The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-02-27
PRESIDENT URGES
CONGRESS TO ACT
Continued from Page -

of our farms. The uses of stream
for domestic and municipal water sup
ply, for power, and in many cases for
irrigation. must also be taken into
full account.
THE development of our inland wat
erways will have results far beyond
the immediate gain to commerce. Deep
channels along the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts and from the Gulf to the Great
Lakes will have high value for the ma
lional defense. The use of water
power win measurably relieve the
drain upon our diminishing supplies Of
coal, and transportation by water in
stead of rail only will tend to con-
serve our iron. Forest protection,
without which river improvement can
not be permanent, will at the same
time help to postpone the threatened
timber famine, and will secure us
against a total dearth of timber by
providing for the perpetuation of the
remaining woodlands. Irrigation will
create the means of livelihood for mill
lions Of people, and supplies of pure
water will powerfully promote the
public health. If the policy of water
way improvement here recommended
is carried out, it will affect for good
every citizen of the Republic. The
National Government must play the
leading part in securing the largest
possible use of our waterways; other
agencies can assist, and should as
sist. but the work is essentially ma
tional in its scope.
The various uses of waterways are
now dealt with by Bureaus scattered
through four federal departments. At
present, therefore, IL is not possible
10 deal with a river system as a sim
ge problem. But the Commission
here recommends policy under
which all the commercial and indus.
trial uses of the waterways may be
developed at the same time To that
Ind. Congress should provide some ad-
ministrative machinery for coordinat-
ing the work of the various depart
ments so far as it relates to water
ways. Otherwise there will not only
be delay, but the people as whole
win fail to get from our streams the
benefits to which they are justly en-
titled.
The Commission recognizes that
tho cost OF improving our inland wat.
.rways win be large, but far less than
ould be required to relieve the con-
estion of traffic by railway extern
5n. The benefits OF such improve
INT win be large also, and they will
--lch the daily life of our people at
every pe44lt, uniting the interests OF
all the states and sections of our
country. The cost and the benefits
should be equitably distributed. by
cooperation with the states and the
communities, corporations, and indi-
viduals beneficially affected | heart
lily concur in the Commissions recon-
mendation to this end. Such cooper
alton should result in united effort in
carrying out the great duty of improv-
ing our inland waterways While we
delay, our rivers remain unused, our
traffic is periodically congested, and
the material wealth and natural re-
sources of the country related to wat
erways are being steadily absorbed by
g,eat monopolies.
Among these monopolies, as the re.
port OF the Commission points out
there is no other which threatens, or
has ever threatened, such intolerable
interference with the daily life of the
people as the consolidation of compa-
mics controlling water power. call
your special attention to the attempt
OF the power corporations, through
bills introduced at the present session,
to escape from the possibility of gov
eminent regulation in the interests of
the people. These bills are intended
TO enable the corporations to take
possession ins perpetuity OF national
forest lands for the purposes of their
business. where and as they please,
wholly without compensation to the
public. Yet the effect of granting
such privileges, taken together with
rights already acquired under state
laws, would be to give away proper
ties OF enormous value Through lack
of foresight we have formed the habit
OF granting without compensation ex-
tremely valuable rights amounting to
monopolies on nayigable streams and
on the public domain. The repur-
chase at great expense of water rights
thus carelessly given away without
return has already begun in the East,
and before long w'1 be necessary in
the West also. No rights involving
water power should be granted to any
corporations in perpetuity, but only
for length OF time sufficient to allow
them to conduct their business profit
ably A reasonable charge should OF
course be made for valuable rights
and privileges which they obtain from
the National Government The val
ues for which this charge is made
will ultimately. through the natural
growth and orderly development of
our population and industries, reach
enormous amounts. A fair share OF
the increase should be safeguarded
for the benefit OF the people, from
whose labor IT springs. The proceeds
thus secured, after the cost OF ad.
mi .ftsfr