The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-09-14

the project and suffering great priva-
ton will be rehabilitated At the
same time, the law authorizing the
bond issue prevents the expenditure
of any of the proceeds OF the bonds
in any Of the projects until board Of
army engineers shall report the same
as worthy and feasible. Moreover, ad-
ditional provision has been made in
the appropriation laws for money with
which to carry on surveys Of unsur-
veyed public lanas. bcrying need in
certain states and in Alaska. Thus it
is not too much TO say that most i'm
portant steps have been taken toward
the proper conservation of our re-
sources in the legislation OF the pres
ent congress.
There remains to be considered and
settled the question of the method OF
disposing of these lands so that the
government may retain sufficient con-
troll to prevent monopoly in their
use and to secure the public against
extortion for coal, oil, gas, phosphate
or water power on the one hand, and
vet may give to private capital suffi-
cient inducement to bring about a
normal development of the wealth
contained in these lands to aid in the
building up of the country. Neither
the democrats OF the house nor the
democrats of the senate as body, al
though their platform formally de-
clares in favor of conservation, have
taken any active part OF can he count
ed upon to assist materially in the
solution of these complicated ques-
tons.
Improvement of Waterways.
Another subject of pressing import
ance is that of the improvement OF
our waterways. The present congress
has enacted rivers and harbors bill,
appropriating more than SAL, 100000
for the carrying out of number of
well defined plans for the permanent
improvement of rivers and harbors
within certain period and in addi-
ton authorizing contracts to be en-.
tered into subject to future appropria-
tons by congress aggregating over
$1O,OO0,OOO. The bill was subject to
criticism in that it still continued the
old piece-meal system and appropriate
ed something for nearly every project
recommended by the army engineers
1t is hoped and believed that in the
next session and thereafter the en-.
gineers will so make their recOmmen.
dations as to indicate the projects
of greater Importance, so that ade'
quate sums may be appropriated for
their completion within reasonably
short time and the piece-meal policy
of extending the construction of i'm
provements of this kind indefinitely
for years may be abandoned.
Other Pledges Redeemed.
The republican platform promised
that it would admit to statehood the
territories of New Mexico and Ari
roma, and that promise has been re-
deemed with suitable provisions for
securing good and sane constitutions
of the states by requiring their adop
ton in advance of the election OF
state officers, and their submission
to congress for consideration, and pos
sible rejection at one of its sessions.
All this long list of useful enact
ments was promised in the republic
can platform and has been put
through by republican majorities.
Congress has also enacted into law
in accordance with the promise which
it made as a candidate for the presi.
dency, a bill requiring the publication
by the congressional committees OF
detailed statements of the money re-
ceived by them and the money ex.
pended by them in the political can
vass of each congressional candidate
In addition, the present congress
has appropriated 100000 to enable
the executive to investigate and make
recommendation as to the methods by
which the cost of running the govern
ment may be reduced. l regard this
last as one of the most important
parts of the administration policy.
am confident that if full opportun-
ity is given and republican con.
gress is elected to assist, the cutting
down of the national expenditures by
the adoption of modern economic
methods in doing the business of the
government will reach to point of
saving many millions. How much the
expenses can be curtailed it is i'm
possible to approximate at this time.
The problem before the administration
is to get full value for every dollar
it disburses.
The appropriations for the last year
were more than $20,O00,000 less than
+Lo {ionc nf tho hof0ro