Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-02
powers than now exists there, If it can

, u LNlNU SIAh, 4 III
powers than now exists there. II It can
be said to have any government at ALL
II do not stop to dwell upon the lack
of provision for the health of the inhab-
itants and the absence or inadequacy of
laws. the mere statement of which shows
Congress the imperative necessity for
taking action not only to permit the be-
| ginning of the development of Alaska
and the opening of her resources but to
PROVIDE laws which shall give to those
who come under their jurisdiction decent
protection
On the subject Of the prevention of
floods in the lower Colorado river the
President says:
There is transmitted herewith letter
| from the Secretary of the Interior set
ting out the work done under joint reso-
luton approved June Is, 1910, authorizing
the expenditure of 81 OOO, COO or SO much
thereof as might be necessary. to be ex-
pended by the President for the purpose
Of protecting lands and property in the
Imperial valley and elsewhere along the
Colorado river in Arizona: The money
was expended and the protective works
erected, but the disturbances in Mexico
| so delayed the work, and the floods in
the Colorado river were so extensive that
a part of the works has been carried
away, and the need for further action
dIO expenditure money exists. i 90
not make q definite recommendation at
present, for the reason that the plan to
be adopted for the betterment of condi-
| lions near the mouth of the Colorado
river proves to be SO dependent on a free
and full agreement between the govern
ment of Mexico and the government of
the United States as to joint expenditure
and joint use that it is unwise to move
until we can obtain some agreement with
that government which will enable US to
,1nv,aS% T0y1r
adapted to the exigencies presented than
the one adopted. 1t is essential that we
act promptly, and through the State De-
partment the matter is being pressed upon
the attention OF the Mexican government.
Meantime, a report of the engineer in
charge, together with a subsequent re-
port upon his work by a body of experts
appointed by the Secretary of the In
terror, together with an offer by the
Southern Pacific railroad to do the work
at a certain price, with a guaranty for
year, and comment upon this offer
by Brig. Gen. Marshall, late chief of en-
g1neers United States Army, and now
consulting engineer Of the reclamation
service. are all herewith transmitted"
Water-Power Conservation.
Discussing the conservation Of water
power sites, the message says:
In previous communications to Con-
which the water-power sites on non
navigable streams may be controlled as
between the state and national govern
ment. 1t has seemed wise that the con-
troll should be concentrated in one gov
eminent or the other as the active partic-
ipant In supervising its use by private
enterprise. In most cases where the gov
eminent owns what are called water
power sites along non-navigable streams,
Qrn l-%- ,,l<t
which the power in the stream cannot
be used. we have a situation as to owner
ship that may be described as follows:
The federal government has land without
which the power in the stream cannot be
transmitted into electricity and applied at
distance, while it is claimed that the
state under the law of waters as it pre-
walls in many of our western states. con-
trolls the use of the water and gives the
beneficial use to the first and continuous
user In order to secure proper care by
the state governments over these sources
Of power 1t has been proposed that the
government shall deed the water power
site to the state on condition that the
site and all the plant upon 1T shall revert
to the government unless the state parts
with the site only by a lease, the terms
Of which 1t enforces and which requires a
revaluation Of the rental every ten years,
the full term to last not more than fifty
years. A failure of the state to make and
enforce such leases would enable the gov
eminent by an action of forfeiture to re-
cover the power sites and all plants that
might be erected thereon, and this power
OF penalizlng those who succeed to the
control would furnish a motive to COM
pei the observance Of the policy of the
government.
The Secretary of the Interior has
suggested another method by which
directly by the government to those
who exercise a public franchise under
provisions imposing a rental. for the
water power to create fund to be
for the Improvement Of the stream and
the benefit of the local community
where the power site is, and permit
ting the state to regulate the rates
at which the converted power is sold.
The latter method suggested by the
Secretary is a more direct method for
federal control, and in view of the
probable union and systematic organi-
cation and welding together Of the
power derived from water within a ra-
dius of three or four hundred miles,
think 1t better that the power Of con-
troll should remain In the national gov
eminent than that 1t should be turned
over to the state. Under such Il sys-
tenn the federal government would
have such direct supervision of the
whole matter that any honest admins
tration could easily prevent the abuses
which monopoly Of absolute owner
ship in private persons or companies
would make POSSIBLE
Control Of National Parks.
Under the caption. Bureau Of Nation
al Parks Mr.. Taft makes the follow
ing recommendations:
Il earnestly recommend the establish
ment of a bureau Of national parks. Such
legislation is essential to the proper man.
agement Of those wondrous manifesto
tions of nature, SO startling and so beau
tiful that every one recognizes the obi
cations OF the government to preserve
them for the edfication and recreation
of the people. The Yellowstone Park, the
Yosemite, the Grand Canyon Of the Colo
RADIO, the Glacier National Park and the
Mount Rainier National Park and others
furnish appropriate instances. In only
one case have we made anything like
adequate preparation for the use of a
park by the public. That case is the
Yellowstone National Park. Every coll
sideration of patriotism and the love Of
nature and of beauty and Of art requires
us to expend money enough to bring all
these natural wonders within easy reach
of our people. The first step In that di-
rection is the establishment Of respon-
sible bureau. which shall take upon it
self the burden of supervising the parks
and of making recommendations as to
the best method of improving their Access
sibility and usefulness