Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-03-05

mended is carried out, 1t will affect for
gooa every citizen of the republic. The
nauonal government must play the lead
,,is part in securing the largest possible
use OF our waterways: other agencies can
assist. and should assist, but the work is
essentially national in its scope.
Inc various uses of waterways are now
Iour federal departments. AT present,
therefore,, it is not possible to deal with Il
LIVER I'VE system as a single problem. But the
cer which all the commercial and indus
.Iial uses of the waterways may be de-
seIoped at the same time. To that end.
congress should provide some administra-
OF me various departments SO far as 1t re-
rates to waterways. Otherwise there will
hot only be delay, but the people as a
Mhoie WI fall TO get from our streams
titled.
Cost and Benefit Large.
The commission recognizes that the cost
or improving our inland waterways will
CURED to relieve the congestion of traffic
oy railway extension. The benefits OF
such Improvement will be large also, and
they Will touch the daily life of our peo-
All al the states and sections of our country.
The cost and the benefits should be equit-
ably distributed. by cooperation with the
s sId and the communities. corporations:
AG&IO -
heartily. concur In the commissions rec
ommendation to this end. Such co-opera-
t.on should result in united effort in car
rNing out the great duty of improving our
inland waterways. While we delay, our
rivers remain unused, our traffic is period
lcaily congested, and the material wealth
and natural resources of the country re-
lated to waterways are being steadily alb
sorbed by great monopolies.
Among these mo%nopolies, as the report
OF the commission points out. there is no
ened, such intolerable Interference with
the daily life OF the people as the consol-
idation OF companies controlling water
power. l call your special attention to the
sion. to escape from the possibility
OF government regulation in the in
tended to e NJ peJ the co rnesa euuss to a,1 take
possession In perpetuity of national forest
lands for the purposes of their business,
where and as they please. wholly without
of granting such privileges. taken together
with rights already acquired under state
laws. would be to give away properties
of enormous value Through lack of fore
sight we have formed the habit of grant
ing without compensation extremely valu-
able rights amounting to monopolies on
navigable streams and on the public, do
main. The repurchase at great expense
of water rights thus carelessly given away
without return has already begun in the
East. and before long will be necessary
water power should be granted to M
corporations in perpetuity, but. only for
a length of time sufficient to allow them
reasonable charge should of course be
made for valuable rights n privileges
which they obtain from the national gov
eminent. The values for which this charge
ural growth and orderly development OF
our population and industries, reach enor-
nous amounts. A fair share of the in
crease should be ~safeguarded for the bene-
fit of the people, from whose labor 1t
springs. The proceeds thus secured. after
the cost of administration and improve
devoted to the development Of our inland
waterways.
Too Much Waste.
The report justly calls attention to the
fact that hitherto our national policy has
been one of almost unrestricted DISPOSE
ton and waste of natural resources, and
emphasizes the fundamental necessity for
conserving these resources upon which our
present and future success as a nation
primarily rests. Running water is a most
valuable natural asset of the people, and
there is urgent need for conserving it for
navigation, for power, for irrigation n
for domestic and municipal supply.
The commission was appointed to obtain
information concerning our waterways as
related to the general welfare. Much work
was done, but more remains to be don
before a plan for their development ean
be prepared in detail. We need additional
information on the flow of our streams,
cost of water traffic. the requirements for
terminals, the area in each water shed
which should be kept. under forest. and
the means of preventing soil waste and
the consequent damage to our rivers. But
1t is neither necessary nor desirable to
postpone the beginning of the work until
all the facts are obtained We have sui
fered heavily in the past from the lack
of adequate transportation facilities, and
unless a beginning Is made promptly we
shall suffer still more heavily in the flu
ture.
Being without funds or an expert stan.
the commission has confined Itself to prin-
ciples affecting the whole problem and
tn the tb entire IRE COUNTRY o4 ari;,, Its fsc report 9rr i l;n a plea;
and directness in dealing with The great
problem of our inland waterways in the
interest of the people. 1t submits no spe-
cific plans or recommendations concerning
even the most important projects. The
first of these, of course. concerns the Mis-
sissippi n its tributaries, whose COM
half our people. The Mississippi should
be made a loop of the sea and work upon
1t should be begun at the earliest possible
moment. Only less important is the At
already i" Under pas way. R Ris.1 me me w PASSAGES ses
along the gulf coast should be extended
and connected with the Atlantic waters
The need for the developing of the Pacific
coast rivers is not less pressing. Oul
people are united in support of the imme.
date adoption of a progressive policy OF
inland waterway development.
Policy Needed.
Hitherto our national policy of inland
waterway development has been largelS
negative. No single agency has beer re.
sponsible under the congress for making
the best use of our rivers, or for exer
the absence Of a comprehensive plan, tn
only safe policy was n of repression
and procrastination. Frequent changes o.
have still further hampered Improvement
A channel Is no deeper than its shallowes
reach. and to improve a river short O
sheer waste of all 1t costs. In spite o.
large appropriations for their improve