Show X ry Calls Threat F If V To U. U S. S Wafer Water Resources s e v i t t. t Expert Charges Disregard for Natural Values In Engineering Projects Sees Danger To Wild-Life Wild Especially Acute a 5 C J By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator t Service Union Trust Building Washington D. D C. C As the prospects of at fat public works budgets for the postwar area arise on the thc Washington scene the planners big and little rush up to drop their pet blueprints into the hopper Recently I witnessed the prelimInaries preliminaries of a counterbalancing counter move I something that might be called a prophylactic effort to save some of r f. the beneficiaries of governmental projects from being killed by too much kindness This effort Is embodied em cm- bodied bodied In a bill presented by Rep Karl of ot South Dakota and I heard a sort of at Informal preview of ot some of the testimony that will be offered before the committee on rivers rivers riv riv- J ers and harbors in its behalf The bill is HR 19 and it deals with protection against pollution of the country's waterways It was in inthe inthe inthe the course of the preview discussion that I heard another affliction which h a cure for tor may be harder to find It is said to result from overindulgence in damming dam dam- ming It is not mentioned in the bill but the connection is ob ob- The purpose of Mr measure measure measure meas meas- ure is as follows To prevent pollution of the waters waters waters wa wa- of the United States and to correct correct correct cor cor- existing water pollution n as a avital vital necessity to public health economic economic eco ceo welfare healthful recreation navigation the support of ot invaluable Invaluable invaluable able aquatic life and as a logical and desirable postwar public works program As I say Mr doesn't mention men men- tion lion in his bill but one I of his close friends who had much to do with writing the legislation has He is Kenneth Reid executive secretary sec of ot the Isaac Walton league Since the proposed legislation has also to do with the problem of pro protecting protecting our piscatorial and aquatic life Ufe I want to quote a few of Mr Reids Reid's observations on one kind of killing with kindness which frequently frequently fre fre- accompanies over-generous over government spending Mr Reid I should call a hydro phile for he ardently pleads the case for what he refers to as the orphan stepchild of our natural resources re re- sources sources water Conservation of theland theland the theland land is pretty well understood but water says Mr Reid has hils been dammed and diverted drained and polluted stolen and wasted with utter utter utter ut ut- ut- ut ter disregard of existing natural values with bland unconcern for its biological functions and its public aquatic and recreational values From the early days of our nation nation na na- tion down to the present time he continues and this Is where hydro- hydro mania comes in water has run the gantlet of a horde of engineers whether private or governmental makes no difference who see in a running stream or a sparkling lake only the material uses to which the water can be put Existence of ofFish ofFish Fish Menaced Reid Is an engineer himself and Is not unsympathetic with the great achievements of his profession But Buthis Buthis Buthis his colleagues sometimes outrun their zeal and he appears perturbed lest postwar public works activities threat threaten n our lakes and rivers their I natural beauty and all that Is in them What he Is fighting Is the kind of engineering activity stimulated by grants aid from the federal government government gov- gov which will damage the waterways wa- wa and their inhabitants flora fiora and end fauna On the other hand he is isau all au for the encouragement of constructive constructive constructive con con- construction which will work pork in the opposite direction He thinks we have overdone the thc lamming he questions the economy of Df reclaiming land at a great capital cost per acre with certain irrigation projects These Reid opines likewise like wise often destroy fish by cutting them off of from their spawning I grounds rounds He mentions the dams inbe In inthe the be Columbia river which he says threaten a ten million dollar annual salmon talmon take That Is the effect of resulting from well intentioned and unselfish but unwise use of the engineering engi veering art He points out that any thing which kills fishes and Interferes Interferes Inter Inter- feres with the nations nation's wildlife is interfering in in- interfering with one of at the nations nation's I major Industries He estimates that the total expenditure in hunting and fishing Including licenses equipment equipment equipment equip equip- ment and other incidentals reaches a billion dollars a year and therefore constitutes a major American Industry industry indus Indus- try and one which should be pro pro- Reid also stresses the esthetic and recreational values destroyed in the building of great dams and reservoirs reservoirs reservoirs reser reser- as well as by the pollution of streams Pollution Health Peril The security feature which has been emphasized in the present war when the bombing of dams has caused such destruction is another argument seized upon by Mr Reid I His specific c. c example ample of this phase of the argument sent a shudder down my back when he offered as an Illustration il illustration illustration il- il I the construction of 14 major major major ma ma- maI I jor dams in the Potomac watershed which was strongly advocated re reo re- re If It this project had gone I through he told me my home town and the seat of ot our government would have been made extremely i vulnerable to air attack through breaching of the big dams that would be immediately immediate above Washington It The engineers engineer's desire says Mr Reid solemnly to pour concrete In I prodigious quantities Impound great areas of water behind magnificent monuments to engineering dig ditches and canals bore tunnels and otherwise remake the landscape of America Is quite irrepressible However what he and his colleagues are now most concerned in eradicating is pollution and that I think will meet the approval of ot most people even if It they wont won't go all the way with Mr Reid concerning concerning concerning concern concern- ing Protection against pollution the proponents of the bill Insist wont cost a thin dime because the money saved b by eliminating the need of purifying polluted water willmore will willmore willmore more than make up for it Besides destruction of aesthetic and property values it is pointed out that pollution is a growing menace men menn ace to health The bill would give the states every chance to clean cleanup cleanup cleanup up their own situations but it is argued argued argued ar ar- gued since streams flow by gravity gravity gravity grav grav- ity without any regard for state boundaries pollution Is logically and constitutionally a matter for federal control Provisions to take care of these various angles are included in the bill Such measures in the past have been opposed by some communities which thought it was cheaper to dump their sewage in the rivers and by industrial plants that felt the same way e Although machines compete with humans and with horses and mules in this war the dog never before used officially by American forces has become the competitor of mechanized mechanized mechanized mech mech- devices A dog by his Ws sense of at smell can detect a strange presence at feet Up to October 1 of last year the army coast guard and marines had used over trained dogs The first thing a K 9 as they are called learns Is to be a one man dog They wont won't accept food from any but their masters nor will they allow anyone else to pet them Then the training gets more complicated and includes even parachute jump jump- Ing But there is one thing that these otherwise clever animals cannot cannot can can- I Inot not be taught namely to tell enemy troops from their own This has one advantage however they dont don't treat a German wearing an American Ameri Amerl- can uniform any differently than if it I he weren't an enemy in disguise Soldiers sometimes do Demand for farm products is likely likely like like- ly to continue at present wartime levels throughout most of 1945 Regardless Regardless Re Re- of the course of the war warthe warthe the demand for many farm tarm products products prod prod- at ceiling prices may con conn continue continue to exceed supplies in 1945 Consumers' Consumers food costs in large cities In recent months have been slightly lower than they were in mid mid- summer The index for November 1944 was 1365 as compared with 1377 In August and the peak of 1430 in May 1943 Nonfood costs have been following a somewhat different different different differ differ- ent trend |