New-York tribune., 1908-12-09

season from the mountains which have already
! been deforested by human hands. Another
shows pebbIv river bed in Southern Msnchurts
where what was once great stream has DRIED
UP, owing TO the defOrestat1on in the mountains
Only some scrub wood is left, which will disap-
pear within a half century. Yet another shows
the effect Of one of the washouts destroying an
arabic mountain side, these washouts being due
TO the removal of all vegetation; vet in this
photograph the foreground shows that refores-
tation is still possibility in places.
What has thus happened in Northern China,
what has happened in Central ASIA in Palestine,
! in North Africa in parts of the Mediterranean
countries of Europe will surely happen in our
country II We do not exercise that wise fore
thought which should be one Of the chief marks
Of any people calling itself civilized Nothing
should be permitted to stand in the way Of the
preservation Of the forests and it is criminal TO
permit individuals TO purchase a little gain for
themselves through the destruction of forests
when this destruction Is fatal to the wellbeing
Action should be begun forthwith during the
present session Of the Congress. for the i'm
prOvenent of our inland water
Inland ways-action which will result
Waterways in giving Us not only navigable
but navigated rivers We have
spent hundreds Of millions of dollars upon these
waterways, yet the traffic on nearly all Of them
IS steadily declining. This condition is the ii
rect result of the absence of any comprehensive
and far seeing plan Of waterway irnrrovenent.
Obviously we cannot continue thus/to exDend
the revenues Of the government without return.
1t is poor business to spend money for inland
navigation unless We get II.
Inquiry into the condition of the Mississippi
instances Of the utter waste caused by the
methods which have hitherto obtained for the
so-CaLed Improvement Of navigation
striking instance is supplied By the Improve
rent' Of the Ohio, which begun in 1924,
continued under q single plan for half a century.
In 1875 a new plan was adopted and followed for
a quarter OF a century. In 1902 still a different
plan was adopted. and has since been pursued
at rate which only promises f navigable river
in from twenty to one hundred years longer.
Such shoTtsighted. vaciIIating and futile
methods are accompanied by decreasing water
Tr7.-r f7c
ton On land, by increasing foods and by the
waste Of public money The remedy lies in
failed and adopting new ones in keeping with
the needs and demands Of our people.
In a report on measure introduced al the
first session Of the present Congress the Secre-
tary OF War said: The chief defect in the
methods hitherto pursued lies in the absence of
executive authority Tor originating cor1pre hem
sive plans covering the country or nat turaI dvis-
ions thereof" In this opinion I heartily concur.
The present methods not only fail 20 give Us
inland navigation, but they are IN furious tc the
army as well What IS virtually permanent
detail Of the corps of engineers to civilian duty
necessarily impairs the efficiency OF our military
establishment The military engineers have un-
doubtedly done efficient work IN actual construC-
tIon, but they are necessarily Unsuited by their
training and traditions TO take the broad view,
and TO gather and transmit 10 the Congress the
commercial and industrial information and
forecasts upon Wh1cn waterway Improvement
must always so largely rest Furthermore they
have failed 70 grasp the great underlying fact
thaL every stream Is a unit from It's source TO
its mouth. and that all its uses are interdepend-
ent. Prominent officers of the engineer corps
have recently even gone so far as 10 assert in
print that waterways are not dependent upon
the conservation Of the forests about their
headwaters. This position is opposed TO all the
recent work Of the scientific bureaus Of the
government and TO the general experience of
mankind. A physician who disbelieved in vac
cination would not be the right man to handle
epidemic of smallpox, nor should we leave
doctor shepttCal about the transmission Of yell
low fever by the stegonyia mosquito IN charge
OK sanitation at havana or Panama So with
the Improvement Of our rivers: it Is no longer
wise or safe to leave this great work in the
hands Of men who fail 10 grasp the essential
relations between navigation and general de-
velopment and to assimilate and use the central
facts about our streams.
Until the work Of river improvement is under
Ia ken in modern way it cannot have results
that will meet the needs Of this modern nation
These needs should be met without further
dilly-dallying or delay The plan which prom
ises the best and quickest results is that Of a
permanent commission authorized TO co-ordi-
nate the work OF all the government depart
Inents relating to waterways. and to frame and
supervise the execution or comprehensive
plan Under such q commission the actual work
Of construction might be intrusted to the rec
lsmatiOn service. or to the military engineers
acting with a sufficient mum ber Of civilians TO
continue the work in time OF war; II might
be divided between the reclamation service and
the corps Of engineers. Funds should be pro
vided from current revenues If it is deemed
vise-otherwise from the sale Of bonds. The
essential thing is that the work should go for
ward under the best possible plan and with the
least possible delay. We should have d new
type OF work and q new organization for plan
DiuG ana ulEeCIlIB IL ne L4Il6 LOT Pa Ni0S
with waterways is past The country de-
Iuauds results
I urge that all our national parks adjacent 70
national forests be placed completely under the /
control of the Forest Service Of /
National Parks the Agricultural Department. in +.
stead Of leaving them as they
now are, under the Interior Department and I
policed by the army The Congress should pro /
vide for superintendeuts with adequate corps Of |
first class civilian scouts, or rangers. and. fur +
ther place the road construction under the +
peTintendent instead of leaving II with the War I
-F,~a- in IL
ment would result in economy and avoid the /
difficulties of administration which arise /
from having the responsibility Of care and pro- F
teCti0n divided between different departments /
The need for this course is peculiarly great IN /
the Yellowstone Park This Ike the Yosemite, +.
IS q great wonderland. and should be kept as a .
national playground In both all wild things .
should be protected and the scenery kept wholly
I am happy TO say that I have been able TO .
set aside in various parts Of the country small.
well chosen tracts of ground 10 serve as saICtU-
aries and nurseries for Wild creatures.
had occasion in my message Of May 4 1906.
10 urge the passage of some law putting alcohol
used in the arts, Industries and
D-pa+ured manufactures. upon the free list;
. Ieohol that S. TO provide for the with
draWaI free Of tax of alcohol
which Is Il be denatured for those purposes.
The Iav- ,T June ! 1906 and its amendment Of
In that respect and the use OF denatured alCn-
boi as intended. Is making a fair degree Of
rroerass and is entitled to further encourage
rnent and support from the Congress
The pure food legislation has
r.,r. Food already worked benefit lin
cult to Overestrnate
Il has been ny purpose IRON the beginning of