The Cairo bulletin., 1912-09-27
ROOSEVELT SAYS
NATION FACES
RIVERS CONTROL
Concluded from Page 'One.) >

lem is much greater than keepinS
the water of the lands of any one
SET Of men. 1t really concerns
changing the conditions under which
half the continent IL drained and
turning our giant internal river sys-
TEN into one of the greatest OF
national assets The problem is a
national one, not fot the state, be-
cause what threatens each state with
ruin il often not anything which
can be made beneficial, to that state.
The federal government should har-
ness the waters of the Mississippi
river drainage basin. Nc one state
AN do even small part OF the
work in first class fashion, Take
Louisiana, for instance although
the great drainage ditch OF the Mis-
sissippi flows right through Louis
lana. the drainage of Louisiana her
self does not dow into this ditch,
but into the gulf. Louisiana spends
millions to keep the drainage OF
1tner states off her fertile cane and
ice and vegetable plantations, She
| .ven maintains great leyee line
| wholly within the state of Arkansas
Is a necessary link in her protec-
| lion. Yet she has no control over
/ the states where the foods form
| )nly the federal government has
| such control; and the federal gov
| ernmant must not shirk its duty
lat must keep the drainage ditch in
order and prevent the formation Of
! he tremendous floods which threat
n ruin to our entire region. In
hus keeping it in order il IL clearlr
GOOD business rclicy to turn II int
| an asset Of navigation, Of power, q
irrigation, ana to make II pay huge
! dividends to all our people in the
shape Of a permanent prosperity
10 not ask that the federal govern
| ment confine itself to butrlins
tlevees from Cairo to the gulf. ash
that The federal government build
these levees as q part Of a program
to harness the river and its tribu-
Itaries and make them useful agents
If business in place of dangerou
agents Of destruction
| Strong Levees Cairo South.
| cit is TO this work that ] wouli
TASK the United States now to tuIr
Its attention jgst as it has turne'
| is attention to digging the Pananf
anal. Let us use the expert kncwl
| sligo and the plant itself for the con
| troll OF the waters of the great inlant
| ,asiu which occupies over half q
| be area of the republic. TIL
| ourca streams must be harnes set
rhe freshet waters should be lei
| n reservoirs to be used for irr 81
lion and conserved for dry-seaso
| navigation, while strong leyee
| tuilt from Cairo TO the Gulf vii
iold the already partly controile
| foods. As the Louisiana legislator
las said. the nation cannot af'or,
'onger TO permit its resources of soil
| # power, Of water and of naviga
/ ion 70 be carried as wasteful an.
destructive food to the sea. Sine,
he states themselves cannot in tht
reaeral interest prevent this waste
hit federal government should ca
he problem as whole, and grapplt
with it III the only efficient "
' ~ conserving such floods as heii
source and thereby subtecting hen
lat every stage Of their hitherto
wasted existence to beneficial Uses
Discussing the relation OF fc est,
stream flow, Col. Roosevelt dc
Jared that one great reason ahS
Goods are growing more nun on
was because OF the denhdlng IN
lands of their forests
Wants Reservoir System.
Some men OF good reptile hay,
lenied the relation of foresls t.
stream flow" he said Others viii;
iha,c firmly believed in the tru;h @
/ 1t. until recently have been urabl
To produce figures their opponent
could not deny Now. however, tbs
| facts are proved beyond the shadow
Iof doubt b. the work of the gov
ternment In the White Mouatair
Iregien of New Hampshire. Durin
thu periods of high water las
April. to use that one example, thi
low from the deforested watershed
Twas not far from double the flow
from the forested watershed, ares
for area, while there was deep snow
still in the forests after it had en-
tirely disappeared from the open
Further Investigations not yet pub
ished show still more strongly tht
effect of forests on stream flow
These conclusions confirm the resul
of the forest service. Therefore W,
may regard the question as settled
beyond dispute"
Col. Roosevelt recommended TIL
construction of a complete reservoi
system
| lopN Wdtfl iblStl ' dliplI W lpI
ests and reservoirs will meet man,
needs" he declared. when it Il
accomplished by the nation, for onl.
the nation can accomplish 1t, you o
the lower Mississippi Valley vii
peFer again be submerged by grea
| floods. The present levee system
strengthened and maintained as /