Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-19


for developing ways to give more
effective care to patients in our
mental institutions - all these
things for the first time in our
history.
5. In education: We have
shown our awareness that here
the very strength Of Americas
future is at stake. To meet our
school problems, 1 called a ma
ltional assembly of educators and
laymen--the first time in our
history that such an action has
been taken. And it was this ex-
pert counsel that guided our
five-year school-building pro-
gram submitted to the last
Congress.
Will Make Up for Delay
What deeply matters now is
not the argument, in terms of
partisan politics, as to why Con-
gress failed to enact this needed
legislation. What does matter to
every American citizen is this
fact: I shall call upon the next
Congress to enact a school pro-
gram to make up for the lost
yearly doing the job of school,
building, not in five, but in four
years.
In all these fields-education,
public health. housing, social
security can say to you today
To meet the challenges that re-
main. there is such strength in
American society as there has
never been before.
Our strength assumes one
form Of special meaning to you
people in our great Northwest.
Forever as the bounty of our
soils and forests, rivers and
mines. is one of Americas great
est blessing from a generous
lprovidence-this part of America
has been singularly favored.
Some Facts on Resources
This current political season
could have been a time when
problems concerning our natural
IresourceS-like all problems con-
corning the strength of America
might have been accurately
stated and seriously debated. We
have, instead, been subjected by
the political opposition to the
senseless. drumbeat charge Of
"giveaway."
l need say only this: Such a
frivolous charge is only a feeble
echo of the political cry heard
four years ago-the cry that we
would give away" or take
away" the whole prosperity of
the whole American people.
l offer you a few serious and
significant facts.
First - In conservation and
reclamation. We have spon-
sored the Pilot Watershed Act.
the soil bank, the Great Plains
program. while carrying forward
one of the largest programs ever
undertaken by the Bureau of
Reclamation. In flood control,
navigation, and river and harbor
projects. we have in these last
two years been advancing work
on more than 300 UNDERTAKINGS
-85 of them entirely new.
SecOnd-In national parks and
wildlife. Having inherited a
declining system of national
parks, We have added more than
100000 acres to our park sys-
TENS; and we are this year be-
ginning a bold new 10-year pro-
gram = Mission Sc - to expand
and improve this system still
further In guarding our Wild
life-whereas the previous adj
ministration had taken some
100000 acres out of the wildlife
areas-we have added 10000 to
them.
And third - Our water re-
sources. Just three days ago
from Washington, D. c., 1
touched of blasts starting work
on the great Upper Colorado
project. Covering five States,
this is the second largest project
of its kind in our history-and
a monumental testimony to your
Governments awareness of Fed
eral responsibility. With like
awareness, we have extended the
scope of the Water Facilities Act
from II to all 48 States, and, in
sponsoring the so-called Small
Projects Act" we have taken one
OF the greatest forward steps in
the history of reclamation in our
country.
All these actions to strengthen
our natural resources reflect our
partnership policy-joining Fed
.eral, State, local and private
effort in our great common en-
deavor.
The Wrongs Of Monopoly Policy
Here we have, quite deliber-
ately. reversed those practices of
the 1930s and the 194Os that
meant tight GENERALIZATION of
control in Washington virtual
Federal monopoly of construc-
ton Of water and power projects.
What wrongs are there in such
a practical Federal monopoly?
1t removes initiative and deci-
sion far from the people whose
own knowledge and self-reliance
are the soundest guides to ac-
ton. 1t tends to make develop
ment Of our natural resources a
subject for endless political
manipulation on the national
level. 1t pits region against region
in a struggle for favor in Wash
ington. And it inevitably dooms
many areas to delay and disap-
pointment, as they are forced to
wait while others receive Federal
favor.
Our partnership policy is de-
signed TO meet great and grow
ing needs. Power requirements
for the next ten years will cost
some $40 billion. There is not
and fknrn mill not he fL,t ,..,..t.