President's Address. 69 



cave side of the curve, where the current already was so weak it 

 was depositing parts of its load, a citizen's committee began cut- 

 ting down the bank and throwing the dirt into the water in an at- 

 tempt to entice the strong current away from the opposite bank. 

 What they did in reality was to add to nature's methods by which 

 the river was first made crooked, and, therefore, so far as they had 

 any influence on the stream they made it wear away with increased 

 energy the very bank they hoped to protect. 



A most important consideration which should be made promi- 

 nent is the futility of attempting great river improvements in re- 

 stricted areas with a hope of accomplishing much good therefrom. 

 A stream large enough to do great damage must necessarily drain 

 a sufficiently large area to make mere local improvements of but 

 little value. We must expand our conceptions of the magnitude of 

 nature's processes and modify our efforts accordingly. For a stream 

 as big as the Kansas river, or Missouri river, with a flood-plain 

 from three to five miles wide, what a great disappointment awaits 

 those who now have faith in mere local improvements. There 

 should be a cooperation of all interested parties for a distance of at 

 least a hundred miles up and down the valley, and two hundred 

 miles would be much better. Great floods are not mere local affairs, 

 and little can be expected from mere local treatment. 



On the other hand, river improvements are immensely expen- 

 sive. No class of citizens is justified in spending vast sums of 

 money to save property unless reasonable returns are to a degree 

 insured. While the American Indians roamed over our vast prai- 

 ries and held a valuation on land of less than one cent an acre, no 

 such land would bear taxation sufficient even for building respecta- 

 ble fords across the streams, much less for building bridges, while 

 as for improvements to guard against flood devastation it was en- 

 tirely unthinkable. But when a great city is built and land becomes 

 worth a thousand dollars a front foot, it would almost stand taxa- 

 tion to encase the stream in polished marble. 



In general land values in America are now intermediate between 

 the two extremes just named. The time has come when we should 

 begin to make improvements, but values in general are yet too low 

 to admit of very great ones. The intelligent thing to do, therefore, 

 is to begin work in the right direction, strictly in accord with the 

 laws of nature, and on sufficiently broad lines so that ultimately 

 our accomplishments will be commensurate with our efforts. We 

 should harness the water currents and compel them to turn their 

 great surplus energies into our hands for us to direct their expen- 



