Evening star., 1908-01-16

reservoirs In the mountains would In
crease this many times. The rental OF
per HORSEPOWER. which is the ruling
rate. would produce a revenue OF nearly
$50 10000 per year. and an increase OF
90 per cent Of power would bring the rev.
enues up to more than OO,OOOOOO, oy
which you will realize what a tremendous
factor the little brooks of the mountains
are in the future industrial development
Of this country.
Reliance Of Eastern Factories.
If you want to realize this more clearly.
you might read that part OF the report
which shows how the New England FAC
tories depend upon the power they get
from the streams which rise in the
White mountains. and which are gradual
ly being diminished as the mountain SIDES
are stripped of trees. II the cutting In the
White mountains goes on much Iurtner
the Merrimac, the Connecticut and other
rivers of New England upon which the
manufacturers depend to turn their
wheels will fail them except during the
rainy seasons, when they will get all their
water at once in the form OF destructive
floods rather than In steady stream
throughout the year.
At least 10000 horsepower Is now IN
actual use for cotton mills In the soutn
Atlantic states. and at least 10000 more
is being supplied by the construction or
reservoirs and electrical plants upon tne
Catawba and other rivers. l told you
about it in a letter from Charlotte the
other day. Twenty or thirty millions OF
dollars are being invested In those enter,
prises at this moment. and all tnaI VIII
be wasted unless something Is done 20
protect and increase the sources OF the
water supply, which are found In the
mountain forests. The geological survey
is now measuring the water to ascertain
the facts Seven or eight gauging sta,
tions have been maintained Tor several
years, but recently fifty-hve others nave
to determine exactly how much water Is
being used and how much Is WaSted IN
the floods that come down from the noun
tain sides upon which the forests nave
been burned or cut away.
The Forests and Streams.
The forests are the only natural rae
tor which tend to ecualize the flow OF
streams. and unless this cover OF the wa
tersheds is preserved and protected. the
fainfall will run down them as 1t does on
a roof. and will not only be wasted. but
will carry with it vast quantities Of SOIL
and ruin the land for cultivation. IL IS
proposed to aid nature In regulating the
flow by replanting the areas from Whicn
the timber has been cut and by construct
ing reservoirs In which the melting SHOWS
and the floods from the rainfall can be
stored until the dry season. and then re-
leased gradually as 1t Is needed to turn
the wheels of the factories. Secretary
Wilson estimates that not less than
100 square miles of arabic land on
the mountain side slopes are absolutely
destroyed each year by the washing OF the
soil from the surface In the spring floods.
1t is not proposed to interfere with lum-
bering or mining or agriculture. The bills
now pending before Congress provide that
minerals and mercantile timber shall be
reserved by the owner OF the land when
he transfers his title to the United States;
but the mining operations and the re-
moval of timber must be conducted ac-
cording to regulations SO as to prevent
the purpose of the purchase from being
defeated. In other words. the forestry
experts Of, the government will mark the
the forests and will prevent the destruc-
tion Of younger growths which are valua-
BILE only for cooperage and similar uses
1t is also provided that small areas of
agricultural land which may be acquired
by the government In the purchase OF the
forests shall be surveyed and offered for
sale as homesteads at their true value to
eighty acres. 1t Is also provided that set
tiers now living upon the land to be in
cluded within the reservation shall be pro.
tected in their rights so far as can be
done without injury to the forests.
Indeed, the purchase OF the 100000
acres proposed would promote mining,
farming, fruit growing and cattle rails
ing throughout the entire district. and
would increase the value Of farming land
in the valleys because 1t would afford set
tiers who own and cultivate small farms
protection from fire and from losses from
floods, while the construction of roads
will give them greater facilities for reach