Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-01-29
BILLIONS OF
new WEALTH.
NEWLANDSP Plan

VLULnlVUUlLnlV
Special to The Tribune
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29-Four bill
lion dollars more in farm products
each year, this sum added annually
to the wealth in the United States for
the prosperity Of its farmers, merch-
ants, manufacturers, railroads and
and their employees this is the
result of a national business invest
ment under consideration in this con-
gress. 1t is proposed in the bill for
river regulation drawn by Senator
Newlands and known as the Newlands
bill.
Four billion dollars per annum in
perpetuitv from the investment by
Uncle Sam of $50. 100000 a year for
ten years, or $500, 100000.
The Newlands bill has scope big
enough to perform as a harmonious
whole the big tasks to which the gov
eminent has Sc: It's hand.
The bill is considered one of the
hroadest and most comprehensive con-
servation measures eve: drafted. BY
coupline all til: work proposed by 1t
with the idea Of promoting Interstate
commerce by means Of navigable riv-
ers it brings within the constitutional
limitations of the federal government
such tasks as the drainage and recla-
nation of swamp lands, the irrigation
of arid and semi-arid lands, the pro-
lection of forests, the elimination OF
dangers from floods etc.
The Newlands bill has received ohe
enthusiastic endorsement Of many
public men and associations. 1t was
Endorsed unqualiiedly at the nine
teenth meeting Of the National Irri-
cation Congress held recently in Chi.
cago 1t is being earnestly supported
by the Pittsburg Flood Commission.
1t has jusN been Endorsed by the
American Reclamation Federation at
the annual meeting in Chicago. 1t
has the support Of most Of the mem
bers Of the National Drainage Con-
gress, organized in Chicago last month
and probably will be officially Endorsed
by that organization at its second
Meeting at New Orleans April 10 to
10.
Scope Of the Bill.
The bill appropriates fifty million
dollars a year for ten years for the
"River Regulation Fund" to be used
for the regulation Of interstate com
merce and in aid thereof for examin
ations and surveys and for the con
struction of engineering and Other
works and projects for the regula
ton and control of the flow Of navig
able rivers and their tributaries anc
source streams, and for the standard
ization Of such flow, and for floot
prevention and protection, by the es
tablishment, construction and main
tenance of natural and artificial res
ervoirs, and by the protection OF wat
ersheds from denudation and erosion
and from forest fires. and by the main
tenance and extension of WOODLAND
and other protective cover thereon
and by the reclamation of swamp ant
overflow lands, and by the building o
drainage and irrigation works and b!
doing all things necessary to provide
for any and all beneficial uses o
water, that will contribute to its con
servation or storage in the ground o
in surface reservoirs as an aid to tn
regulation or control Of the flow o
rivers =; the purpose Of thi
act being river regulation and tn
control Of the volume of water form
ing the stage of the river from 1t
sources, so as to standardize the
river flow as contradistinguishe
from and supplemental to channel i'm
provement as heretofore undertaken
and provided for under the varlou
acts commonly known as the rive
and (harbor acts"
co-ordinated Management
The fund is to be expended by
BOARD Of River Regulation" consist
ing of the Chief of Engineers Of tn
United States Army, the Director o
the U. S. Geological Survey, the Chic
Forester the Director of the Reclama
ton Service the Chief OF the Bureau
or RANT luuuSIIy' zig 0o~Aoe0AS Va Wv
Smithsonian Institute, one civil engin
eer, one sanitary engineer, and ont
hydro-e. ectric engineer. The board II
to cooperate with the various states
municipalities, public and quasi-publi<
corporations, towns, countless. dis
tricts, communities, persons and as
sociations.
The Director of the Reclamation
service shall extend his work to in
clude the reclamation of land by drain
age as we'll as by irrigation, but the
the irrigation fund now being used un
der the act of 1902 is not to be used
for the new work.
Section 10 Of the bill gives long
list Of proposed work, under the cap
ton comprehensive plans for river
regulation" This list includes prac'
tically every use to which water can
be put, all with the avowed object OF
storing the surplus waters In natura!
or artificial reservoirs, or on irrigated
lands in order to control the flow OF