The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-15

4
from the evils resulting by virtue OF tho mi :
projections or existing laws for the DISPOSE
tion or timber lands that the acts OF Juno
1878, should be repealed and n law snact- x
81 for the disposition OF the timber at nub . +
lie sale, the lands an. after the remoyni Of the
,imoer 10 be subject to appropriation Under
!. tho AGRICULTURAL or mineral land laws
(, Wnat nave said Is really an cpitoino OF
Interior In respect to the future consarya
ton OF the public domain in his present an
nuai report. He has given close attention
to the problem OF disposition OF these lands
under such conditions as TO invite tho 'url-
yate capital necessary TO their Development
on the one hand, and the maintenancaao OF
tho restrictions necessary to prevent mono
poly and abuse from absolute ownership On
the other. These recommendations are IN.
corporated in bills he has prepared and
they are at the disposition OF tho Congress-
earnestly recommend that all tho sugses-
tons which he has made with respect to
these lands shall BIO embodied In statutse.
and, especially, that the withdrawals all.
ready made shall be validated SO far as
necessary, and that doubt as to the author.
Ivy OF the Secretary of tho Interior to with
draw lands for the purpose OF submitting
recommendations as to future disposition OF
them where new legisation is needed shall
DC made complete and unquestioned.
Forest Reserves,
The forest reserves OF tho United States
| some o,000,0 600 acres In extent, are under
tho control of the Department of Asricul-
ture, with authority adequate to preserve
/ them and to extend their growth 40 FAR as
/ that may be practicable The importance Of
| t ane maintenan nc Of our forests cannot be-
exaSgerated. Tho possibility of a scientific
| treatment Of forests SO that they shall be
/ made to yield large return In timber with
out really reducing tho supply has been
demonstrated In other countries. and we
4 should work toward tho standard set BY
them as far as their methods are applicable
| to our conditions
/ Upwards of 4o00OCCC1 ncres az foreet Id MI
4. IN this country are in privatc ownership
put only per cent. OF 1t is being treated
scientifically and with a view 10 the main.
! tenance of the forests Tha part played BY
the forests in the equalization of the sup
/ piy OF water on watersheds is a matter OF
discussion and dispute, bux the general benz
eft to be derived by tho public from I'd.
extension OF forest lands on watersheds and
(, me promotion OF the growth OF trees in
places that are now denuded and that once
mad great Iflourishing forests. goes without
saying. The control to be exercised over
private owners in their treatment OF the
forests which they own is q mattcr for
state and not national regulation, because
there is nothing In tho Constitution that
authorizes tho Federal government to exer.
unless the forests are owned In q propria.
tary way by the Federal government.
It has been proposed, and a bin for Tho
purpose passed tho lower House In the last
Congress, that the national government an.
Dropriuto a certain amount each year AM
Of tho receipts from tho forestry business Of
tho government to institute reforestatton at
the sources of certain navisable streams Ia
be collected by the Geological Survey with
q WOW 10 determining tho practtcability of
thus improving aud protecting tho streams
Tor Federal purposes. think moderats
expenditure for each year for this purpose
for q period of five or ten years, would be-
OF our forestry system.
Inland Waterways.
! come now to the Improvement OF thu
inland WATERWAYS. He would DO blind in
deed who did not realize that the peopis 4
of the entire West. and especially those oe
the MISSISSIPPI Valley. have been aroused 10
the need &c, there Is for the improvement 81
our Inland waterways. The Mississippi
River. with the Missouri on the one HAND
and the Ohio on the other. would seem ia
offer great natural means OF interstata 3
transportation and traffic. How far II prop.
erly improved, they would relieve the rail.
roads or supplement them in respect I'd
matter OF conjecture. No enterprise ought
to be undertaken the cost OF which la not
definitely ascertained and tho benefit and
advantage OF which are not known and as
sured by competent engineers and other
authority. When. however, a project of
definite character for tho Improvement of
plans have been drawn, tho cost definitely
estimated. and the traffic which will be ac-
commodated Is reasonably probable. I think
IT Is the duty of Congress to undertake the
project and make provision therefor In the
proper appropriation bill.
One OF the projects which answers the
description have given Is that of introhile.
ing dams into the Ohio River from Pitts
burg TO Cairo. SO as to maintain at all so;-
sons OF the yosr. by slack water, depth OF
nine feet. Upward of seven OF these dams
have already boen constructed and six are
under construction, while tho toral required
| is hfty-four The remaining cost is known 8
to be $50. eco. 600. Il.
1t seems to mo that In the development
OF our inland waterways It would be wise 10
1t through as rapidly as may be. assume
from reliable information that 1t can DO
constructed economically In twelve years.
Upper Mississippi Improvement
What has been said of the Ohio River Is
true in a less complete way Of the improve
mont OF the upper Mississippi. frou, st. Paul
to ST. Louis. to Il constant depth OF six feet,
and Of the Missouri from Kansas City to ST.
Louis to constant depth of six feet. and
from st. Louis to Cairo OF depth OF eight
feet. These projects have been pronounced
gineers, their cost has been estimated, and
there Is business which will follow the i'm
provement.
I recommend. therefore, that the present
Congressyin tho river and harbor bill, make
provision for continuing contracts TO COM
plete these improvements.
As these improvements arc being rnado,
and the traffic encouraged BY them shows
itself OF sufficient importance.,ttho Improve
ment of the Mississippi beyond Cairo down
to the Gulf. which is now goins on with ths
maintenance of a depth OF nine feet every
where may be changed to another and
greater depth II the necessity for II shall
appear to arise out Of the traffic which
can be delivered on the river at Cairo.
7 am Informed that The investigation by
the waterways commission In Europe shows 4
that the existence OF a waterway by no
means assures traffic unless. there is traffic
adapted to water carriage at cheap tes Mt
one end or the other OF the stream II also
appears In Europe that tho depth of tho
non-tidal streams is rarely more than nix
feet. and never more than ten. But 1t ia
certain that enormous quantities OF mer-
chandise are transported over tho rivers
and canals in Germany. France aud Eng n
land, and 1t is also certain that the H
existence OF such methods m traffic ma
terially affects the rates which the rail-
roads charge and 1t is the best regulator
Of those rates that we have. not even OK
cent!ng the governmental regulati ton through
the Interstate Commerce. Commission. For
this reason, hope that this Congress Will
take such steps that 1t may be called Tho
OF the new system OF inland
KS
For reasons which 1t is not necessary here
to state, Congress has seen mt to order an
investigation into the Interior Department.
and the Forest Service OF the Agricultural
The results OF that inyestiga- y
ton are not Needed to determine the value
Of. and the necesstysfor. the new legislation
which have recommended In respect TO #
the public lands and in respect to reclaua- a
ton. earnestly urge that the measures
recommended be taken up and disposed OF
l.N-r