| Show FORESTS SHOULD BE PROTECTED AND ARID LANDS OF THE WEST RECLAIMED The department of agriculture during the past fifteen years has steadily st y broadened its work on economic lines lIne and has hu accomplished results of ot real value in domestic and for tot foreign foreign eign trade It has gone into new newfields fields until it is now in touch with aD sections of our country and with two of or the island groups that have lately come under our jurisdiction whose people must look to agriculture as 88 a it livelihood It is searching the world tor grains grasses fruits and v stables s specially fitted for introduction tion into localities in the several states and territories 8 where they may add materially to our resources By B tine tUk u attention to soil ey and d pee aible sible new crops cr ps to breeding breading of Jt new N varieties of points to experimental shipments to animal industry and ap p p piled plied chemistry very vety practical aid ha hes been given iven our our farming and stock growing interests The products of the farm fann have taken an unprecedented u place in our export trade during the year that has just closed clos d Public opinion throughout the Unit United UnIted ed States has moved steadily toward a ajust ajust ajust just appreciation of or the value of for forests forests ests whether planted or of natural growth The great part played by them in the creation and maintenance of ot the national na wealth is now nuns mp fully tully realized than ever before I Wise Wi e forest protection does not mean m the withdrawal of ot forest resources whether of wood w od water or grass from contributing their full share to the welfare of the people but on the con contrary eon tracy gives the assurance of larger I anti and more mor certain ertaIn supplies The funds funda fundamental a mental idea of or forestry is the perpetuation perpetu nation u on of forests by use Forest pro protection PrOtection protection is not an end of itself it is t a means to increase and sustain the re resources resources sources of ot our country and the e indus Indu industries Industries tries which depend upon them The preservation of our forests ts is an im ha imperative business busine a necessity We Ve have bave come to see clearly that whatever de tie the forest except to make way fer for agriculture a threatens our well weli being Mining dining Grazing Grazi g and Irrigation 4 4 The practical usefulness of the 4 4 national forest reserves to the 4 f 4 mining grazing irrigation on and 4 I 4 other interests of the regions in Int 4 4 t which the reserves lie He has hs led to toa 4 a widespread demand by bythe the peo 4 4 4 pie of the west for their pro tec 4 4 4 tion and extension The forest re reserves 4 4 serves will Ill inevitably be of still 4 4 greater use in the future than In inthe 4 4 4 the past put Additions should be 4 4 made to them whenever when r practicable 4 4 able and anti their usefulness should 4 4 be increased by a 8 thoroughly 4 4 businesslike management 4 At present the protection of the for forest forest est cat reserves rests with the general g land office the mapping and description description tion of their timber with the United States geological survey surrey and the prep preparation of plans for their conserva conservative conservative tive tire use with the bureau of forestry which is also a o charged with the general advancement of practical forestry In Inthe Inthe inthe the United States These various functions should be united in the bu bureau bureau bureau reau of forestry to which they prop properly properly properly erly belong The present diffusion o of responsibility is bad from every stand standpoint standpoint standpoint point It prevents that effective co cooperation cooperation cooperation operation between the government and the men who utilize the resources r of the reserves without t which the Inter Interests interests Interests ests of both must suffer The scientific scientific scientific bureaus generally should be put under the department of agriculture The president should have hae by y law the power of transferring lands for use as as forest reserves to the department of agriculture He H already has such power in IA the ease case of lands needed by bythe bythe bythe the departments dep of war and the navy The wise wt e administration of the for forest forest forest est reserves Te will be not less helpful to the Interests which depend on water Vater than to those tho which depend an n wood and grass The water supply itself de depends depends ponds upon the forest in the arid re region region region gion it is la water net not land which mess meas measures ures production The western half h f of the United States Stales would sustain a population greater greeter than that of our whole country today if the waters Vaters that now BOW run rim to waste were saved and aM aMu used u for tor Irrigation tion The forest and D Dwater water problems are perhaps the most vital internal questions of the United States State Preserves for Wild Creatures Certain of the forest reserves should o be made preserves for the wild forest fore t creatures All An of the reserves be better protected from fires of ot them need special protection e of the great injury done by tock above all by sheep The in e in deer elk