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


the necessity for fertillzing The land shall
become more acute, this VIII BIO a product
which will probably attract the greed Of
| monopolists
| along the streams Offering opportunity to
convert water-power into transmissible elec.
| tricitS, another important phase OF the pub
| Iceland question Is presented. There are
valuable water power sites through all the
I public-land States. The opinion lis held tina,
/ the transfer of sovereignty from the Federal
/, government to the territorial governments
as they become States, included tho water
| power In the rivers except so far as that
| owned by riparian proprietots. I do not
4 think 1t necessary to so into a discussion
\ OF this somewhat mooted question OF law.
1t seems to me sufficient to say that the
man who owns and controls the land along
the stream from which the power is to be
Il converted and transmitted, owns land which
4 " indispensable to the conversion and use OF
that power. cannot conceive how the
power In streams flowing through public
iands can be made available at all except
i by using the land Itself as the site for the
construction OF the plant by which the pow.
er 10 generated and converted ana securing
r. right OF way thereover for transmission
! lines Under these conditions IL the gov
erntnent owns the adjacent land--indeed, Ii
tho government Is the riparian owner--lt
/
imposing proper conditions ON the dispose
ton of the land necessary in the creation
ana utilization of the water-powsr.
Transmission OF Power.
Tho development in electrical appliances
for tho conversion OF the wa ter-power into
electricity to be transmitted long distances
has progressed far that II Is no longer
problematical, but 1t is certain Inference
mat IN the future the power OF the water.
failing In the streams to a large extent Will
take the place OF natural fuels. In tho dis
position Of tho domain already granted,
absolute ownership and may drift into ono
ownership, SO that all the watcr-powcr UNI
der private ownership shall DO monopoly.
II. however, tho water-power sites now
owned by tho goyernment--and there arc
enough OF them-shnl be disposed OF to pri-
vate persons for the Investment of their
capital In such a way as to prevent their
union Tor purposes OF monopoly with other
water. power sites, and under conditions that
shall limit tho right OF use to not exceeding
thlrty years with renewal privileges. and
some equitable means for fixing terms OF
rental and with proper means for determ!n-
Ing reasonable graduated rental. it would
seem entirely possible to prevent the alb
sofptloh or these most useful lands by n
power monopoly. AS long as the government
retains control and can prevent their i'm
proper union with other plants, competition
must be maintained and prices kept reason.
able.
In considering the conservation of the
natural resources or the country. the feature
woods.
waters. minerals, is the soil of the country
It is incumbent upon the government 10
roster by all available means the resources
OF the country that produce the food OF the
people, To this end the conservation of the
SOILS OF the country should be cared for
with all means at the governments dis
posal. Their productive powers should have
the attention of our scientists that we may
conserve the new soils. improve the old soils.
drain wet soils. ditch swamp soils levee
1iver overflow soils, grow trees on thin
Ia HAnI 10 Nfnf,
all soils. discover methods for cropping dry
land soils. find grasses and legumes for all
soils, feed grains and mill feeds on the
farms whore they originate. that tho soils
from which they como may be enriched.
Conservation Propaganda.
( A work of the utmost importance 10 inform
ana instruct the public on this chief branch
of tho conservation of our resources is be.
Ing carried on successfully In the Depart
ment OF Agricuture; but 1t ought nor to
escape public attention that State action In
culture (as for instance in the drainage OF
swamp lands) is essential to the best treat
ment OF the soils In the manner above in
dicated. - Is
The act by which. In semiarid parts OF the
public domain, the urea OF tho homestead
has been enlarged from 100 to 3eo acres has
OF dry farming" and In the demonstration
which has been made OF tho possbiitv'
through variation in tho character and
mode of culture, OF raising substantial crons
without the presence OF such a supply OF
water as has been heretofore though - ho
necessary for agriculture.
Z But there are millions of acres of com,
pletely arid land in the public domain
which, By the establishment OF reservoirs
for the storing storing OF water and the Irrigation
fruitful and productive than the best lands |
In a climate where tho moisture comes from
the clouds Congress recognized the I'M I
portance OF this method of artificial distri-
button Of water on tho arid lands by the |
passage of the reclamation act. Tho pro |
ceeds OF tho public lands creates the fund I
to build the works needed to store and FUR
nish the necessary water, and 1t was left to /
the Secretary of the Interior to determine I
what projects should be selected among I
those suggested, and to direct the Reolama-
ton Service, with the funds at hand and |.
through the engineers In Its employ. to con-
struct the works
No one can viat the Far West and the
country OF arid and semlarid lands without
being convinced that this is one of the most
important methods of tho conservation OF
our natural resources that the government
has entered upon. It would appear that
over thirty projects have been undertaken,
and that few Of these are likely to be
unsuccessful because OF lack or water. or for
has been done has been we'll done. and /
many important engineering problems have /
been met and solved.
Funds insufficient,
One OF the difficultles which has arisen
Is that too many projects in view of the |
available funds have been set on foot The
iu1ioe asalidp!e uHuer.Stne reclamation stat
ute are inadequate to complete these pro-
jects within reasonable time, And yet the |
protects have been begun: settlers have been
invited g take up and. in many instances
projects relying upon their prompt compile |
ton, The failure to complete the projects !
for their benefit is in efrec,sa breach Of |
faith and leaves them In a most distressed !
condition. urge that the nation ought to
afford the means to lift them out Of ina
very desperate de! condition in which they now
excessive waste or any corruption on the
part OF the Reclamation Service. 1t only
indicates an oyerzealous desire to extend
the beneht of reolamations7to as many acres
and as many States as possible. recon.
mend, therefore. that authority be given to |
time to time. as the Secretary of tho Inter-
Tor shall find it necessary. the proceeds to |
be applied to the completion OF the pro-
Jects already begun and their proper exten-
sion, and the bonds running ten years or
moro to be takeniup by the proceeds OF re-