Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-14


that the credit of the United States
will be pledged for their redemption.
l urge consideration of the recon-
mendatlons of the secretary of the In
terror in his annual report for amend
ments of the reclamation act, proposing
other relief for settlers on those prof.
ects.
TIMBERED AREAS.
Respecting the comparatively small
timbered areas on the public domain
not included in national forests be-
cause of their isolation or their special
value for agricultural or mineral pur-
poses, 1t is apparent from the evils re-
sulting by virtue of the imperfectionS
of existing laws for the disposition OF
timberlands that the acts of June 8,
1S7S should be repealed and law en-
acted for disposition of the timber 10
be subject to appropriation under the
agricultural or mineral lands laws.
What have said is really an cpitome
of the recommendations of the sccrs-
tary of the interior In respect to the fu-
ture conservation of public domain in
its present annual report.
He has given close attention to the
problem of disposition of these lands
under such conditions as to invite the
private capital necessary to their de-
yelopment oa the ore hand and the
maintenance of the restrictions neces-
sary to prevent monopoly and abuse
from absolute ownership on the other
These recommendations are incorporat-
ed In bills he has prepared, and they
are at the disposition of Congress l
earnestly recommend that all sugges-
tions which he has made with respect
to these lands shall be embodied in
statutes and especially, that withdraw
ais already made shall be validated SO
far as necessary. and that doubt MS
to the authority of the secretary of the
interior to withdraw lands for the pur-
pose of submitting recommendations
as to future disposition of them where
new legislation IL needed shall be made
complete and unquestioned.
FOREST RESERVES.
Tho forest reserves of the United
states some 19O 600, 900 acres in extent
are under control of the department
of agriculture, with authority adequate
to preserve them and to extend their
growth so far as that may be prac-
ticable. The Importance of the NAM
tenance of our forests cannot be eXag-
scrated The possibility of scientinc
treatment of forests in order that they
shall be made to yield a large return IN
timber without really reducing the sup
nly has been demonstrated In other
countries and we should work toward
the standard set by them as far as
their methods arc applicable to our
conditions. 49,.
ITnwards of 100 million acres of Forest
land in this country are In privato oWn-
ershln but only per cent OF IL ls pc
ing treated scientifically and with view
to the maintenance of forests Tne par
nlayed by forests in the equalization OF
the supply Of water c on rG waHerS,uS dIsnnte hut
the general benefit to be derived by
the public from the extension OF 1orest
lands on watersheds and the promotion
of the growth of trees In places ina.
arc now denuded and that once had
great fourishing forests. goes without
Saving, The control to be exercised over
nriyate owners in their treatment OF
forests which they own, is matter for
state and not national regulation. be-
cause there is nothing in the Constitu-
tion that authorizes the federal govern
ment to exercise any control over 1or-
ests within n state unless the forests
are owned in n proprietary way by the
federal government. 80
1t has been proposed ana Dill LOT
the purpose passed the lower house In
the last Congress that the national gov
crnment appropriate a certain amount
each wear out of the receipts OF the for-
cstry business OF the government to In
stit,Ite reforcstation at the sources of
certain navigablc streams to he selected
by the geological survey with view
TO determining the practicability of thus
improving and protecting the streams Tor
federal purposes ] think a moderate
cynenditure for each of these purposes,
for q period OF D or 10 years. would be
OF the utmost benefit in the development
of our forestry system.
INLAND WATERWAYS.
7 come now to Improvement OF inland
waterways. He would be blind, indeed.
who did not realize that the people OF
the entire west and especially those of
the Mississippi valley, have been arous-
ed to the need for the Improvement OF
our inland waterways The Mississippi
river with the Missouri on the one hand
and the Ohio on the other would seem
to offer a natural means OF Interstate
transportation and traffic. How far. IL
properly improved. they would relieve
the railroads or supplement them In re-
spect TO the buliSier and cheaper commodi-
| ties Is a matter of conjecture. No enter
prise ought to be undertaken. the cost
| of which is not definitely ascertained
| and the benoft and advantage of which
| are not known and assured by compe-
! tent engineers and other authority.
| When however. project OF definite
| character for Improvement OF a water
! way has been developed so that plans
mated and traffic, which Will be accom-
| modatcd is reasonably probable. think
| II IS tho duty CT Congress to undertake
| the project and make provision there
for in tho proper nppa0prla.ion ~ Dill.
| criptlon 1 have given. is that of intro
| ducIng dams into the Ohio river from
| Plttsburg to Cairo. so as TO maintain at
ter a depth OF feet Upward OF seven
| of these dams have already been con-
| structed and six are under construc-
| tion, while the total required Is 81. Tho
remaining cost is known 10 be 10000.
| 1t seems TO me in tho development