Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-03-05
USE RIVERS
FOR PEOPLE
RooSevelt'S Opinion on Waterways of
Country.
Great Stress Laid on Preservation of
Natural Resources Against Mons =
poly and Waste-Improve Rivers
tor All Possible Purposes-1ar-
monY With Railroads.

washington, Feb. 27.-Wjth his
hearty Endorsement in a special mes
sage, President Roosevelt yesterday
transmitted to congress the prelim.
mary report Of the Inland Waterways
Commission, recommending a gen.
eral policy of waterway improve
ment.
The president proceeds to point
out the connection between naviga-
tion OF the lower reaches of a stream
and control OF methods and preven-
tlon OF soil erosion. Use of a stream
Tor domestic and municipal water
supply, power and irrigation must
also be taken into account. He says
deep channels will have high value
for national defense; use of water
power will relieve drain on the coal
supply; transportation by water in
stead OF rail will conserve iron; for
est protection will prevent timber
famine and perpetuate the remaining
forest; irrigation will sustain mil
lions; and pure water will promote
health. The work is national in
scope.
The commission recommends a
policy for developing all commercial
and Industrial uses of waterways at
the same time. To this end the work
of the various departments con-
cerned should be, co-ordinated, that
there may be no delay. The cost will
be large, but far less than would be
required to relieve the congestion of
rail traffic, and the benefits will be
large also and will unite the inter-
ests of all states and sections.
The president calls attention to
the great amount of detailed infor-
nation needed to carry out the COM
missions plan, but says beginning
of work should not be postponed till
all the facts are obtained.
The president says our policy
hitherto has been purely negative
one Of repression and procrastina-
tion-and frequent changes Of plan
and piecemeal execution have further
hampered improvement. In spite of
large appropriations our rivers are
less serviceable than half a century
ago and are less used.
In its report the commission first
states the facts it has found. 1t
finds that there are $4,000 miles of
navigated rivers and at least an
equal length, which are navigable or
might be made SO; $500 miles of
navigable canals and over $500
miles OF sounds, bays and bayous,
which could be connected by less
than 1000 miles of canals. parallel
with the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
These waterways are in AZ states
and development of rivers for irri-
cation, power, etc, will make GER
tain waterways navigable in the re-
naming states. {
Railroad interests have been sue
cessfully directed against mainten-
.ance and development of water traf.
fic.
Successful waterway improvement
must provide for adjustment of the
relations OF rail to water lines. Rail-
roads can so control traffic as to
leave waterways insufficient to sup
port vessels and terminals, for they Y
can so reduce rates on traffic for .
which waterways compete as to de-
stroy profits, and can recoup them I
selves with higher rates on traffic for {
which waterways do not compete. 6
Waterway improvement will not re- =
lieve rail congestion unless co-ordi- 7
nation is arranged to insure harmon :
ious cooperation.
In some instances the cost of :,
works to control floods and improve
would be less than the +
loss by floods and drought. 6
The annual soil>wash is about l., IT
600, 100000 tons, mostly the most q
part Of the soil, which pol G
iutes the water necessitates dredg- C
ing and reduces efficiency of river @
Forestry, farming, mining and t,
other industries. affect the flow of "
streams for commerce 5
Wide variation in the level of riv- fl
ers hampers establishment of water
b