The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1923-12-28
The Greed Of Conservation

OF the small areas OF the uuCk dnC
fruit that are watered in the humid
region, is l9,l9l,7l6 acres" This i:
an increase of 50 per cent over the
area reported as irrigated in the same
territory in 1909. A map OF the
United States showing the approx
innate location and extent of irrigated
areas is included in the volume on
irrigation and drainage. and on this
map the irrigated areas are shown
in red A single glance at this map
carries with il the conviction that
the great American desert" has been
completely conquered by the pillow,
and IN view OF the tremendous pro-
gress already made il is easy to under
stand why the wonderful west is am
bilious TO use the wealth of its streams
to carry on" this great constructive
work OF irrigation and drainage.
Our late President Warren c..
Harding was reported in the press
dispatches to have won the west"
i'll the early days OF his Inflated trip
to Alaska. In one of his principal
speeches delivered in the Rocky
Mountain country he said:
Il have seen the statement that
il the projects under investigation
by the reclamation service, an
area of cultivatable land will be
added equal to one of our larg-
est agricultural states. A pro-
posal to create a new state is
something to challenge the con-
quering spirit of America"
Power may be Used
In the same address he used sig
nihcant language concerning the util-
ity of water. His remarks follow:
1T is a matter all the more
compelling. because the same
waters which will bring wealth
to the soil. also pulsate with
power tor your cities, your rail-
roads, and your industries. The
use OF the streams for power is
inevitably tied in with reclama-
ton. One purpose supplements
the other in fulfilling the destiny !
OF the waters as they flow on
their way to the sea. And there I,
are yet other uses for your wa
tiers. We must see that the navi-
gable waterways are maintained
and here again we find the benev-
olence of the Creator has provided
means to advance the projects OF
man. Frequently it is possible to
improve navigation as an incident Ii
to developing power and irriga- L
ton works. Moreover, we want I
the How of the streams for these S
great purposes, national purposes
In other lands has been taught f
the lesson of waste that followed r
denuding the forested slopes. and &
permitted erosion to end its work Ii
infiood and devastation. We in a
America must not be too thought |;
less or profigate. We must have il
Il policy OF reiorestation will pre- p
serve the national interests and Ia
at the same time permit use OF hi
the timber as it is needed. A
SO we see how the discussion k,
of reclamation naturally leads on III
to that of water power; and then W
to maintained navigability of
streams which carry commerce; re
and on again to the need of saw m
ng, while utilizing. our forests. as
Il is a many-sided problem. in pa
'ssence problem of protecting
he common good. The govern Or
nent comes in neither as an inter- ma
oper nor as benevolent carry IN
ii, but in its legitimate relation. 10,
lnder the constitution, to these IN,
ruly national concerns which VIZ
ouch so intimately the people of thu
his empire of the Pacific Coast val
4 the west and of the entire
United States" dc,
In this clear. concise statement. his
ly under stanable alike by "Mr. me
rage Man" and the trained en- the
FER, or statesman, Warren G. en-.
ding defined, perhaps better than all
one else who has attempted to tell flo'
public. the real meaning and pur- to
OF the water power policy" of po'
United States What he has said eve
summary OF the best and mob TO
thought upon this sugject II he
ut be accepted as the creed of
'ervation. c
early S700,0o0.000 has been invest e.
irrigation enterprises in the west. al
land values of many times that k
unit are dependent upon rights S,
water in the present region of fo
vities. The census states tina, III
al irrigated farms were being m
ated in the western states in 1919 be-