Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-23

lure Ind other industries and is the
chief natural resource of the country.
1t is probable that fully 10 per cent of
this rich resource has been wasted
since settlement began. The water of
the strata below 100 feet supplies arte-
sian aId.deep wells. large springs and
| thermal and mineral waters. 1t can be
! controlled only through the subsurface
| reservoir.
Except through agriculture and for
| estry little general effort is made to
control the annual cutoff. although
| some farmers in arid regions claim to
double or triple the crop from given
soil by supplying water just when
needed and Withholding it when not
required.
Within recent months it has been
recognized and demanded by the peo-
| pie, through many thousand delegates
| from all states assembled in conven-
| ton in different sections of the coun-
| try, that the waterways should and
must be improved promptly and eff
| fectivcly as Il means of maintaining
national prosperity.
The first requisite for waterway i'm
provement is the control of the waters
| in such manner as to reduce Hoods and
| regulate the regimen of the navigable
| rivers. The second requisite is deyel-
| opment of terminals and connections
il such manner as to regulate cou-
nerce.
In considering the uses and benefits
I 20 Il. Ia .,
| paramount use should be water sup
ply. Next should follow navigation i'm
humid regions and irrigation in arid
regions. The development of power
on the navigable and source streams
should be co-ordinated with the .pri-
mary and secondary uses.
| Broad plans should be adopted pro-
viding for system of waterway i'm
provement extending to all uses of the
waters ard benefits to be derived
from their control.
National Efficiency.
Since the greatest of cur national as
sets is the health and vigor of the
American people, our efficiency must
depend on national vitality even more
4
lands. forests and waters
Our annual mortality from tubercu-
losis is about 10000. Stopping three
fourths of the loss of life from this
cause and from typhoid and other
prevalent and preventable diseases
would increase our average length Of
life over fifteen years.
If we count the value of each life
lost at only S1.I00 and reckon the
average earning lost by illness as SIOO
per year for grown men. we find that
preventable disease in the United
States would exceed $1,000 100000 a
. year. In addition we would decrease
suffering and increase happiness and
contentment among the people. This
gain, or the frightening and strength
ening Of life which it measures. can
, be secured through medical investiga-
ton and practice, school and factory
hygiene. restriction of labor by women
and children, the education of the peo-
pie in both public and private hygiene
and through improving the efficiency
of our health service. municipal. state
HdtlOIidI- Ht udOOildl SONeTfi-
ment has now several agencies exer-
cising health functions which only
need to be concentrated to become CO.
, ordinated parts of greater health
service worthy of the nation.
. We greatly need n mere complete
inventory of our natural RESOURCES. and
. this cannot be made except through the
active cooperation of the states with
the nation.
The permanent welfare of the nation
z demands that its natural resources be
: conserved by proper use. To this end
the states and the nation can do much
by legislation and example. By far
the greater part of these resources is
in private hands. Private ownership
!. OF natural resources is a public trust
They should be administered in the
interests of the people as a whole
/ The states and nation should lead
5 rather than follow in the conservative
i and efficient use of property under
0 their immediate control But their
a first duty is TO gather and distribute a
r knowledge of our natural resources
/ and of the means necessary to insure
y their use and conservation.
Continued on Page Elevcn.)