Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-14

| of the supply of water on watersheds is
| matter of discussion and dispute. but
the general benefit to be derived by the
| public from the extension of forest lands
| on watersheds and the promotion of the
| growth of trees in places that are now
denuded. and that once had great -four
ishing forests. goes without saying.
| The control to be exercised over private
owners in their treatment Of the forests
which they own is matter for state nd
not national regulation, because there Is
! nothing in the Constitution that author
ICES the federal government to exercise
any control over forests within a state.
unless the forests are owned in a pro-
prietary way by the federal government.
| 1t has been proposed, and bill for the
purpose passed the lower house in the
; last Congress. that the national govern
ment appropriate a certain amount each
year out of the receipts from the for
eStry business of the government to in
stitute reforestation at the sources of
certain nav1gabie streams to be selected
by the geological survey, with a view to
| determining the practicability Of thus
improving and protecting the streams for
federal purposes. / thing moderate
expenditure for each year for this pur-
pose. for period Of five or ten years.
would be of the utmost benefit in the de-
velopments of our forestry system.
Inland Waterways.
l come now to the improvement of the
inland waterways He would be blind,
indeed. who did not realize that the peo-
pie of the entire west, and especially
those of the Mississippi valley, have been
aroused to the need there is for the i'm
provement of our inland waterways.
The Mississippi river. with the Missouri
on the one hand and the Ohio on the
other, would seem to offer q great nat
uraI means of Interstate a In
and traffic. How far. if properly i'm
proved. they would relieve the railroads
or supplement them in respect to the
bulkier and cheaper commodities is
matter of conjecture.
No enterprise ought TO be undertaken
the cost of which is not definitely ascer-
tanned and the benefit and advantage of
which are not known and assured by
competent engineers and other authority.
When. however. project of a definite
character for the Improvement of a wa
terway has been developed SO that the
plans have been drawn, the cost def
nitely estimated and the traffic which
will be accommodated Is reasonably prob
able think it is the duty Of Congress to
undertake the project and make provi-
bill.
One of the projects which answers the
description / have given is that of in
Producing dams into the Ohio river from
P1ttsburg to Cairo, SO as to maintain at
all seasons OF the year, by slack water,
a depth of nine feet. Upward of seven
structed and six are under construction,
while the total required is ffty-four The
remaining cost is known to be 500, OOO, 900.
1t seems to me that in the development
OF our inland waterways it would be wise
to begin with this particular project and
carry 1t through as rapidly as may be.
assume from reliable information that
1t can be constructed economically in
twelve years.
Upper Mississippi Improvement.
What has been said Of the Ohio river
Is true In less complete way Of the
improvement of the upper Mississippi,
from st. Paul to st. Louis, to a constant
depth of six feet, and of the Missouri
from Kansas City to st. Louis to a con-
slant depth of six feet, and from St.
These projects have been pronounced
practical by competent boards of army
engineers. their cost has been estimated
and there is business which will follow
the improvement.
recommend, therefore. that the pres
ent Congress in the river and harbcr
bill make provision for a continuing
contracts to complete these improvements
AS these improvements are being made.
and the traffic encouraged by them shows
itself of sufficient importance. the i'm
provement of the Mississippi beyond
Cairo down to the gulf. which is now 60
ing on with the maintenance of q depth
of nine feet everywhere, may be changed
to another and greater depth If the nee
essity for 1t shall appear to arise out of
the traffic which can be delivered on the
river at Cairo.
/ am informed that the investigation by
the waterways commission in Europe
shows that the existence of a waterway
by no means assures traffic unless there
Is traffic adapted to water carriage at
cheap rates at one end or the other of
the stream. 1t also appears in Europe
that the depth Of the nontidal streams Is
rarely more than six feet, and never more
than ten.
But it Is certain that enormous Quanti-
ties of merchandise are transported over
the rivers and canals in Germany and
tain that the existence of such methods
of traffic materially affects the rates
which the railroads charge, and it is the
best regulator of those rates that we
have, not even excepting the govern
mental regulation through the interstate
commerce commission. For this reason, l
hope that this Congress will take such
steps that 1t may be called the inaugur-
ator of the new system Of inland water
ways.
here to state. Congress has seen fit to or
der an investigation into the Interior De-
partment and the forest service of the
Agricultural Department.. The results of
mine the value of. and the necessity for;
the new legislation which have recon-
mended I'm respect to the public lands and
in respect to reclamation.
/ earnestly urge that the measures rec
commended be taken up and disposed of
promptly. without awaiting the investiga-
ton which has been determined upon.
The White House, WIN. III. TAFT.