The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-10-28
Conservation
CONTROL
FOR STATE HELD
REAL NECESSITY
u. S: Aid Brands Fund Plea
MiIIionaires' Move for
Duck Ponds.
BY WILLIAM F. COLLINS
Times Special Writer

opinion expressed by one Of his I'M
derlings that the government was
not furnishing money for duck
ponds for millionaire sportsmen I'M
der the guise Of flood control res
ervoirs.
Original thought is one Of the
most difficult commodities to pro-
duce in the entire universe Of things,
SO I can appreciate the Herculean
effort called forth to produce that
one. But aside from the naive
compliment paid to the intriguing
Indiana hunter, just what is the
underlying reason for the govern
ment's refusal to help out with this
project?
Fails TO Receive Share
One of my informers states that
If the national government were to
invest $18,000,0OO in Indiana flood
control, an avalanche of similar re-
quests would develop from every
state in the Union. Perhaps that
is true. If we are going to dollar,
dollar all states in this work of re-
Mobilization, Indiana would not have
much difficulty in showing official
Washington that so far, we have not
been dollared, but dimed, and the
eighteen million is not of itself a
weight sufficiently heavy to bring
1t up to two bits.
No doubt we will be able to show
very soon just how much considera-
ton Indiana is receiving in all the
work of conservation undertaken
here by the government as COM
pared with its help in our sister
states. We have been watching the
difficulty our state department of
conservation has had in getting adj
dltlonal civilian reforesting camps
to take care of our unemployed
youth.
Indiana Penalized
This difficulty has not been
shared by Illinois, Ohio or Cali
tornla, for example. We are aware
of the fact that some of the Of
Meals now governing the expendi-
ture OF conservation money from the
national government source within
the state of Indiana formerly were
employed in the statehouse and lost
their jobs as result of the political
turnover.
But is that a good reason, now
that they have been re-employed in
Washington, for venting a biased
spleen on the citizens of this state
II am not judged impairment. NAV
ask why the farmers in Vigo or
huntington county should be penal
lied by the party the majority of
them voted into power because of
the shortcomings of one or two
minor individuals.
This is political question and no
doubt will have an answer polite.
Most of us can be excused if we do
not understand the situation when
we receive it. The entire affair ap-
pealS to me as one needing air.
When the demand for an answer
becomes more insistent from the
correspondents already having writ
ten to me, We will give it air.
Project Is Needed
There should be no controversy
about the necessity for flood con-
trol IN INDIANA, no more than the
necessity for sewage disposal.
10 the thinking individual in
tereSted IN the welfare of this state,
the three words used by Stuart
ChaSe, economist, in themselves are
a very sufficient reason to embrace
flood control as one of the major
projects of this reformative period
promise OF Power" power developed
from hydroelectric dams along cur
streams, Is the imperative necessity
OF the future. Mr.. Chase said:
FACTORY power plants dependent
on coal supply must be located on
railways. Great concentration OF
population centered as a result has
spelled the city of dreadful night.
dreadful real estate values. dreadful
taxes and dreadful costs.
Changes Forecast
Electric power cheaply generated
and distributed will witness surpris-
ing local changes, the oncoming of
new civilization, the shift of non
ulat1on. Decentralization of hu-
man masses will react favorablv on
eyes, ears, nose and skin, health"
The drift is clearly toward huge
central waterpower stations where
energy is available at a low cost
Fifty major industries in Chicago
started decentralizing in 1929. Man
ufacturing plants will be small and
scattered, communities will become
more self-supporting by producing
more supplies for local consumption.
The staggering waste of national
cross hauling will be reduced"
Advantage Is Seen
If at that time Indiana is in line
with the necessary ingre6 ents. pause
a moment and try to picture for
yourself the advantage we will have
in state at the center of the ma
ton. A foundation laid by you now
to procure cheap electric power for
this state will do more to per-
petuate your name than 5000
marble monuments builded to the
high heaven.
The entering wedge to split off the
first rock for this foundation lies
in flood control, the f1ve-way pro-
gram embraced by it, and if this is
not an activity that can be
sponsored by Mr.. Ickes' department,
by all means let us undertake it
through some other.
Let us build it as we do our sewage