Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-01

that it was not begun years before. Con-
gress has come fully to recognize the ne
ceSsity of ursuing forestry reform by
making liberal appropriations for the pun
pose The forest lands of the United
States ought to be surveyed and careful
Iy preserved, and its jurisdiction in re-
spect to them clearly defined.
The regulation of forests in private
ownership within state boundaries is not
plainly within the scope of federal juris-
diction and 1t should be undertaken by
the states. I don't think that the states
have improved the opportunity which was
given them by way of example by the
forestry bureau of United States.
1.-The question whether the federal gov
eminent, with the purpose of equalizing
the flow of water in navigable streams.
and to promote navigation during the en-
tire year. may enter upon plan of regu-
lating existing forests and reforesting
certain denuded territory in the states,
need not now discuss. The subject
would involve a wider discussion than I
have time to give it.
PLAN TO RECLAIM.
THE plan of the government to re-
claim the arid and semi-arid lands. mani
tested in the reclamation act, has been
carried out most rapidly by the bureau
charged Win us SAcCulAOh-
Here the president described his expert
ence in opening the Gunnison irrigation
tunnel last week, and continued:
There are some 30 projects which have
been entered upon by the reclamation bu-
reau. and believe that all OF them are
to be commended for their excellent adap-
tation to the purpose for which they
were erected, and for the speed with
which the work has been done.
TT is believed, however. that in the
planning of a number of these Improve
ments, the enthusiasm of the projectors
has carried them to a point where they
begin to feel embarrassed IN the matter
OF resources with which to complete the
projects. and begin to show that the
; strict limitations of the reclamation act
were not closely observed by those en-
gagged in executing them; that the pro-
jects were too many and more-ehan coulo
be completed in a reasonable time after
their beginning, because OF a lack Of
funds.
WHAT ACT PROVIDES.
'SThe reclamation act provides for the
expenditures of funds made up by the
sale of public lands and reimbursed from
time to time by the installment 10 De
paid by the settlers who take up the
irrigated land and also provides that no
part of a project is to be contracted for
and begun until the money for the COM
nIetion of that part of the project con-
tracted for shall be In the reclamation
fund.
Now IL appears that 1t will take 49,
200 600 or more, which Is not available In
the reclamation fund at present, fuzzy 10
complete the projects. and 1t also appears
that great number OF persons, by rea-
son of the beginning of the projects have
been led into making settlements. the
expenditure of time and labor, with the
hone and upon the reliance that such re-
clarnation enterprises would be carried
through in a reasonable time.
CONGRESS- INTENTION.
''I think that there is no doubt that 1t
was the intention Of congress that pro-
jects should not be multiplied IN such
way that they could not be completed
within a reasonable time with the recla-
nation funds provided by the sale of pub
lie lands, and it probably would have
been wiser to adhere strictly to the limit
alton thus construed, even though the
language of the act. by dividing up the
projects into parts or terms, seemed to
permit the beginning OF more projects
than there was likely to be money
enough to complete within a reasonable
time.
But something must De done 10 10
Iieve the present situation which is one
of disappointed hopes to many settlers
upon the arid lands. who counted upon
an early completion Of the projects IN
dertaken and invested their money and
spent their time and seemed to be no
nearer the goal of satisfactory irrigation
than they were when the projects were
begun.
'T think it wise to apply to congress
for relief by urging the passage of an
enabling act which shall permit the sec
rotary of the interior to issue bonds in
the sum of $4,000. 900 or more to complete
all the projects. These bonds should be