Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-09-28

Wo'Nt supply anu llH cHcrts upon the
climate. The regulation of the water
supply OF course, prevents ernsinn 81
the soil and the wastofui destruction
OF the best part Of the soil which \.
carried down the rivera with the floods
DO not stop To discuss al lcnath
the FORESTRY question. The wonderful
pt"eress made by Mr Plnchot with the
earnest support OF Mr.. Roosevelt and
Secy. wilson, az times has met the de-
nunciaton of persons in this western
country on the ground that propertv
was being taken which Congress IN
tended for individuals and was being
withheld from them. But / think gcn-
eral opposition to Mr.. pinchois plans
md disappeared and that the great
body OF tho American people recognize
the benefit of the reform iu reference
10 forestry, and that they regret that il
was not begun years ago Congress
mas come iuily TO recognize the nccos-
sity Tor suing forestry reform by
making liberal appropriations for M.
purpose. The forest lands Of the Unit
Cd states ought TO be surveyed and
carefully preserved. aud its iurisdic-
ton in respect To- them Clearly defined
The regulation of forests In private
ownership within state boundaries Is.
not plainly within the scope OF federal
jurisdiction and IL should be under
t-NfNNA' ~ tAAN NANAfHs 10 llnl lnllK
that the states have taken up the mat
ter with as much energy as they ought
ana nave not improved the opportunity
which was given them by WAY Of ex
ample by the forestry bureau OF the
United States. The question whether
the federal government. with the pun
pose OF equalizing the flow Of water IN
navigablc streams. and to promote nav
igation during the entire year. may
enter Milan ~
listing forests and re-forosting certain
denuded territory in the states | need
not now discuss The subject would
involve a wider discussion than have
time to give ii.
RECLAMATION PLAN.
1.-THE plan or the government to re-
claim the arid and semi-arld lands,
manifested ia the reclamation act has
been carried out most rapidly by the
bureau charged with It's execution.
had the honor the other day in Cole-
RADIO OF opening the most ambitious e
these projccts-at least the most ak
ficult OF them-the Gthlnison tunnel
which Is TO bring water into valley in
Colorado, known as the Uncompahgrc
valley, with some 100000 acres ond
TO put IL in a condition TO grow fruit
and cereals.
There are some 30 projects which
have been entered upon by the reclaim
alton bureau and I believe that all %
them are TO be commended for their
excellent adaptation to the purpose for
which they were erected and for thu
speed with which the work has been
done. IL is said, however, that in the
planning Of a number Of these inn
provements, the enthusiasm of the
projectors has carried them TO q
point where they begin to feel em-
barrassed In the matter OF resources
with which to complete the projects,
and begin TO show that the strict linz
itations OF the reclamation act were
not closely observed by those engaged
in executing them that the projects
We're too many ana more than could
be completed In "A reasonable time af-
ter their beginning, because Of lack
OF funds The reclamIion act provides
for the expenditure of the funds made
up by the sale of public lands and re-
imbursed from time 10 time by the in
stallments TO be paid By the settlers
who take up the irrigated land and also
provides that no part OF a project Is
10 be contracted for and begun until
the money for the completion Of that
part OF the project contracted for shall
be IN the reclamation fund. Now, IL
appears that il will take sl0,0o0000 or
more. which is not available in the
reclamation fund at present fully to
complete the projects and IL also APP
pears that q great number of persons,
by reason of the beginning of the pro-
iects have been led into the making
OF settlements, the expenditure Of time
and labor with the hope and upon the
reliance that such reclamation enter
prises will be carried through In a rea-
sonablo time.
INTENTION OF CONGRESS.
Il think that there Is no doubt that
II was the intention Of Congress that
projects should not be multiplied IN
such a way that they could not be
completed within a reasonable time
with the reclamation funds provided by
the sale Of public lands and IL would
PROBABLY have been wiser to adhere
strictly 10 the imitation thus con-
strued even though the language OF the
act. by dividing up the projects into
parts on terms. seemed 20 permit the
beginning of more projects than there
was likely 10 be money enough to com,
plete within q reasonable time. me
pressure was doubtless very great and
the reclamation service yielded To the
pressure within the letter Of the law
and now fnd themselves in the situa-
tion deserted The work has been well
done and reflects credit upon the cngi-
neers who have bod charge OF H.
But something must be done 10 re-
lieve the present situation which is
ono OF disappointed hopes To many
settlers uron the arid lands who
counted unOn an early completion ot
the projects undertaken and invested
their money and spent their time and
seemed TO be no nearer the goal or
satisfactory irrigation than they were
when the projects were begun. J think
il wise TO apply 10 Congress for Keller
boy urging the passage OF an enabling
act which shall permit the secretary
of the Interior TO issue bonds IN the
sum OF SfO.O0O,000 or more, 20 COM
plete all the projects now projected
These bonds should be redeemed from
the money paid into the reclamation
funds after the completion Of the
projects