Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-01-19
PRESERVE CONTROL
OF WATERPOWERS
PREVENT MONOPOLY. SAYS
PRESIDENT TAFT, BY
LEASE SYSTEM.
SOIL CONSERVATION, ONE OF I'M
PoRTANT PROBLEMS OF
PRESENT DAY.
IRRIGATION WORKS APPROVED
FAvoRs s3oooo,ooo BOND
ISSUE.

Washington, Jan. 15.-"The devel-
opment in electrical appliances for
the conversion OF water power into
electricity to be transmitted long dis
tances has progressed so far that it
is no longer problematical, but it is
certain inference that in the future
the power of the water falling in the
streams to large extent will take
the place of natural fuels In the
disposition of the domain already
granted, many waterpower sites have
come under absolute ownership. and
may drift into one ownership, so that
all the waterpower under private
ownership shall be monopoly. If,
however. the water power sites now
owned by the government-and
there are enough of them-shall be
disposed of to private persons for the
investment of their capital in such a
way as to prevent their union for
purposes of monopoly with other
waterpower sites, and under condi
tions that shall limit the right of use
to not exceeding thirty years with re-
newal privileges and some equitable
means for fixing terms of rental and
with proper means for determining a
reasonable graduated rental, it would
seem entirely possible to prevent the
absorption of these most useful lands
by a power monopoly. AS long as the
government retains control and can
prevent their improper union with
other plants, competition must be
maintained and prices kept reason
able So declared President Taft IN
special message to congress yester-
day on the subject of Conservation of
natural, national resources.
The president said that in consid-
ering the conservation of the natural
resources of the country, the feature
that transcends all others, including
woods, waters. minerals, is the soil or
the country. 1t is incumbent upon
the government to foster by all avail
able means the resources of the coun-
try that produce the food of the peo-
pie To this end the conservation OF
the soils of the country should be
cared for with all means at the gov
efnmeht's disposal. Their productive
powers should have the attention OF
our scientists that We may conserve
the new soils. improve the aid soils,
drain wet soils, ditch swamp soils.
levee river overflow soils, grow trees
on thin soils, pasture hillside SOILS,
rotate crops on all soils, discover
methods for cropping dry land soils,
find grasses and Iegumes for all
soils, feed grain and mill feeds on
the farms where they originate. that
the soils from which they come to be
enriched.
"A work of the utmost Importance
to inform and instruct the public on
this chief branch of the conserva-
ton of our resources is being car
ried on successfully in the depart
ment of agriculture" But it ought
not to escape public attention that
state action in addition to that of the
department of agriculture (as for In
stance in the drainage of swamp
lands) is essential to the best treat
ment of the soils in the manner
above indicated.
But there are millions of acres OF
completely arid land in the public
domain 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.
ductiye than the best lands in a cll-
mate where the moisture comes
from the clouds Congress recoe-
nized the Importance of this method
of artificial distribution of water on
the arid lands by the passage of the
reclamation act. The proceeds OF
the public lands creates a fund to
build the works needed to store and
furnish the necessary water and it
was left to the secretary of the IN
terror to determine what projects
should be selected among those sus-
gested, and to direct the reclamation
service. with the funds at hand and
through the engineers in Its employ.
10 construct the works..
Recommends Bond Issue.
The president declares that one of
the difficulties which has arisen is
that too many projects in view of the
available funds have been set on foot.
The funds available under the recla.
nation statute are inadequate to COM
plete these projects, within reason.
able time. And yet the projects have
been begun; settlers have been IN
vited to take up and in many in
stances, have taken up, the public
land within the projects, relying upon
their prompt completion. THE fail
ure to complete the projects for
their benefit is, in effect, breach of
faith and leaves them in a most dis,
tressed condition" says the president.