Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-15

cussion of this somewhat mooted
question of law. 1t seems to me sufTi-
Gent 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 CONVEX
sion and use of that power. cannot
conceive how the power in streams
flowing through public lands can be
made available at all except by using
the land itself as the site for The
construction of the plant by which the
power is generated and converted and
securing right of way thersover for
transmission lines. Under these con
ditions, if the government owns the
adjacent land-indeed if the govern
nient is the riparian owner-it may
control the use of the water power by
imposing proper conditions on the dis.
position of the land necessary in the
creation and utilization of the water
power
How to Avoid Monopoly.
The development in electrical ap-
pliances for the conversion of water
power into electricity to be transmit
ted long distances has progressed so
far that it is no longer problematical,
but it is certain inference that in
the future the power of the water fall
ing in the streams to large extent
will take the place of natural fuels.
In the disposition of the domain al
ready granted, many water power
sites have come under absolute own
ership and may drift into one owner
ship, 80 that all the water power I'M
der private ownership shall be mo-
nopoly. If, however, the water power
sites now owned by the government
and there are enough of them-shall
be disposed of to rivate persons for
the investment { their capital in
such a way as to l-event their union
for purposes of monopoly with other
water power sites, and under condi-
lions that shall limit the right of use
to not. exceeding fifty years with re-
newal privileges and some equitable
means for fixing terms of rental and
with proper means for determining a
reasonable graduated rental, 1t 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 9th
er plants, competition must be main
tanned and prices kept reasonable
Fostering Soil Culture.
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 incum-
bent 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 con-
servation of the soils of the county
should be cared for with all means at
the governments disposal Their pro
ductive powers should have the alter
ton Of our scientists that we may con
serve 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, rotate crops on all soils, discover
methods for cropping dry land soils,
find grasses and legumes for all soils,
feed grain and mill feeds on the farms
where they originate, that the soils
from which come may be enriched.
A work of the utmost Importance to
inform and instruct the public on this
chief branch OF the conservation of
our resources is being carried on sue
cessfully in the department of agri-
culture; but it ought not to escape
public attention that state action
! in addition to that of the department
of agriculture Gas for instance in the
drainage of swamp lands), is essential
to the best treatment of the soils in
| the manner above indicated.
Reclamation of Arid Lands.
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
beneficially in the extension of dry
| farming" and in the demonstration
which has been made of the POSSIBLE
| ity, through a variation in the char
acter and mode of culture, of raising
substantial crops without the presence
of such supply of water as has
been heretofore thought to be neces
sary for agriculture.
4 But there are millions of acres OF
completely arid land 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 eli
mate where the moisture comes from
the clouds. Congress recognized 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 q fund to build works need
ed to store and furnish the necessary
water and it was left to the secretary
of the interior to determine what pro
| jects should be selected among those
1 suggested, and to direct the reclama
ton service, with the funds at hant
and through the engineers in it's EN-
ploy to construct the works.
! Would Spend $3o,ooo,ooo More.
( No one can visit the far west ant
the country of arid and semi-arid
lands without being convinced tina
this is one of the most importan
methods of the conservation of ou
national resources that the govern
ment has entered upon. 1t would ap
pear that over 80 projects have beef
under taken. and that few of thes,
I~r ~ - op,,1