The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1910-01-27

A
water-power in the rivers except so
tar as that owned by riparian pro-
prietors. | Go not think it necessary
to go into discussion Of this some
what mooted question of law. 1t
seems 10 me sufficient to say that the
man who OWNS and controls the land
along the stream from which the
! power IS 10 bo converted and trans
mittcd. OWLS land which is indispen
sable to the conversion and use of
that power. | cannot conceive how
the power iii streams flowing
through public lands can be made
available at all except by using the
lard itself as the site for the con-
! struction of the plant by which the
power is generated and converted
and securing ri"ht-of-way there
over for transmission lines. Under
| these conditions. If the government
OWNS the cdiaccut land-inderd. If
nc government * the riparian own
| sr-lt may control the use of the
water-power by imposing proper con
ditions on the disposition of tho land
necessary in the creation and utili-
cation of the water-power.
| 1o 1HWdII mOuOpOly.
| The development in electrical ap-
| plianceS for the conversion OF the
water-power into electricity TO be
transmitted long distances has pro-
| gresSed SO far that il is no longer
| prohicmatical. but il is n certain i'll
ference that III the future the power
of the water falling in the streams
10 large extent will take the place
of natural fuels. In the disposition
of the domain already granted. many
! watcr-power sites have come under
absolute ownership. and may drift in
TO one ownership, SO that all the
water-power under private ownership
shall he n monopoly. If, however,
the water-powcr sites now owned by
the %overnmcnt-andt there are enough
Of them-shall be disposed of to
private persons for the investment of
their capital i'll such Il way as TO pre-
vent their union for purposes of mon
opoly with other waterpower sites,
and under conditions that shall limit
the right OF use to not exceeding
thirty years with renewal privileges
and some equitable means Tor fixing
terms of rental and with proper
graduated rental, it would seem en-
tlrely possible TO prevent the absorp,
tion OF these most useful lands by a
power monopoly. As long as the
government retains control and can
prevent their improver union with
other plants, competition must be
maintained and prices kept reason.
able.
Drainage of Swamp Lands.
A work of the utmost import ancs
to inform an dinstruct the public on
this chief branch of the conservation
OF our resources is being carried or
successfully i'll the Department OF
Agriculture: but ii ought not to
escape public attention that State
action in addition to that of the De-
partment of Agriculture ias for in
stance i'll the drainage of swamp
lands) is essential to the best treat
ment of the soils in the matter above
named.
Dry Farming.
The act by which in semi-arid
parts Of the public domain the area
of the homestead has been enlarged
| from 100 to 320 acres has resulted
most benciicially in the extension Of
dry farming and liz the demon
stration which has been made Of the
possibility. through variation in
the character and mode of culture,
of raising substantial crops without
the presence of such supply of
water has been heretofore thought
TO be necessary for agriculture.
| Rut thppr nrp millions Of g
completely arid lands in the public
domain which. by the establishment
of reservoirs Tor the storing OF water
and the irrigation of the lands. may
be made much more fruitful and pro-
dtctive than the best lands in n eli
mate where the moisture comes from
the clouds. Congress recognizes the
Importance OF this method of artifi-
cial distribution of water on the arid
lands by the passage Of the recla-
nation act. The proceeds Of the pub
lie lands creates the fund to build
the works needed to store and fur
nlsa the necessary water, and it was
left to the Secretary of the Interior
to determine what projects should be
selected among those suggested, and
to direct the Reclamation Service,
with the funds at hand and through
the engineers in its employ, to con
struct the works.
Recommends 100000 in Bonds.
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 I'M
der the reclamation statute are in
adequate to complete these projects
within a reasonable time. And vet