The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-03-23

did not go into any constructive en-
terprises in which they invested their
wealth in something productive. The
only great works they built were
works of art, not productive works
like reservoirs, canals, and means of
transportation. During the hundred
years or so of successful British rule
that situation has been slowly, but
gradually changed so that great pub
lie, works have been constructed to
make production possible and to get
delivery of the things to where there
was need for them. In the past
century the population of India has
gained 100,000,000. During the last
ten years under the more intensive
management Of the statesmen. and
engineers Of the British empire 1t
has gained 100000 year. This
is because production and transpor-
tation have been speeded up so that
supply and demand have been
brought together and famine ended.
Supposing that the American Falls
reservoir will cost $10,0O0,000 let us
picture the people of the Snake river
valley using the location for temple
or beautiful building Of some kind
and then spending $4,000, 900 in
construction and decoration and then
closing 1t to all but few Of the
ruling classes. OF course, such a
valuable building as that would re-
quire the expenditure Of vast
amount of money and preservation
Of its upkeep and that would have to
be paid by the masses. It would not
produce q bushel Of grain nor q
pound Of meat nor any wooden or
silken clothing nor anything that adds
to the comfort or intelligence of the
people.
On the other hand II people ex-
pend $10,000,000 on the construc-
ton of q reservoir and that reservoir
shall be tho means Of making crops
certain on q million acres Of land
that are now unproductive, II It will
improve the material wealth in
things eatible and comfortable and
keep on repeating this, production
every year down thru the ages It will
stand for, peace. and plenty, and sem-
fort for the masses with no disad-
vantage to the ruling classes and
the aristocrats., .g4 s FIJI
It makes q great difference
whether an army of laborers is sent
to the mines to move gravel and rock
In the search for jewels and other
treasures and these jewels are put
into temple to be looked at by a
few persons, and only q barren waste
was left, where all the work was
done, or whether that many laborers
are directed in construction work by
engineers and as net result Of their
work vast storage reservoir and
power plants generating electricity
to light the town and supply power
for manufacturing and for the
grinding, pumping and other labor
in things of domestic use.
Save Our Fields From Desert
The people of the Snake river val
ley are now at the point of decision
as to whether they will have an army
of men for something constructive
or whether they shall leave out such
constructive work and place them
selves more nearly on the plane with
the people of India, who had famines
thru all the ages until English reign
stepped in to tell them to build
transportation lines and the better
means of production. 1t will make
vast difference with what history will
record regarding the second Valley
of the Nile, whether the citizenry of
the first century of its settlement had
the vision and the courage to act, or
whether they let .ne opportunity
pass and later witnessed the build
ing of other works lower down, to
impound the water and then by de-
cree of the courts prevented those of
the upper valley from doing any
thing afterwards to delay the water |
on its journey. The historian or the
writer of hundred years |
from now may record that the un-
natural blight that Tell upon the de-
velopment of the upper valley was
the result of the inactivity Of its
PEOPLE at its golden moments, Just as |
Ashtabula, Pittsburg and Baltimore
missed their opportunity to capture
the inland and ocean trade, or as the |
country along the Tigris and Eu-
pirates went back to desert because
Of the lack of proper storage reser-
voirs in their upper reaches.
The time to write history for this
valley is the year A. D. 1922.
-.f.-