The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-01-15
MESSAGE OF
THE PRESIDENT
IS APP[AUOEO
DEMOCRATS AS WELL AS REPUB-
LIcANs APPROVE SOME OF HIS
REcoMMENDATIo REGARD
ING CONSERVATION OF LANDS
AND IMPROVEMENT OF WATER
WAYS.
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
Washington, Jan. 14.-When the |
reading of the presidents special con- |
seryation message in the house had
been considered, roar of applause
arose from the Republican side and
several Democratic members Joined In
the demonstration.
The messages in part is as follows:
There are millions ofsacres of COM
p1etely arid lands in the public do
main which by the establishment of
reservoirs for the storing of water and
the irrigation Of the lands may be
made much more fruitful and pro-
ductive than the best lands in a
climate where the moisture comes
from the clouds. Congress recognized
the Importance of this method of arti- |
fetal distribution of water on the arid
lands by the passage of the reclama-
ton act. The proceeds of the public
lands created a fund to build the
works needed to store and furnish the
necessary water andsftewns left to the
secretary of the interior to determine
what projects should be selected
among those suggested and to direct
the reclamtion service with the funds
at hand and through the engineers in
I
IMPORTANT METHODS.
No one can visit the far west and
| the country of arid and semi-arid lands
without being convinced that this is
one of the most important methods OF
| the conservation of our national re-
sources that the government has en-
/ tered upon. It would appear that over
thirty projects have been undertaken
and that a few of these are likely to
| be unsuccessful because of the lack of
water but generally the work which
has been done has been well done and
many important engineering problems
have been met and solved. 81
One Of the difficulties which has
arisen, is that too many projects in
..iA--- IL the .aHaiiallle funds have been
| set on foot. The funds available I'M
| der the reclamation statute are in
adequate to complete these projects
within a reasonable time. And YET
the projects have been begun; settlers
! have been invited to take up and in
many instances have taken up the pub
| lie land within the projects, relying
upon their prompt completion. The
failure to complete the project for
their benefit is in effect a breach of
! faith and leaves them in a most dis
tressed condition.
/ urge that the nation ought to ar-
ford the means to lift them out of the
very desperate condition in which they
now are. This, condition does not in
dictate any excessive waste or any
corruption on the part of the reclama-
! ton Service. 1t only indicates an
over-Zealous desire to extend the bene-
fit of RECLAMATION to as many acres and
as many states as possible.
BONDS FOR $3o,ooo,ooo.
! / recommend, therefore, that author
+ iyt be given to issue not exceeding
$30,000,0O0 of bonds from time to time
as the secretary of the interior shall
find it necessary. the proceeds to be
applied to the completion of the
projects already begun and their
proper extension and the bonds rum
ming ten years or more, to be taken
! up by the proceeds of returns to the
! reclamation funds which returns. as
the years go on, will increase rapidly
| in amount.
WATERWAY IMPROVEMENT.
| Regarding improvements of inland
waterways, he said:
| He would be blind, indeed, who did
not realize that the people of the en-
tire west and especially those of the
:
to the need there is for the improve
ment of our inland waterways. The
; Mississippi river with the Missouri on
| the one hand and the Ohio on the
other, would seem to offer a great ma
! tional means of interstate transporta-
ton and traffic. how far, if properly
! improved, they would relieve the rail-
roads or supplement them in regard
to the bulkier and cheaper commodi-
ties is a matter of conjecture
/ One of the projects which answers
| the description l have given is that of
| introducing dams into the Ohio river
from Pittsburg to Cairo so as to main
tain at all seasons of the year, by
slack water, a depth of nine feet. Up
wards of seven of these dams have
already been constructed and six are
under construction while the total re-
quired is fifty. The remaining cost is
/ known to be S63, 100000.
! 1t seems to me that in the develop
ment of our inland waterways it would
/ be wise to begin with this particular
! project and carry it through as rapid
! ly as may be. | assume from reliable
! information that it can be constructed
I economically in ten years. | recon-
mend therefore, that the present con-
gresS in the river and harbor bill
make provision for continuing con-
tracts to complete this Improvement
and shall recommend in the future. if
/ it be necessary, that bonds be issued
to carry it through.
What has been said of the Ohio
river is true in a less complete way
! of the improvement of the upper Mis-
sissippi from St. Paul to ~. Louis, to
! a constant denth of six feet. and from