RIVERS 65 



raising of food fish. The wise development of 

 these and other uses is important to both agri- 

 cultural and other interests ; their protection from 

 monopoly is one of the first responsibilities of gov- 

 ernment. The streams belong to the people ; under 

 a proper system of development their resources 

 would remain an estate of all the people, and be- 

 come available as needed. A broad constructive 

 program involving coordinate development of 

 the many uses of streams, under conditions in- 

 suring their permanent control in the interest of 

 the people themselves, is urgently needed, and 

 none should be more concerned in this than the 

 farmers. 



River navigation affords the best and cheapest 

 transportation of farm products of a non-perish- 

 able nature. The rivers afford the best means of 

 competition with railroads, because river carriage 

 is cheap, and because the rivers once opened by 

 the government for navigation are open to all 

 and monopoly of their use should be an im- 

 possibility. Interest in river improvement for 

 the purpose of navigation is very keen among the 

 farmers who actually use river transportation, 

 and to some extent among farmers who enjoy 



