The Washington times., 1913-04-01
NEWLAND HAS PLAN
TO CONTROL FLOODS
Nevada Senator Explains Needs
and Measures Necessary
to Check Disasters.

to Check OiSasier>.
Declaring emphatically for an intelli-
gent national policy which will put an
end TO large measure of the destruct-
i've visitations of foods. Senator New
lands Of Nevada today set forth his
ideas as to what steps can and should
be taken for the control of rivers and
the prevention of unnecessary ravages
by water.
without a raid on the Treasury. but
by a process of intelligent expenditure
or money over term of years. Senator
NeWlands is convinced that the rivers
can be controlled. This does not mean
that the country can be insured against
disasters from unwonted deluges, such
as the Ohio valley suffered from, but
that much can be done to mitigate the
mood losses of life and property from
which the nation annually suffers.
Now. when the public mind is aroused.
IN the opinion of Senator Newlands, is
the time to act. He SAYS:
Dam System Misunderstood.
In this proposed program. the storage
OF water in reservoirs. is only one of
several means. The opponents of this
policy appear to hope. by substituting
part Tor the whole, and by attributing
TO Its advocates ideas which never en-
tered their minds. to discredit II in
men minds. One public man has even
gone So far as to say: Reservoirs and
oams would have served no good pur-
pose. The fact is, the bursting of reser-
nf Iay,
life and property
The truth appears to be that the dis
asters in Ohio were aggravated by the
giving way of number of ancient
Dams, some Of them dating back to the
year 1s4o, which were known to be un-
saie and which Ohio governors and
boards OF public works have for years
peen yainly trying to have reconstruct
60: Moreover. 1 ask. is it fair to cite
the giving way of such structures as an
argument against the construction of
safe modern works? Does any sensible
man believe that IL these dams had been
recently built by the Government en-
slneers they would have failed7
1T Is to be borne in mind that the |
functions of dam constructed for the |
purpose OF aiding river regulation and |
nooo prevention are exactly opposite Of |
tnose OF dam constructed for the pur- |
pose Of impounding water for domestic |
use. In the latter case, the object is |
10 keep the reservoir as full as possible a!
an the time; while in the former case
the object is to keep it as nearly empty |
as circumstances will permit. The OBJ
ject Is to hold back the flood water and !
check the run-off, tempora riiy. and.
hen, when the danger is past, to lei
the water escape for the Increase of !
Inc now OF the river, and in order that
the storage capacity of the reservoir
tall comes.
Several Plans Proposed.
The means of preventing too rapid
un-off proposed by the advocates of
he enlargement of our river regula-
ion policy are several in number, and
IRE all such as experience has shown
% be helpful TO that end, as well as
beneficial In themselves, aside from
heir effects upon the river. II adopt
q. they VIII bring to the support of
nose who wish TO improve the rivers
nd check the floods. the aid of those
no are interested in the conservation
II our natural resources in timber, In
sater, and in the preservation of the
ertility OF the soil and prevention of
rought as well as the promotion of
Vest. '
II the advocates of river fmprove-
nent have hitherto been given scant ;
onsloeraton by Congress there Will be !
e-enforced by those Interested in the I,
tner form of conservation mentioned.
q snort, we propose to make this the ,
emand of united nation, instead of
My a fraction of it.
First among the means of obstruc+
1g run-off is the preservation OF our {
orests, where they still exist. and OF &
epiantlng them, so far as possible
here they have been DESTROYED.
second means of obstructing run /
in ha
On OF dams for the forma ton of large {
eservolrs. at selected sites on the I
eaoWaters OF Streams. Stripped OF the c
which surrounds II
lis means simply that it is believed r
loush water can be impounded to ex- ,
ice upon foods. and at the same time b
promote navigation by letting out
lie stored water 10 re-enforce the flow r
| times of drought
"A third means is The deepening. wild
iing. ana STRENGTHENING OF river chan
Dis, the building of levees and laying OF
'vetments along the banks. These are
'e methods now and heretofore pur-
led. and there Is no dispute about G
eir propriety. always provided the
ork is done In a comprehensive way
ID under large plans. taking each
yer system as a whole into considera-
on from source 20 mouth. and remov-
9 the apportionment of the appro- l.
iations from political control.
Storage in Soil.
A fourth means of river regulation
ID food prevention. and perhaps the
ost important one. is by the preven- l.
'n OF soil erosion and storage Of
ater in the soil itself. L
If the absorption and retention OF
DISTURB in the soil of cultivated land
uld be increased. the following re- l.
Its may be confidently expected 20
low: Soil loss by teaching and ero-
IN would be greatly reduced run-off l.
,uld be diminished, foods would be
ecked, failure OF crops by drought |
,uld be abolished. and navigation l.
,uld be facilitated
The soil itself would become the
latest of all storage reservoirs one l.
unimae aeinable extent and capacity:
d al the same time the very use TO l.
Itch il was put would increase its
-tility and value.
The means by which this is accom- l.
shed are. briefly. by blowing the sur
20 OF the soil in such a wav as TO
Id back as much as possible OF the ii
nfalI and 10 cause II 10 sink into
ground instead OF running OF.
Urges Scientific Study. Ii
Ny proposal is simply that a compe- Ii
II body be organized to study the
,blems involved and formulate plans
the co-ordinated benefit of all the Ii
erests involved. along these general
es; and that then ample funds shall p;