The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-07
INTEREST IN WATER CONTROL.

the East call keen attention TO the
Newlands proposition for the Govern
meut to introduce comprehensive plan
for handling the waters of the Missis.
Isippi valley from the Allegheny to the
Rocky Mountains, and all other
streams, also, that make themselves
troublesome; and that proposition is
certain to receive greater attention in
Congress now than it has received here
toforc. We had been of the impression
that Senator Ncwlands s bill to begin
this work had passed the Senate. 1t
seems this was a mistake. He was not
able to incorporate his measure as an
amendment TO the river and harbor ap-
preparation bill, but in the destructive
example which is now upon the coun-
try OF the evils inflicted in not enter
ing upon such work as his bill pro-
posed. il should be an easy matter
for him to press the proposition more
strongly upon Congress than ever be-
fore. 1t was reckoned by the New
York Tribune that Mr.. Newlands in
proposing this bin chad the satisfac-
ton at least Of knowing that he was
| leading n movement with which his less
constructive colleagues would soon be
tumbling over one another to catch
Iup; and that is what is likely to
happen in the present Congress when
| it gets in regular session, if in fact il
does not take up the matter during the
special session that begins today,
That Mr.. Newlands "was states.
man ahead Of the times" in presenting
his proposition appears now clear
enough to everybody, although it seems
| TO us remarkable that this should be
the case, since the yearly recurring
floods ought to have warned the coun-
| try long ago that system Of handling
the flood waters of all of our rivers
would be necessity that will be not
only economically justified but made
imperative.
1t is fairly said that "when Mr.
Newlands introduces his waterway com
mission scheme to the new Congress he
will be listened to as a man who fore
saw dangers to which most of his as
socates remained blind. His plan for
State and Federal cooperation in I'M
proving and regulating the river sys-
TENS OF the country will have to be
considered, because it seems to clear
the wav TO a study OF one of the cru
cial problems Of the near future And
the conclusion is fairly justified that
the conservation Of natural resources
includes not only the preservation of
forests and mineral lands in trust for
the future. but also the control Of water
power in such way as To aid naviga-
tion and industry and to prevent de-
struction. -
1t is correctly said that "most Eu.
ropean countries have harnessed their
navigable streams and turned them to
wholly beneficial uses and while. it
is true that our vast area and the i'm
lmensity of our river basins will make
this problem far more difficult here
than it is in Europe, yet il is prob.
lem that "the Nation must face, not
only with courage and enterprise, since
il is a solution representing in many
wavs the final triumph Of civilization
on this continent over natures rude
and petulant forces,n but it will be
proposition justified economically, be.
cause it will pay. 1t is certainly the
part Of business prudence and fore.
thought TO take measures to avert the
tremendous waste that is suffered year.
" in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys
| by reason of the annual floods When
the Ohio valley gets off with an an.
nual loss Of sl0,000,00O by the floods
| it considers itself fortunate The lower
Mississippi suffers damages often many
times greater than that; and so very
few years make up a tremendous sum
in losses. But the expenditure OF an
amount that would represnrt the losses,
say, of twenty or twenty-five years
would probably put in system OF
water impounding and control that
would practically exempt all that region
from losses.
The State Of New York is especially
interested in the handling Of its flood
waters, and Conservation Commissioner
John u. Moore Of that State condemns
the policy of allowing floods TO destroy
property and imperil the lives of hu-
man beings year after year. He points
out with a severity Of criticism that is
wholly justified, the imbecility OF
civilized men taking the same course
that the savage man does in simply
awaiting the floods and then doing his
best to get out of their way, Civilized
men should do something better than
F, this. They ought 10 be able To- fore
see from year 10 year the inevitable
floods, and TO take such measures as
will protect themselves from the loss
Of life and the waste Of property in
volved therein. Specifically, Mr.. Moore
proposes TO put in lake in the region
of the upper Hudson with n surface
of more than forty-two square miles
which would impound sO.OuJ. COO. .o0O
cubic feet OF water aud by this meaus