Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-10-08
HAS PORK BARI
system ENDED?
Defeat of So Million r. and
II. Bill Believed to Be
Death Blow.
SYSTEMATIZE WORK
NeWlandS' Plan for Flood Control and
Waterway Development Will
Likely Be Followed in
Future.
(By Victor Elliott.)

Washington, Oct. ;,-Tne achieve
ment of Senator Bur,on, assisted by
Senator Kenyon An defeating the So3,-
100000 river and iarbor pork barrel
appropriation and substituting for it
straight grant of $20,000,0OU to be
extended under the direction OF trs
secretar yof war seems to be the
death blow to the pork system.
Hence forth the river and harbor
improvements are likely to be en-
trusted to techinacal experts, organic
ed in permanent national board
under the war department. Or the in
| terror department.
| This plan OF getting away from po-
litical dividing-up OF the improvement
| funds has been the special care OF
| Senator Newlands of Nevada for ten
, years or longer. His bill on flood
control and waterway development
has been a feature of the debate IN
each succeeding congress since
Rocsevelt's first term in the white
house. 1t is just now coming into
! its own, and even Republican soma
tors now declare that the NeWlands
plan, or something similar to it, Will
be passed by beth houses before two
years are gone.
creation Of permanent
The Newland plan provides for the
| creation OF a permanent federal COM
mission, which shall be charged with
the duty Of studying and dealing VITA
the entire problem OF regulating the
flow of streams throughout the Unit
ed States, and providing deep-water
terminals for traffic at all ports. In
place of the present arrangement
whereby local delegations come to
Washington and demand improvement
OF their harbor or the building OIL
levees to protect their neighborhood
| from floods, the commission would
prepare detailed information on the
comparative needs of all parts OF the
country Harbor improvements would
| be planned after a scientific calcula-
ton OF the probable commercial
growth Of the regian. River improve
ments would be based on decision
as to how the water could best be
kept at an even flow throughout the
year.
In most cases the western river
which has destructive flood In early
spring and killing drouth in the
summer would be controlled by re-
| forestation of it's watershed, by reser-
voirs and by preventment work.
Levess, except along the lower end
OF the Mississippi, are believed to be
unnecessary in the long run.
Reforestation of the cut-over and
washed out lands along the mountain
slopes and foothills at , the head
! waters OF the rivers will serve to mold
back the waters melting off in the
first warm days Of early spring. me
thick layer OF fallen leaves, twigs,
moss and other forest litter acts as
a great sponge, retaining vast guam
THY of moisture until the flood sea-
SO mis- past Gradually it let's the
surplus water go and the very, fact
OF the waters remaining so long On
| the upper hillsides makes these
higher lands the richer and more
productive where clearings are made.
The floods which come from the
sudden melting of the winter SHOWS
are also to be held in check by large
reservoirs, formed by the construc-
ton of broad earth dams at the head
WATERS of the streams. Such reser-
voirs have been constructed by the
reclamation service at various points
in the West, to provide water for ir-
rigation, and their value as proven
tives of flood has been shown to the
satisfaction of the government. The
Newlands plan would have these null
tiplied until every stream of any size
along the easterly slope of the Rock
les, and the westerly slope of the APP
palachians in particular should have
it's reservoir system. With this trap
for floods provided, any stream can
be given all almost even rate of flow