and other animals the Yellowstone park shows what be expected when other mountain are properly protected by law properly guarded Some of these have been so denuded of surface by overgrazing that the breeding birds including e and quail luaU and many mammals deer have been beep exterminated r driven away At the same time capacity of or the sur ace has bas been decreased or destroyed promoting floods in times of rain diminishing the flow low of streams rains In cases canes where natural conditions have bave been restored for a few ew years vegetation has bas again carpeted the ground birds and deer are coming back and hundreds of ot persons espe especially daIly from front the immediate neighbor neighborhood neighborhood I hood come each summer to enjoy the privilege of camping Some at least of ot the forest reserves should afford per perpetual perpetual perpetual protection to the native fauna and flora safe havens of refuge to our rapidly diminishing wild animals of the larger and free tree camping grounds for the num numbers numbers bers bets of men and women who have learned to find rest health and recreation recreation a alion tion lion in the splendid forests and flower clad lad meadows of our mountains The forest reserves should be set apart for tor or over yer for the use uee and benefit of Our bur people as 8 a 8 whole and not to t the shortsighted greed of ot a few The forests foreste f rests alone alOBe cannot ca however h o vr runt fully lull regulate re a conserve the wat waters waters waters ers of the arid region n Great G t storage works are le necessary to equalize the flow ow of ot streams a and to ave the th flood floodwaters floodwaters floodwaters waters Their construction CO has bas been conclusively con shown to be an under undertaking undertaking taking too vast for private effort Nor can Caa it be best accomplished by the Individual states acting actins alone Far I reaching Interstate problems are in involved and the resources of single singles BUttes s tes would often be inadequate It ItIs 16 Is properly a national function at least hi m some of its features f It is as right for tor the national government to make i the streams and rivers of the arid re region gion useful by engineering works for forI water storage as to make useful the I rivers and harbors of the humid re region reI i I glon gion by engineering t works of pf another I 11 I kind The storing of the o oD in reg teS i i erY at the headwaters of our nv riv civera J 1 ers era era is Ie but an enlargement of our pres j i j lent eat ent policy f tire rive control under i which levees are hunt on the lower I reaches of the sarn streams i iThe 1 4 The should con r 1 4 and maintain these thee reser reset f 4 4 votes as It does ether r public works I 4 There their purpose Is to regu regulate 4 4 late the flow of t the water f ff I f should be turn el freely fr Into the 4 4 channels in the dry season to take f 4 the sume sime course cou under the same f I 4 laws as aa the natural natu cal How flow Water for Settlers The r reclamation of or the unsettled arid public lands presets presents a different problem lem leni Here it is not enough to regu regulate regulate late the flow now of oC streams reams The object objector of or th tk thi government is to dispose of the theland theland I land to settlers who will wUl build homes homespun upon pun it To 10 accomplish this object ob t water must be brought br within their HUk The pioneer settles settle on OR the arid and pub public public lic lie domain chose ebo their homes along streams m from which they could them themselves themselves selves etI divert the ue water Waler to reclaim their holdings ho Such S Si h opportunities are practically geite se There e remain how however however however ever vast areas s of ot land which can be made available for homestead settlement but bt 00 Wre By reservoirs and mainline canals impracticable d for private private private vate enterprise These Thae hee irrigation works I should be built bunt by the national gov government government The lands reclaimed by them should be reserved r by the government for actual settlers and the cost of construction shoud OU so far fIX as possible Ible po be repaid by the thela dand rl reclaimed cl med The distribution of or the thea water the division of ot the streams among irrigators should h ld be left lett to the settlers them themselves themselves selves in conformity with state laws lawsond ond sud nd without interference with those laws las or with vestal est rights of the national government gover Jn should sho d l e be eto beto e eto to aid irrigation n in the several states and territories In such uch manner m as will wilt enable the people in the local corn com communities to help h lp themselves th and as aswill aswill will wilt stimulate needed reforms in the state laws and regulations governing I irrigation Will the Country 4 The reclamation and settlement 4 4 of or the arid aM lands will enrich 4 every portion of or our country Just justas 4 f as the of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys Ta ys brought pros ro 4 4 f to the A states stat The 4 4 increased demand for manufactured manufactured 4 articles stimulate Indus indue Industrial f 4 trial production while wider home borne 4 4 markets and the trade of Asia