The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-08-29

power in, this State, the draining OF
swamp lands, and the influence Of
forests on the flow of streams and de
precates the fact that SO many of our
farmers of the best sort are emigrat-
ing to Canada when more than 240.
GOO acres of swamp lands are lying
undeveloped in our own State.
In regard to his own work, Mr.
Leighton says: Two years ago Con
gress passed an act providing a large
sum of money for the purchase OF
lands at the head waters of the navi-
gable streams, for the purpose of
making more uniform the stream flow
and for preventing the sand and silt
from washing off the higher lands and
repositing in the nayigable channels
and while that object is primarily
navigation, anything that benefits
navigation in that way will also be a
benefit to water power.
And so it is that the purchases by
the Federal Government, of mountain
lands for National forest purposes is
of direct Importance to the industrial
growth of this region.
The work that has been carried on
in the White Mountains under my I'M
mediate direction was really the most
extensive of the kind ever carried on
in the world 1t was a hydraulic
study OF the relation of forests 10
stream flow During the past five or
six years the engineers, biologists ant
foresters of the country have been i'll
dispute over the relation Of forests TO
stream flow. one party claiming that
forests mitigated the floods and in
creased the low water periods, the
other party claiming that there was
no such appreciate effect, and the
purchase of the lands by the Govern
ment depended entirely upon this
very question. If it were shown that
there was no such effect on stream
flow. the Government could not have
bought an acre of forest land.
But our work has shown unnis-
takably the direct influence. and as
a result of the preliminary report of
the findings the Government has al
ready made large purchases and in
tends to make great many more.
OF conditions in Maine, Mr.. Leigh
ton continued:
These New England States have
hardly begun their real industrial de-
yelopment because up to the present
time only a small part of the water
power that is available here has been
developed. And yet there is no re
gion in the eastern hald of this COIL
tinent which has more dependable
water power privileges than has New
England
"A certain large amount of dovel-
opment has been going on which Is
extremely creditable to the state, but
| believe in the next, say 10 years
from now. We viii be looking back on
the present time as period when
the people realized comparatively lit
lie OF their latent and undeYeloped
pove, resources.
Tie goycrnacnt published. a few
weeks ago. a long report on water
power resources ii the Penobscot
basin which was a surprise even to
those VINO thou II that they were
fairly we'll informed concerning the
water power in that part Of the state.
Although there are some large indus
trial developments in that basin. it IS,
broadly speaking a practically nnde-
veloped region It's water power re
sources. together with those OF die
Kennebec and Androscoggin rivers, are
bound to make the state great center
of manufacturing industry and II ap-
pears to those OF US who have looked
we'll into the whole subject. that the
industry of this state is going to be
measured i'm its development largely
by the wisdom with which the water
powers are developed and the good
Judgment and foresight that the people
of this state will show with reference
to legislation, and the control OF that
waterpower. And the whole question
of control is now in a very favorable
condition.
-Four years ago the Legislature OF
the state organized the State Water
Storage Commission for the purpose
of studying into the whole situation
and making recommendation on the
outlook. That commission was eN-
ceedingly fortunate in having at lis
disposal the results of surveys that
had been previously made by the state
Survey Commission which had coop
Grated with the United States Geolo-
gical survey.
Now the State Storage Commission
continued that work investigating the
developed and undeveloped powers of
the state, and had its powers increased
by the last State Legislature. Cover
nor Plaisted has taken large amount
of interest in the matter so that at
the present time the state is in about
the position of the merchant who has
taken stock In other words, the