Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-14

: the transfer of sovereignty from the
federal government to the territorial
governments as they become states, in
cluded the water power in the rivers
except so far as that owned by ripar-
ian proprietors. i do not think it nee
essary to go into 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 converted and transmitted,
owns land which is Indispensable to
the conversion and use of that power
can not conceive how the power in
streams flowing thru public lands can
be made available at all except by us
ing the land itself as the site for the
construction of the plant by which the
power is generated ard converted and
securing right of way thereover for
transmission lines.
In the disposition of the domain al
ready granted, many water power sites
have come under absolute ownership,
and may drift into one ownership so
THAT all the water power under private
ownership shall be Il 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 invest
ment OF their capital in such way
as to prevent their union for purposes
OF monopoly with other water power
Sites and under conditions that shall
limit the right of use to not exceeding
nifty years and with proper means for
determining reasonable graduated
rental, and with some equitable pro-
vision for fixing terms of renewal. it
would seem entirely possible to prevent
the absorption of these most useful
lands by 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 reasonable.
Conservation of Soils.
In considering the conservation of
the natural resources of the country.
the feature that transcends all Others.
including woods, waters. minerals, is
the soil of the country. 1t is incumb-
ent upon the government to foster 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 gov
ernments disposal. 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 river overflow Soils grow trees
on thin soils, pasture hillside soils, ro-
tate crops on all soils, discover meth
5ry, snil frr
grasses and legumes for all soils, feed
grain and mill feeds on the farms
where they originate, that the soils
from which they come be enriched
The Semi arid Domain
The act by which, in semi-arid parts
; of the public domain the area of the
homestead has been enlarged from 100
to 800 acres has resulted most bene-
ficially in the extension of dry farm
ing" and in the demonstration which
has been made of the possibility, thru
} a variation in the character and mode
of culture, of raising substantial crops
3 without the presence of such a supply
r of water as has been heretofore thought
: to be necessary for agriculture.
Y No one can visit the far west and
!, the country of arid and semi-arid
is one of the most important methods
of the conservation of our national re-
: sources that the government has en-
: tered upon. 1t would appear that over
thirty projects have been undertaken
and that few of these are likely to
be unsuccessful because of the lack of
f water or for other reasons, but gem
orally the work which has been done
hos hnn md ,,.+
e ant engineering problems have been
s met and solved.
e Projects Need Federal Aid.
g One of the difficulties which has
arisen is that too many projects in
r view of the available funds have been
S set on foot. The funds available under
Q the reclamation statute are inadequate
to complete these projects, within a
G reasonable time. And yet the projects
have been begun; settlers have been
: invited to take up and in many in
n stances, have taken up. the public land
within the projects, relying upon THEN
r prompt completion. The failure to com
+ plete the projects for their benefit is
= is effect, a breach of faith and leaves
p them in most distressed condition.
urge that the nation ought to afford
q desperate condition in which they now
, are. This condition does not indicate
any excessive waste or any corrIp-
6 ton on the part of the reclamation
I service. 1t only indicates an over zeal
Gus desire to extend the benefit of re-
clamation to as many acres and as
many states as possible. recommend
! therefore, that authority be given tc
a issue, not exceeding $50, 900 900 of bonds
i, from time to time. as the secretary Of
: the interior shall find it necessary, the
proceeds to be applied to the compile
ton of the projects already begun ant
their proper extension, and the bonds
q running ten years or more, to be tax.
: en- up ny the proceeds of returns to the
reclamation fund, which returns, as
= the years go on, will increase rapidly
= in amount.
= Little Doing to Renew Forests.
Upwards of 4O0,O00,O00 acres of fores
= land in this country are in privat,
= ownership, but only per cent of 1t i.
= being treated scientifically and with
! view to the maintenance of the forests
), The part played by the forests in tn,
: equalization of the supply of water OF
. watersheds is a matter of discussion
!. \