will f consume con u tie the t e larger food 1004 foo supplies f 4 and effectually prevent western estern f competition with eastern agriculture t ture tore Indeed the products of ir It I T 4 will wilt be consumed chiefly f ff f 4 in local centers of mm f 4 ing lag and other oUter industries which I 4 would otherwise not come Into ex en I 4 at all Our people as a a I 4 whole will wUl profit for tor successful 4 homemaking Is but another name I 4 for tor the of the nation The necessary necea ry foundation has al at been beeR laid for the Inauguration I of the policy polley just described It would be unwise to begin by doing too much I for a great deal will doubtless be I learned both Doth as to what can and what cannot be bt safely attempted by the early efforts which must of necessity be partly experimental e in character At the very beginning the government gov should make clear beyond shadow of doubt Its intention to pursue this pol polIcy Icy Iry on lines Unas of or the tile broadest public DubUc in interest int Interest terest t rest No reservoir or canal should ever be built to satisfy selfish personal or local interests but only ODI In accord accordance ames ance with the advice e of trained experts I after fter long Ion Investigation has shown the locality where all aU the conditions combine to make the work most needed I and fraught with the greatest greate t useful usefulness ness fleas to the community as x n whole There should be no extravagance and the believers beUvers In the need nest of irrigation will most st benefit their cause by seeing to it Jt that it is i free from the least taint of f excessive or reckless expenditure I of the public p blie moneys Better Batter Laws Needed Whatever the nation does for the ex ox extension extension tension of irrigation lITIgation should harmonize with and tend to improve the condi condition condition tion Uon of those now living on Irrigated land We W are not at the tire starting point of this development Over two hundred millions of private capital has already been be n expended in the construction of ir irrigation works and many million millton acres of arid land reclaimed A high degree de ree of ot enterprise and ability has been shown hown in the work itself its lf but butas butas as u much cannot be said Mid in reference e to the laws relating thereto Tile The security securIty securIty I ity arid and value vahle of the homes bomes created cre ted de do depend depend pend pond largely on the stability of titles to water but the majority of these rest reat reston reaton reston on the uncertain unc foundation of or court decisions rendered in ordinary suits at law With a e few creditable exceptions tons the arid states have ba ve failed Caned to pro provide provide vide for tor the certain and just division of ot streams in times tilDes of scarcity Lax and uncertain laws lw have made it possible pos to establish tabU b rights to t water In excess of actual u uses s or necessities n and many streams have ave already passed into private vate v or a control equivalent to 1 ownership wP Whoever controls a stream practically cally controls the land It renders pro productive productive productive and the doctrine of private ownership of water wa ter apart from torn land cannot prevail without causing endur enduring tog ing wrong The recognition of such ownership which las as been n permitted to grow pew up tip in Jn the arid regions should give way to a more enlightened and larger recognition of ot the rights of the public In the control and disposal of the public water supplies supplier Laws found founded ed upon conditions obtaining in humid regions where water is too abundant to justIfy hoarding it it have h ve no pron proper r application in a Il city country In the arid states tile the only right fight to water which should be bf n is that of use In irrigation this right should attach to the land reclaimed and be lw inseparable I Grant Granting Granting ing lug perpetual water rights to others ethers than users usen without ut compensation to the public is open to all the objections which apply to sWing giving away perpetual I franchises to the public utilities of or cities A few fear of the western states have already recognized this and have incorporated in their ther con the doctrine of Ij f perpetual state sta ownership of water Mere Here Work Wo k Yet Ahead Ahe d The benefits which have followed the tho unaided development of the tile past st jut jus justify the nations aid and cooperation in the more difficult and important work yet to te be Laws so vitally affecting Ung homes as those t which control the water supply Pl will only ealy be effective eff tle when they have ha e the sanction of or the te e Irrigators tors reforms ran can ca n only be 00 Aral fl tol and when they come through Ow enlightenment of the pee peo people pie most concerned The larger devel development development which national aid Insures should however awaken a aken in every and arid state atte th the determination to make its ita ir It irrigation Irrigation system equal In IA justice and effectiveness that of any country in the civilised world Nothing No could GOuld be more unwise titan than for tor isolated communities to continue t to te learn everything exper experimentally experImentally instead of |
