Bisbee daily review., 1914-02-13
WILSON HAS MADE NO CHOICE 0F PLANS
 FOR FLOOD CONTROL
Bills Already Drawn for the Waterway Improvements Costing Millions of Dollars Not Considered Adequate

Much that Is misleading has heen
 misleading has f'een pVs(isl,ed re. | gently fin the press of the country
 with reference to the position of the
 Administration on the related dues. tons of flood control in navigable
 rivers, water storage, the protection
 of water sheds from denudation and
 erosion, the regulation of the flow of
 nayigable rivers in aid of interstate
 commerce, and the improvement of
 water courses for purposes of naviga. ton.
 In scme sections of the country it
 has been asserted in the press that ] President Wilson has reached certain conclusions as to the needs of legis.
 lation looking to a broad and com.
 prenensive handling of these prob
 iems that are SO intimately associated
 with the every day life of the peo- pie. To those who enjoy the con.
 fidence of the President. the assertion
 that the Administration policy is determined is known to be wholly
 without foundation. On the contrary
 1t is said that the Presidents mind is an open one. and that no partic.
 ular waterway bill has met with iheI approval of the Chief Executive.
 It is true, that a systematic study of number cf important bills deal
 ing with this subject has beer going on for some weeks. not only by sec
 retaries Lane. Garrison. Houston and edfelRd, but on the part of officials
 connected with the departments of
 the Interior. War. Agriculture and
 Commerce. and 1t can be said as a positive fact that neither the Sec. retaries above mentioned. nor those charged with the practical analysis of various bills, have reached aLy definite conclusions thereon.
 Secretaries Lane, Garrison, llous- ton and Redheld have had repeated conferences with Senator Newlands
 and Randaii and Representative Humphreys on the flood control bills l which they have introduced with a view of harmonizing differences; bnt nothing concrete has as yet resulted from these confidential talks, except | that something practical, something | workable. must be adopted not only | for the Mississippi, but fer other | great rivers which at times overflow | their banks leaving death and de- struction in their train.
 The fact that there representatives of the administration are closely ex- amining into the merits n-t only Of the Newiands bill, which approprl ates $500 O00,000 10 be spent at the rate of s60.00O,0OO per year for tenl years to regulate and control the flow Of navigable rivers and their tribu' taries and source streams, and mary other purposes, but of the Rsnsdell- Humphreys bill which appTopriates y6O 900, coo to be spent at the rate of S12, 2,O00, 900 per year for five years for the fl-od control of the Mississip- pi, shows the interest that is being not only by the Admin istration Eut by all classes of people in water problems. now that the Pan ana canal Is sooE to be opened.
 Those interested in navigation find very little consolat!-n in either of these bills, for neither Of them re- lates especially to navigation, or makes any direct appropriation for the improyemeng of waterways, except that some of the rivers might re- ceive a slight additional low water flow because of reservoirs and i'm basins at their sources.
 Jadee5, both of these measures may be called reclamation or conservation, rather that navigsble bills. While pro , lects of flood protection are of the I greatest interest to many sections Of { the country, and tie sentiment in favor is quite strt ng, 1t is believed : that the administration will insist prl- maIily upon navigation as the first and most important matter connected with any general waterways plan
 The Democratic party Is fully com nitted to the liberal and comprehen- siye policy of waterway improve ment whick has been so persistentiy advocated by the National Rivers and HarDors ScLgress, and President Nil- son has given the most positive assur- ance that he is in full sympathy and accord with such policy, and will do lis utmost to see 1t carried out along wise and advanced lines.