East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-09-30


the waters Of the western rivers
were considered chiefly valuable as
waterfalls and to provide sceney for
Tourist. to loex at, 1t was good
while sfSer the civil war before pub
lie attenssC was turned to the subject
Of jrrissnsI saa only within the last
twenty years that electricity and the
development of power py water has
ee.e 10 be appreciated. Consistent
with this view, that the rivers were
chiefly valuable for navigation and
only OF incidental value for other
purposes. the rivers of the eastern and
middle portion of the country were
considered of vastly greater value
than the more variable rivers of the
west
In view of the great stretches of
dry, but very fertile land, found in
the western states it soon came to be
understood that these streams applied
to irrigation were more valuable than
the larger eastern rivers for naviga-
tion. with the development of these
streams for the production of electric
power it has been ascertained that
they have a value quite beyond the
imagination of the people in those
earlier periods. While it is true that
the use OF a river for irrigation dimin-
tshes its value for navigation. it is
universally recognized that irrigation
exceeds in importance navigation. For
tuRately, between the use for power
and irrigation, this conflict does not
arise for the reason that the more ex-
esf,
on the comparatively level plain along
the lower stretches of the river, while
IN available points for power exist
near the sources of the stream. in the
higher mountain regions. The use OF
water for power renders profitable
the construction of reservoirs near the
source Withholding the flow during
floed season and allowing the waters
to flow during the dry season, thus
adding to the flow or the stream
when needed for irrigation. I do not
hesitate to assert that within the next
twenty years the area Of land irrigat-
ed by water pumped from subteranean
sources will exceed the area Irrigated
by water diverted from streams. 1t
will therefore be seen that the uses
OF streams for irrigation and power
are cooperative. The one paramount
source of power for pumping is the
electric power generated from flow
ing streams.
I had formerly supposed that the
function of the United States govern
ment and the functions and duties Of
the several states were fairly well un-
derstOed. In recent years this delu-
sion has been dispelled.
Since the United States government
is empowered to control only under
the constitution, and since as to a
number of states, there are no navi-
gable waters therein, and as to ma
jority of the states are no remaining
public lands, and since the function
of the government must be uniform
and equal as to each Of the states, and
since where there are no public lands,
no pretended authority with respect
thereto can be asserted and since
in the absence of navisable rivers, no
pretended authority can be asserted,
il would appear to be an inevitable
conclusion that the federal govern
ment should perform its constitutional
duties to protect navigation in all
states where it exists, and look after
its proprietary interests in the pub
lie lands, where it has public lands
and allow the states, regardless OF
any pretext sr devices, to carry on
and carry out their functions Of gov
ernment and protect their citizens
csntrsl their business and regulate
their nsnopolies exactly as each state
must do where there are no public
lands
We are told that the resources, in
other words, the remaining lands helc
by the United States, belong to al
the PEOPLE. Its infirmity, however i!
that 1t is not true, because the re
sources Of the nation are held by th'
federal government in trust for thu
several states and the people of thos'
states.
We are now confronted with tn
new and startling doctrine that re
gardless of constitutional Limitation
the fuactions of the government
shoud be carried on by that branci
Of the government that can rende
the greatest service 20 and accom-
plish the most good for the people
Under this nebulous jurisdiction ide'
it would be impossible to determine
whether the state or the nation hat
jurisdiction until we had taken TN
census and devised some way OF de
termining in advance which woul'
really be the more efficient. What
hold to be true for all time, is tina
the branch of the government whicl
under our constitutional system
designated as the one having the au
thority is the only branch Of the gov
ernment that can advance or protec
the rights of the people.
About the only argument that ha
been advanced in favor Of bureau
cratic control Of western industrie
and power development is that tn
corporations favor local self-govern
ment In the first place, it is not
question of what the corporations de