The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-09
A SIGNIFICANT WARNING.

exploited That is the recent order Oh
the War Department which looks to-
ward action by the Federal government
by way of flood prevention for the fu-
ture.
In the Musliingum river valley are
number Of the places in Ohio that
were especially devastated by those
floods Three Ohio counties arc con-
cerned in that drainage area, The
authorities Of these counties have been
proceeding to let contracts for the
building Of bridges and repairing of
highways so as to repair the ravages of
the floods. These authorities have re-
ccived notice from the War Depart
ment to postpone the contracts which
gency law passed by the Ohio Isegis-
lature which authorized these county
officials to make contracts for repair
ing and rebuilding. The order from
the War Department indicates that the
government engineers will make sur
veys with the idea of increasing the
flow in the streams by the removal Of
all distractions. The National pro-
gramme will be TO require bridges to
be built. with fewer piers; and all
concerned have been directed to stop
work under penalty Of prosecution in
the Federal courts Inasmuch as the
Muskingum is classed as a navigable
stream, the government has control, and
is supreme in the matter of handling
that stream for purposes of naviga
ton. Congressman representing the
districts affected by last springs floods
have stirred the War Department up
TO activity in this matter, urging the
necessity of Federal action to make
effective the control Of Goods They
hold that by the proper action Of the
government the floods, even such foods
as those of last spring, can be rendered
comparatively harmless to life and
property.
1t is good to see the beginning of
this Federal activity with respect to
the control of streams in their food
stages. The urgent need doubtless is
felt in Ohio and Indiana; therefore. it
is quite appropriate that the begin
nings Of Federal control in this matter
should be applied in these localities;
but it is to be hoped that the activity
thus begun will be made general, and
that a comprehensive plan of handling
all the navigable streams of the United
States will be undertaken by the Fed
ough and systematic work be done.
If the United States would put in
sufficient reservoirs at the head waters
of the Ohio, Mississippi, and Mis-
souri, rivers. and levee the lower Mis-,
sissippi in such a way that the waters
could be confined UP to a certain point,
and then distributed for fertilizing the
States Of Louisiana and Mississippi,
Just as the Nile fertihzes Egypt, VIC
should have an ideal water system
which would be effective in prevent
ing all damages by floods, would uti-
ize the waters for irrigation, for power
purposes, and for the conserving of
coal through the use of electric en-.
ergy.
A great pattern in this matter has
been set by the construction of the
kcokuk dam in the Mississippi river.
which has developed 100000 horse
power and is serving st. Louis with
light and power at u cost that is
great reduction over former charges,
The Federal government is the only
power sufficient to do the general work
called for in handling the great streams.
and it is to be hoped that the gov
ernment will realize not only IT'S duty
but its great advantage in this, and
will take hold of the work so as to
make 1T at once economical and bcne-
fetal TO the people and financially prof
liable to the United States.
In comparison with the tri1ing put
tering in the attempted National con
troll Of little waterfalls in the hills OF
all this arid region, what an opportu.
nity is offered to the United States for
the making. controlling and selling of
water power in the great river systems
of the Mississippi valley. and Of the
Atlantic and Pacific slopes, where reve.
nues beyond the dreams of the conser.
vationsts could be had, not only with
out oppression, but TO the relief of
manufacturing and industrial enter
prises by the selling Of electrical power
developed from the streams by Federal
utilization, from which revenues could
be derived that would be indeed worth
while, 1t is probable that the United
States could obtain in the way Of reve.
uues from the development Of it's river
systems, as suggested, not only enough
money ultimately to repay the whole
cost, but in the meanwhile return good
interest on the investment