The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-12-29

BILE handicap for future growth in
dustrially, for coal can only be OBJ
tanned by importation from such
great distances as to make Its cost
prohibitive.
The menace to California would
not come from the size Of the area
withdrawn but from the strategic
location Of the enlarged parks.
The people Of northeastern Idaho
are badly In need of water wherewith
to increase their irrigated area by
100000 acres Of land, that would be
the means of earning $10,000,000
worth of food products annually and
which would support 10000 addi-
tional people. The water for this
great beneficial use. cam only be Sc
cured by conserving and storing the
headwaters OF the Fall river located
in the extreme southeastern portion
Of the Yellowstone National Park.
The creation Of storage reservoir
would cover about 5000 acres OF un-
slightly swamp land now infested
with mosquitoes and flies and would
create q beautiful lake. This por-
ton Of the park is never seen by
tourists and never will be, for it
contains no points Of interest. It's
scenery and natural conditions are
exactly the same as may be observed
over course of 100 miles in ap-
preaching the park from the south
west. Here Is case where the
beauty Of the park would be in
creased by the development and by
utilizing this now wasting water,
man kind would be benefited thru
the reclamation OF 100000 acres Of
now arid lands and the establish
ment of a thriving agricultural COM
munity. Here Is case where the
water resources Of National park
could be utilized for badly needed
purposes, and the beauty of the sur
rounding scenery be at the same time
greatly increased.
The necessity for the development
of the water powers Of the country
are shown by the fact that since the
enactment of the Federal water
power law in June last, the Federal
power commission has received 102
applications for permits, which will,
II taken advantage Of, mean the de-
velopment of 100000 H. p, which
will cost to install over $1,000, OO0,-
900 and which would create taxable
values of that amount. The labor
that would be employed would re-
quire hundreds of thousands of men
for a number of years, would have
the mining Of 50,000,000 tons Of coal
would cheaper the cost of many of
the necessities Of life, and would be
Of direct benefit to every inhabitant
of the United States.
We have in our western country
over 10,O00,000 acres of land which
cannot be reached by gravity water
and can only be reclaimed by water
pumped by the electric power now
wasting in our rivers and streams.
It would require fully 100000 H.
P. to operate these pumping plants.
An agricultural population Of fully
100000 could be maintained on
these acres and the products would
materially tend to reduce the cost
of living.
The enactment of Federal water
power law opens up an enormous
pioneer field for enterprise. Now
that they are given the right to work
the right to build and expend and de-
velop, the right to help create a great
and more powerful Industrial nation
those who would develop our vast
ing water powers will reclaim deserts
and make farms, build factories and
cities, open up new inland water
ways, employ labor, reduce ethe cost
of living, increase taxable values and
thus promote the welfare and pros
perity of the nation.
The water power act provides
"that licenses shall be issued within
any reservation (including National
Parks and monuments) only after a
finding by the commission that the
license will not interfere or be- in
consistent with the purpose for
which such reservation was created
or acquired, and shall be subject to
and contain such conditions as the
secretary of the department under
whose supervision such reservation
falls shall deem necessary for the
adequate protection and utilization
of such reservation"
Thus the department of the inter-
ior which has supervision of the Ma
tional parks can by wise administra-
ton permit the utilization of the
water resources SO necessary to the
growth of the Pacific coast states,
and at the same time fully protect
the national wonders contained in
the parks and with the result often
times of enhancing the beauty of
their surroundings.
EH .fe