Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-06
CONSERVATION IS IT.
QUESTION WILL OCCUPY PUBLIC
MIND FOR MANY YEARS TO
COME.
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY PEOPLE
WANT WIDER CHANNEL
Will Carry on Fight Despite Adverse
Report of Ensineers-irrisation and
Reclamation of Vital Interest to the
West-RecIamatio Projects Now at
Critical Stage.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Oct. Sit is getting to
future can be. that in all its wide range
of aspects. the question of conserva-
ton is going to be one of the biggest
and most absorbing in the public minds
for years TO come. So many depart
ments of the same general subject are
demanding attention, and dividing into
opposing camps the public men who
must determine the national policy
toward the question as a whole, that
while the long and animated contro-
versy IS regarded as imminent, the So
tuition of the different problems is not
at all apparent.
For example. the advocates of intern
al waterway development are getting
ready for a great onset on congress.
They have heard that Senator Burton is
out of sympathy with them, and are
girding their loins for determined
sional policy on waterway matters.
Burton is experienced. able and agrees
sive; and he has no disposition 10 sur
render his domination of the river and
harbor legislation. AS head of the
waterways commission he is in the
way to continue his potent influence
over congressional policy, despite that
he can no longer rule the house COM
mittee on rivers with the iron hand
which held it plant to his will when he
was its chairman.
Mississippi People Not Satisfied.
The Mississippi Valley people are
determined not TO accept as final the
arbitrament of the engineering board
which reported against the project of
a fourteen-foot channel from Chicago
10 the Gulf They declare that in order
| to get fair consideration for that pro-
! tect they must unhorse Burton; and to
do this they are getting their ammuni-
ton ready. 1t is charged that the orig
inal report of the commission was fav-
orable to the fourteen foot project but
that, after it had once been completed,
! ii was revised. as a result of infiuenc es
headed by Senator Burton, and turned
4 into an adverse document. They pro-
/ test moreover that it is an unfair pre-
sentation of the subject; and, headed
/ by Senator Lorimer, of Illinois.they are
organizing to make hard fight to re-
verse that judgment. In the course of
this fight they will make determined
attack on the long accepted theory of
the infallibilty of Burton. His policy
III handling waterways in the past will
be put under the glass. 1t will be
charged that he has enjoyed reputa-
ton which he didn't deserve. 1t will
be alleged that vast sums have beer
wasted in river improvements, because
of the distribution of the appropriation
of political basis. The conduct of the
work by the army engineers will be es-
pecially criticized and James j. Hill.
proposal that the whole business b
placed under a great expert commits
sion, will be made the basis of al
effort at reform in administration.
The Mississippi river people declar'
that in fact the expense of creating
fourteen foot channel to the gulf vii
not be nearly so great as has been al
legged. They say that with the million
:. the state of Illinois has voted for worl