Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-23
|TOBE CHIEF OF GAR. SOCIETY IS A
Election of COL John McElroy Woman's Work in B
Regarded as Certain. Rivers and Harb
ENDORSED BY LOCAL POSTS SUBSTANCE OF
Supported Also by Organizations Publicity Committee Is
Throughout the Country. ment Showing Prog
CIRCULAR IN HIS INTEREST COUNSSYS LARGE La
Potomac Department Commander Two-Fhs in Farms and
Holbrook One-Ha1f Cultivated
Record and Urges His Claims. cation Facilities
Woman's Work in Behalf of
Rivers and Harbors.
SUBSTANCE OF REPORTS
Publicity Committee Issues State
ment Showing Progress.
COUN&Y's LARGE LAND AREA
Two-Fifths in Farms and Less Than
One-Half Cultivated-Navi-
cation Facilities.

The Woman's National Rivers and Har
bors Congress has begun an active cam
paisn in the interest of the resources of
this country. and in this connection Mrs.
Richard B. Chew. chairman of the pub
statements regarding the work of the
various departments.
1t is the object of the congress in this
conservation movement to make our
country a permanent and prosperous
home for the people of the country and
their children for generations to come.
According TO the reports of land area of
this country there is l,90o. 100000 acres of
land area in the United States. OF this
but little more than two-fifths is in farms
and less than one-half of the farm area
is improved. There are nearly 5000 900
farms, averaging LAG acres each: the
value of the farms is nearly one-fourth
of the wealth of the United States. The
number of persons engaged in agricul-
turai pursuits is 100000.
Extent of Water Power.
The water power now in use is 300, 900
horsepower. The amount running over
government dams, not used, is about L.
ft'fo'' d. 3o~,pN",VuU.
Capitalized at 5 per cent it represents an
investment of 81 ,O66, 100000. If utilized
it would exceed the entire mechanical
power now in use; enough to operate
every mill, drive every spindle, propel
every train and boat and light every city,
town and village Of the United States.
Regarding the navigation and transpor-
tation facilities, it is stated that the
including snow. Our mean rainfall is
about thirty inches, equivalent to about
21o, ZOO, 900, 100000 cubic feet, or, in COM
parison. amounting to the capacity of ten
Mississippi rivers OF this. 70,00o,00O,-
100000 cubic feet annually flows into the
sea; less than ! per cent is restrained
and used for community and municipal
supply. Less than = per cent is used
for irrigation, about per cent is used
for navigation; less than per cent is
used for power. The waste in public
and private objects exceeds 80 per cent,
while no more than 25 per cent of the
water actually available for irrigation of
the aria lands is restrained and diverted.
There are in continental United States
2S2 navigable streams, aggresating 26,115
miles; much more could be made
navigable if improved. There are forty
five canals, aggregating 2,1S9 miles. Main
tanning navigable all waterways of any
merit would save to the country in
transportation s250,0O0, 900 annually.
Millions of Acres in Waste Land.
1t is commended that there are $1,000, 900
acres of waste land waiting to be re-
claimed, which. if they were drained and
made into agriculture farms, would be
valued at s6,O0OOOO,OOO, would provide
homes for 10000, 600 people, counting six
in family, with one man to the family
and estimating the value of eacn mans
income at 500 per year an aggregate
sum OF 81, 15o,U0.OOO in human activity
would be added annually to this country
These lands. lying for the most part in
Florida and Louisiana, are among the
most fertile on the continent. Thirty
nine states have swamp area. Draining
the Everglades of Florida is one of the
largest and most successful of this WORK.
Three million acres of unproductive lands
covered in swampS known as the Ever
glades, have been ditched and canals
dug which carry Off the water.
Health Statistics.
According to the report on health and
sanitation four-fifths of the population
of the United States are supplied with
water from DereDnial SpringS and wells