The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-27
PRESIDENT URGES CONGRESS TO PROVIDE
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT or RIVERS

irrigation Will create the means of
livelihood for millions OF people. and
supplies Of pure water will powerfully
promote the public health. IL the poll
Icy OF waterway Improvement here re-
commended IL carried out, 1t VIII af-
public. The National Government must
play the leading part In securing tho
largest possible use of our waterways;
other agencies can assist. and should
assist but the work is essentially
national in It's scope.
The various uses Of waterways are
now dealt with by bureaus scattered
through four Federal Department. AT
present. therefore, 1t Is not possible to
deal with river system as a single
problem. But tho commission here re-
commends policy under which all the
commercial and Industrial uses OF the
waterways may be developed at the
same time. TO that end, Congress
should provide some administrative
machinery for co-ordinating the work
of tho various departments SO far as II
relates TO waterways Otherwise there
Will not only be delay, but tho people
as whole will fail to get from our
streams The benefits to which they are
justly entitled
The commission recognizes that the
cost of improving our inland water
ways Will be large, but far less than
would DO required to relieve the con-
gestion OF traffic by railway extension.
The benefits OF such Improvement Will
be large also, and they Will touch tho
DAILY life of our people at every point,
uniting the interests OF all the States
ana sections of our country. The cost
and tho benefits should be eduitally
distributed, by cooperation with the
Sthtes and the communities. corpora
tons and individuals beneficially az
tecteu 1 heartily concur in the COM
MISSIONS recommendation to this end.
such cooperation should result in
5 any, ettort In carrying out the great
uuly OIL Improving our inland water
ways. While we delay our rivers re-
main unused. our traffic is periodical
~ congested. and the material wealth
and natural resources of the country
related to waterways are being stead
ily ABSORBED by great monopolies
Consolidation n Menace,
ainons these monopolies, as the re-
port OF the commission points out.
there is no other which threatens. or
mas ever threatened. such intolerable
interference with tho daily life OF tile
people as the. consolidation Of com
panies controlling water-power. / call
OF the power corporations, through
bills introduced at the present session.
to escape from the possibility OF gov
the people. These bills are intended to
enable the corporations to take posse
sion In perpetuity of national forest
lands for the purposes of their bust
ness, where and as they please, wholly
without compensation to the public
Yet the effect OF granting such privi-
ileges. taken together with rights
I already acquired under State laws
would be 70 give away, properties of
enormous value. Through lack OF fore
sight we have formed the habit of
granting without compensation ex-
| tremely valuable rights amounting to
monopoiies on navlgable streams and
| on the public domain. The repurchase
at great expense Of water rights thus
carelessly given away without return
has already begun In the East and be-
fore long will be necessary In the
West also. No rights involving water
power should be granted TO any cor
porations in perpetnity. but only for a
to conduct their business profitably.
y reasonable charge should of course
be made for valuable rights and pri-
vileges which they obtain from the
which this charge is made will ulti-
mately. through the natural growth
and orderly development OF our popula-
tion and industries. reach enormous
amounts. a fair share OF the increase
sh ould be safeguarded for the benefit
of the people, from whose labor u
springs. The proceeds thus secured;
after the cost of administration and
| Improvement has been met, should
ma turaily be devoted to the develop
n1ent of our inland waterways
Should Conserve Our Resources.
The report Justly calls attention to
the fact that hitherto our national pol
icy has been one of almost unrestrict
ed 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 q nation primarily
rests. Running water is a most valu-
able natural asset of the people, and
there is urgent need for conserving II
for navigation, for power, for irriea-
ton. and for domestic and municipal
supply.
The commission was appointed to
oh tain information concerning our wat
erways as related to the general well
fare. Much work was done. but more re-
mains to be done before plan for their
development can beprepared in detail
We need additional information on
the flow of our streams. the condition
of channels. the amount and cost OF
water traffic. the requirements for ter
minals, the area in each watershed
which should be kept under forest. and
the means OF preventing soil-waste
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