Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-05


time. The plans have been kept up to
date. and together with the other sta
tstics collected and made by the de-
partment comprise store of in
formation necessary and adequate for
future operations. No following adj
ministration need be handicapped for
lack of this fundamental data.
Inventory of Water Resources
Subsequent to my message of two
years ago, calling attention to the
cXpediency of taking an inventory OF
the water resources of the Common
wealth. in order that legislation might
be enacted to provide for their con-
servation and utilization under proper
State control in manner which will
hest promote the interests of all the
people of the State. the General AS
senlbly directed the Water Supply
Commission of Pennsylvania to make
a complete inventory of all the water
resources OF the Commemorative; to
collect all pertinent information in
connection herewith. and to classify,
tabulate, record and preserve the
same: and, upon the basis thereof, to
determine the points at which reser-
VoirS may be constructed for the pur-
pose of minimizing floods, of storing
and conserving water for power, and
other utilization and distribution of
water and water power, of increasing
the low water flow of rivers and
streams for the purpose of navigation;
and generally, to devise all possible
ways and means to conserve and de-
velop the water supply and water
resources of the Commonwealth for
the use of the people thereof. To this
end the said commission was directed
to study and determine upon q public
policy with regard to the marketing
and equitable distribution of the water
of the State; to the restoration, de-
Velopment and Improvement of trans
portation by water: to the supply OF
water for domestic and industrial use,
and to the conservation of water re-
sources by the aid of forestation.
The sum of S150,0O0 was appro-
priated for the purpose. but because
of insufficient State revenue l was
compelled to reduce the sum to
$4,000. In consequence the commits
sion will submit n partial report to
the General Assembly of 1915. Tt will
contain data concerning the condition
and utilization of the streams. The
inventory deals with water supplies,
water power, lakes and ponds. de-
scriptions of all named streams, floods.
navigation, culm in the streams of the
anthracite coal field, a study of the
methods of flood relief in Turtle Creek
Valley, purity, forestation and fish.
The State would suffer if this work
were to be abandoned. Better, by far,
continue the work until a definite and
and development of this remaining
great resource is worked out.
Pymatuning Reservoir
The Pymatuning reservoir should be
| completed at an early date. 1t is a ,
| conspicuous example of the highest
| form OF conservation and utilization
of stream flow. There was appropri-
| ated to the Water Supply Commission
! the sum of $400, 900, for the purchase
| of land and to build an extensive stor-
| age reservoir in Crawford county. on
the headwaters of the Shenango river,
| to prevent flood damage and to afford
| ample water supply for municipal and
| industrial use in communities where
| shortage of water retards develop
ment. / was compelled to reduce the
appropriation to 100000.
State Policy of Conservation and
Development
Considerations of public welfare die
! tate that the State shall assume more
| direct control of the economic devel-
| opment of its resources.
Industrial development is intimately
| connected with the abundance of fuel
! and cheap power; and while steam
power used by manufacturing estab-
! lishments has increased by leaps and
| bounds, yet the use of water power has
! declined.
OF all states in the Union, Pennsyl-
!
coal. coke, iron and steel, cement,
glass and leather, railroad cars and
some manufactured articles. 1t holds
second place in various products, in
cludinG textiles and electrical machin-
cry, and in tobacco manufacturing. To
long maintain supremacy in these lines
our natural resources must be con-
served.
In no way is the waste of natural
resources better illustrated than by
coke manufacture in beehive ovens.
Pennsylvania, in the year 1912. had
| 43,347 active beehive ovens, which
produced but 5S7 short tons of coke
per oven. For every 100 tons of btu
minous coal used these ovens produced
only 66 tons of coke. They destroyed
81 tons of every 100 tons. On the
other hand, byproduct ovens yield 1913
and they do more. They produce gas,
tar and ammonia as byproducts. In
the year 1912 the Lap byproduct
ovens in Pennsylvania produced 1859
tons of coke per oven. Moreover, and
this is the point of the matter these
Lap ovens produced approximately
S2,300,000 worth of byproducts in ad-
dition to 1,974.619 short tons of coke
The value of byproducts was about
four -tenths of the value of the by
product coke. If the coke made in
beehive ovens in the year 1912 had
been made in byproduct ovens.
4,077.765 tons of coal and about s37.-
100000 worth of byproducts would
have been saved.
Th eeffect of forest depletion upon
the lumber industry is we'll known
Fortunatey.-tim is different from
! coal. Enough timber can be grown
to meet the States needs; but coal
once burned is gone forever. Pennsyl-
vania's investments in forest lands
total large sum of money.
Inasmuch as the total value of iron
and steel produced annually in Penn
sylvania is enormous. the State gov
ernment and all persons concerned
with economic development should be
interested in the delivery of iron ore
to the great steel centers at the lowest
possible cost The railroad systems
are excellent but must expand to keep
pace with the States progress. The
most important point where the trans
portation system needs strengthening
is that between Lake Erie and the
Ohio river, where approximately
so. 600. 900 tons of iron ore. coal and
coke move annually between the Lake
and the Pittsburgh and Mahoning Val
ley districts. Pittsburgh's supremacy
in the iron and steel trade is to be
maintained only by cheap ore
The act approved June %, 1913.
provides for the construction, op-
Grafton and maintenance by the Com
monwealth OF n canal or waterway be-