Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-03-26

Cd IMAM that Nc VI MS 0E4oE1AaAt9
viii freeze for the want OF fuel. The
Ballinger-Pinchot controversy has
already uncovered enough coal In
Alaska 10 last the entire world for
several thousand years at least. Then,
too. the congressional committee has
recently been appointed 70 make fur
Their discoveries. But, seriously, the
natural resources Of the country
should be conserved. nothing should
be wasted nothing destroyed. No
more timber should be cut and no
more coal should be mined than are
actually needed, TO the end that fu-
ture generations may have an album
dance. But. again, what about our
water powers? The waters in our
rivers run on forever. They are not
exhausted BY use. The water power
developed q century ago Is just a.
good and efficient as q power now as
at the beginning, and the power
though used continually viii be las
perpetual a hundred or thousand
years hence as u IL now or was In
the beginning. The power OF how-
Ing water is perpetual and Is In
destructible.
VIII Save Coal and Wood.
This great natural resource that
can never DO exhausted, although it
may be used continually, 1t would
seem should be harnessed and de-
veloped and used In every way pos
aible for the benefit OF the people now
living. a. posterity viii in no way DO
injured. But BY improving and de-
yeloDing our water powers we dimin-
lsh very much the use OF wood and
coal. II the use OF the water pow
ers are prohibited, then coal and
wood must DO used to generate
steam for power. or the wheels OF In
dustry must stop. II would seem
that true conservation OF our natural
resources would be to utilize our
water powers. which are not dimin-
Ished by use, and conserve our wood
and coal. which Is limited In quantity
and sometime Ia the future will all
DO used up and consumed We need
power for manufacturing. for Oper-
ating railroads, for lighting the
streets and buildings In our towns
and cities. and for other purposes al
most without end.
In the great Columbia valley we
have water power suficient not only
70 furnish power for all purposes
needed for the present, but for many
generations to come. including not
only the railroads now constructed,
but all the railroads that will be
needed when our resources shall be
fully developed. The water power
In the Columbia valley Is so great
that II 10000 horsepower on the aV-
erage should DO improved every year
Il would take more than two thons-
and four hundred years before the
last power would DO needed. or II
100. 900 horsepower should be Inn
proved every year It would take two
hundred and forty-one years before
the supply would be used up.
Water powers are local and con.
fined in their operation to compare
lively small areas. Each community
needs power to manufacture Its raw
material into finished products fol
the local or other markets. II the
land upon which these powers arr
situated shall be restored to entry un'
der existing laws. the title for the
most part will go to bona tlde set.
tiers living In the community and
will largely be developed by local
capital. Water powers upon public
lands are not located In cities, but In
the wilderness or In sparsely settled
districts. and II the power should bs
a large one. It win take many years
for its full development. No mar
can afford to put In his time ant
money IN the development OF such I
power upon a leasehold interest. Hi
needs the title In fee simple, He II
not building for himself alone, but
for his children and his children''
children and for pOsterlty.
Dispose % tho Lands.
"The government should cancel III
withdrawal of those lands from en-
try and dispose Of them to the people
who need them and who viii Am
prove them. The title conyeye'
should be without reservation. !
should have no strings upon Il. !
should be absolute. In the very IA
ture Of things there can be no mono
poly in lands or In water powers. TIL
afaeas rsaanRetlyAiw avn the water a