "ir tyement" of the
Ohio. which begun In was continued
under a single plan fol .4alf a century. In
1875 a new plan was adopted and followed
Tor a quarter of a century. In 1902 still
N different plan was adopted and has
since been pursued at a rate which only
promises a n~ayigable river in from twer-
'ty to one hundred years longer.
Such shortsighted, vacillating. and fu-
title methods, are accompanied by decreas-
flng Water-borne and increasing
itratfic congestion on land, by increasing
floods. and by the waste of public money.
The remedy lies in abandoning the meth
tods 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 is
undertaken In a modern way it can not
nave results. that will meet the needs of
fth1s modern nation. These needs should
be met without further dilly-dallying or
delay. The plan which promises the best
and quickest results is that of a perfna-
t-ient commission authorized to coordinate
the work of all government departments
relating to the waterways, and to frame
and supervise the execution of a conure-
fhenSive plan. Under such a commission
'she actual work of construction might be
entrusted to the service; or
ito the military engineers acting with a suf-
rficient number of civilians to continue the
work In time of war; or it might be di-
rvided between the reclamation service
"a M thu nnyNC 2 nnu n IN,~ = L. \
abe provided from current revenues if it
rs deemed wise-otherwise from the sale
of 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 a new type of
WORK and a new Organization for planning
and directing it. The time for playing with
our waterways is past. The country oe-
THands results.
National Parks.
I urge that all our national marks ad-
tacent to national forests be placed com
4pletely under the control of the forest SER
vice OF the agricultural department in
stead OF leaving them as they now are.
onder the interior department and policed
by the army. The congress should provide
for superintendent with adequate corns
of first class civilian scouts or rangers.
under the superintendent instead of ieay-
ing it with the war department. Such a
change in park management would result
An economy and avoid the difficulties Of
ing the responsibility of care and protec-
ments. The need of this purpose is pecuI-
iarly great in Yellowstone park. This.
like the Yosemite. is a great wonderland
ground In both all wild things should be-
protected, and the scenery Kept wholly
unmarried.
/ am happy to say that I nave been able
TO set aside In various parts of the coun-
try. small. well chosen tracts OF ground
40 serve as sanctEaries and nurseries for
wild creatures.