The Indianapolis times., 1934-03-03
-ConServation-
NATURAL GIFTS
CAN SERVE TO
HELP BUSINESS
Hydro : Electric Projects
Would Prove Boon to
Indiana Industry.
BY WILLIAM r. COLLINS
Times specfaI Writer

= In a subject 50 prolific Of material
as that Of conservation there can be
no scarcity Of subjects on which to
write. but I must confess to you
that on this day. the anniversary Of
this column, your writer pleads ig-
norance Of the subject that most in
tereSts YOU
In the year past I have written at
length on conserving the natural
resources of our state. DefOresta-
tion Of our water sheds, drying up
our national storage basins by i'll
advised drainage and cultivatlng
land that never should have been
plOWed. falls under the natural
classification of waste and the ar
ticles related to that have found
support among a certain number Of
outdoors men and women who have
the future Of the state in mind.
Most Of these readers, 1 found
have children in their families. An
other group shuddered at the truth
revealed in the articles on stream
pollution and great strides were
made by them last summer in ad-
VOcatlng sewage disposal projects
for their towns. Again, most Of my
CORES spOnOents had children who
loved outdoor swimming and the
health of communities was upper
most in their minds.
Game Saving Approved
The subject Of game preservation
apparently found the greatest num-
Der OF readers. This is form of
saving that appeals to a vast num-
Der Of persons throughout the cOun-
try who find their greatest pleasure
in the streams or the field. 1 am a
trifle weak in that respect mySlef
and find my greatest fun in playing
hockey from the office to find solace
in the solitude Of a distant stream.
The articles on bird and animal
habits pleased the boys. Their re-
spOnse was instantaneous. I am
afraid I bore them stiff by selecting
an ether topic.
if You have a personal desire to
select topics of discussion for the
coming year address a letter to The
Times and we will collect the data
necessary to bring out the facts.
Kankakee Project Advances
There are a number of important
issues developing in Indiana now
that viii be of paramount i'm
pOrtance to cOnServationiSts this
summer We are nearer now than
ever before to the restoration of the
kankakee marshes.
The committee for the Izaak Wal
ton League. headed by Bob EngellS
East Chicago, is working for the
sixth year on this project with the
state department of conservation
and the United States Biological
Survey to restore at least a part OF
the old marsh and that effort COM
pleted, they are bound to re-eStab-
lish a part of the duck flight
through this state that is now de-
toured down the Illinois river since
the great marsh was dried up by
drainage.
There also is the probability that
the government will construct one
or more flood conservancy dams in
this state. 1t is hoped that they
will be used to generate cheap cleo
trio power and be used to tie us
into the high lines from the south.
A 2I2-Cent a kilowatt rate in In
diana would revOlutiOnize business
for all of us. We would not have
to experiment with model cities; our
people would prosper with the cities
on hand with that rate.
Industrial Growth Forecast
It is not often that two birds are
killed with one stone, but publicly
owned hydro-electric dams will at
once solve in large part our flood
problems and our rate problems
The influx of new factories would
follow as surely as after the dis
COvery of natural gas, but unlike
that boon to commerce. hydro
electric power is one commodity that
is permanent: unlike a gas well. il
can not be exhausted. In fact
with proper reforestation, with res
tOratiOn of marsh lands on unpro-
duCtive farm land, with horse sense
applied to our future drainage
needs. hydro-electric power can be
increased and then made a uni
Aoi III anu pSlAIdAASllI duNlItlOn 10 Oul
wealth.
If the people would control the
future of Indiana. they will have
TO follow the admOnition of DAME
Drew. If a cat would eat fish. she
must be willing to wet her feet
il we want our own timber sup
ply, If we want cheaper electric
rates: if we want greater and Sanel
opportunities to enjoy the rest pc
riCdS brought about by shorter
working hours. then we must builc
dams and get our feet wet in doing
so. After that we can enjoy the
created waters and forests. If We
o,-cm TO- old in the effort rnrnna,a,.