The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-01-20

New Law Requisite.
Respecting the comparatively small
tlmbered areas on the public domain not
included in national forests because OF
their isolation or their special value for
agricultural or mineral purposes, II In APP
parent from the evils resulting by vir-
tue of the imperfections OF existing laws
for the disposition OF timber lands that
the acts OF June 3, 1878. should be re-
pealed and law enacted for the dispo-
sition of the timber at public sale. the
lands after the removal of the timber to
be subject TO appropriation under the
agricultural or mineral land laws,
What | have said is really an epitome
of the recommendations of the secretary
of the interior In respect to the future
conservation of the public domain in his
present annual report He has given
close attention TO the problem OF disposi
ton of these lands under such conditions
as to invite the private capital necessary
to their development on the one hand,
and the maintenance of the restrictions
necessary to prevent monopoly and abuse
from absolute ownership on the other.
These recommendations are Incorporated
In bills he has prepared, and they are at
the disposition Of the congress. earnest
ly recommend that all the suggestions
which he has made with respect to these
lands shall be embodied in statutes and,
especially. that the Withdrawals already
made shall be validated so far as neces-
sary and that doubt as to the authority
of the secretary OF the interior to with
draw lands for the purpose of submitting
recommendations as to future disposition
of them where new legislation is needed
shall be made complete and unquestioned,
Disposition of Forest Reserves.
The forest reserves of the United
States some 100, 200, 600 acres in extent. are
under the control of the department of
agriculture, with authority adequate to
preserve them and to extend their growth
| : far as that may be practicable. The
Importance of the maintenance of our
| forests cannot be exaggerated. The possi-
| bility OF scientific treatment of forests
| so that they shall be made to yield
| large return in timber without really re-
| ducing the supply has been demonstrated
| IN other countries, and we should work
| toward the standard set by them far
| their methods are applicable to our
conditions.
Improvement OF River.
| come now to the Improvement of the
| inland waterways. He would be blind.
| indeed, who did not realize that the peo-
| pie of the far west, and especially those
| of the Mississippi valley, have been
| aroused TO the need there is for the i'm
provement of our inland waterways.
| The Mississippi river, with the Missouri
on the one hand and the Ohio on the
| other would seem TO offer q great nat
| ural means of interstate transportation
| and traffic How far If properly improved
| they would relieve the railroads or sup
| plement them in respect to the bulltier
and cheaper commodities is n matter of
| conjecture No enterprise ought to be
| undertaken the cost of which is not def
| initely ascertained and the benefit and
| advantage of which not known and
assured by competent engineers and other
| authority. When, however. a project of
| a definite character for the Improvement
| "a hD
| that the plans have been drawn, the cost
| definitely estimated and the traffic
which will be accommodated is reason
| ably probable l think 1t is the duty of
| congress to undertake the project and
make provision therefor in the proper APP
| preparation bill
| One of the projects which answers the
| description have given is that of intro
| ducing dams into the Ohio river from
| Pittsburg to Cairo. as to maintain at
| all seasons OF tho year, by slack water.
| depth of nine feet. Upward of seven
| of these dams have already been con-
! structed and six are under construction,
| while the total required is So The re-
naming cost is known to be s63,00O0oo.
| 1t seems to me that in the development
| of our inland waterways it would be
| wise to begin withythis particular project
| and carry 1t through as rapidly as may
| be. assume from reliable information
| that it can be constructed economically
| b
| that the public lands, In river and har-
| Dor bills, make provision for continuing
| contracts to complete this Improvement.
and l shall recommend in the future. If
| 1t be necessary, that bonds be issued to
| carry it through.
| What has been said of the Ohio river
| is true in less complete way of the inn
| provement of the upper Mississippi from
| st. Paul to st. Louis to a constant depth
| of six feet, and of the Missouri from
|
| depth of six feet and from St. Louis to
| Cairo of a depth of eight feet. These
| projects have been pronounced practical
| by competent boards of army engineers,
| their cost has been estimated and there
is business which will follow the i'm
provement.
| AS these improvements are being made,
| and the traffic encouraged by them shows
| itself of sufficient Importance, the inn
| provement of the Mississippi beyond
| Cairo down to the gulf. which is now
| going on with the maintenance OF a depth
| of nine feet everywhere. may be changed
| to another and greater depth IL the neces-
| sity for it shall appear to arise out of the
| traffic which can be delivered on the river
| at Cairo.
| Cheap Rail Rate Necessary.
| j am informed that the investigation
| by the waterways commission in Europe
| shows that the existence of waterway
| by no means assures traffic unless there
| is traffic adapted to water carriage at
| cheap rates at one end or the other of
| the stream. 1t also appears in Europe
| that the depth of the streams Is rarely
more than six fee:, and never more than
| nine. But ii is certain that enormous
| quantities of merchandise are transported
| over the rivers and canals in Germany
and France and England, and 1t is also
certain that the existence of such meth
DDS Of traffic materially affects the rates
which the railroads charge, and IL is thu
| best regulator of those rates that we
| have, not even excepting the govern.
mental regulation through the interstate
| commerce commission. For this reason
/ hope that this congress will take such
| steps that 1t may be called the inaugu-
rator of the new system of inland water
ways, For reasons which II is not nee
| essary here to state. congress has seen
| fit 10 order an investigation into the in
terror department and the forest service
! OF the agricultural department The re-
| suits of that investigation are not needed
| to determine the value Of and the ne
! cessity for the new legislation which
| hay daA in