The Detroit times., 1910-01-14


shall be made TO yield large return
I'm timber without really reducing the
supply has been demonstrated In other
countries. and We should work toward
the standard set by them as far as
their methods are applicable 10 our
conditions.
Control 4. Up 90 states.
Upwards OF 400. .000.00 acres OF for
est land Iva this country are In private
ownership, but only per cent OF II IL
being treated scientifically and with
view 10 the maintenance OF the forests
The part played by the forests In the
! equalization of the supply OF water
on watersheds II a matter OF discussion
and dispute. but the general benefit to
be derived by the public from the es-
tension OF forest lands on watersheds
trees In places that are now denuded
and that once had great fiourtshins
forests. goes without saying. The cor
! troll 10 be- exercised over private owners
| in their treatment OF tile forests whica
| they own is "A matter for state ana not
national Regulation, because there Is
nothing In the constitution. that auth
orizes the federal government 10 eNer-
else any control ever forests within "A
state unless the Forests are owned IN
q proprietary way by the federal gov
II has been proposed and a bill for
the purpose passed the lower house an
! the last congress, that the nationai
government appropriate certain
amount each year out OF the receipts
| from the forestry business OF the gov
ernment To institute reforestation at
streams 10 be selected by the geologi-
cal survey. with view to determining
the, practicability OF thus impi oving
and protecting the streams for federal
purposes. think "a moderate expendi-
| ture for each year for this purpose:
for a period OF ave or ten years, would
/ be of the utmost benefit In the develop
ment or our forestry system"
I come now TO the Improvement OF
the inland waterways. He wouid De
blind. inded. who did not realize that
peciaily those OF the Mississippi valley.
| have been aroused TO the need there
waterway. The Mississippi river with
/ the Missouri on the one hand ana the
Ohio on the other, would seem TO offer
great natural means OF Interstate
transportation and traffic. How far, III
properly improved, they would relieve
! the railroads or supplement them In
| respect to the bulkier and cheaper
commodities. is matter OF conjecture.
| No enterprise ought TO he undertaken
| tho cost OF which is not definitely as
certained and the benefit and advan-
sured by competent engineers and 9TH
er authority. when. however. pro-
| 1ect OF a definite character for the i'm
| provement OF waterway has been
developed so that the plans have been
| drawn. the cost definitely estimated.
and the traffic which VIII be accom-
mOdated is rcuSOnaDly prODdDic tnlnh
(, IL Is the duty OF congress to undertake
| the project and make provision there
for In the proper appropriation bill
One OF the projects which answers
tine description I have given is that OF
Introducing dams In the Ohio river
from Pittsburg to Cairo. so as 10 main
tain at all seasons OF the year by
! wards OF seven OF these dams have
| already been constructed and SIX arc
under construction. while the total re-
90 fss Tha m
| known 20 he $63, ,000. .000.
II seems to me that I'm the develop
ment OF our inland waterways II would
he wise to begin with this particular
project and carry II through as rapid
! lv as may be. Il assume from reliable
information. that II can be constructed
economically In IL years.
improvements Of Waterways.
! What has been said OF the Ohio river
! Is true in a less complete way of the
! improvements OF the upper Mississippi
, from 50. Paul 10 st. Louis to "A constant
depth OF SIX feet and OF the Missouri
| from Kansas civ to st. Louis to a con-
slant depta OF eight feet. These pro-
! tects have been pronounced practical
| bv competent boards OF army engi-
neers. their cost has been estimated
and there Is business which viii fol-
| low the Improvement.
I recommend. therefore. that the
present congress. I'm the river and har-
Dor bill, make provision for contin-
uing contracts to complete these i'm
l
AS these improvements are being
made, and the traffic encouraged by
! then. shows itself Of sufficient nrort-
ance. the Improvement OF the Mississir-
vi beyond Cairo down TO the gulf.
which Is now going on with the main
tcnance OF a depth of nine feet every.
where. may he changed to another and
! creator depth If the necessity for IL
shall appear to arise out OF the traf-
hc " hich can be delivered on the river
! am Informed that the investigation
! by the waterways commission in Eu
rope shows that the existence OF wa
less there is traffic adapted to water
, carriage at cheap rates at one end or
the other OF the stream. II also ap
pears in Europe that the depth of the
rV tidal streams is rarely more than
six feet, and never more than ten. But
! II Is certain that enormous quantities
the rivers and canals in Germany and
| France and England. and IL is also GER
! tain that the existence OF such me ethods
of traffic materially affects the. rates
which the railroads charge, and II Is
! the best regulator OF those rates that
we have. not even excepting the gov
ernmental regulation through the In
terstate commerce commission. For
| this reason, I hope that this congress
will take such steps that II may he
called the inaugurator OF the new sys-
| tenn OF inland waterways.
For reasons which 1t Is not neces-
sarv here to state congress has seen
1T to order an Investigation into the In
terror department and the forest SER
! vice OF the agricultural department.
| The results OF that investigation are
not needed TO determine the value OF,
and the necessity for. the new legisla-
tion which have recommended In re-
spect to the public lands and I'm respect
to reclamation. 7 earnestly urge that
| the measures recommended be takeS
up and disposed of promptly without
| awaiting the investigation which has
been determined upon.
| VIM. ". TAFT.
| The White House. Jan. a. 1910.
\
| hAIlN ARHIIEc HACE