THEODORE ROOSEVELT 695 



view of the individualist. The problems increasing consumption of ties and mine 

 here involved can never be solved with- timbers, or iron and coal. Every farmer 

 out the element of intelligence and pa- in the country would benefit directly 

 triotism. This is a question of a sim- from cheaper transportation. It has 

 pie political application of scientific been estimated that the income derived 

 knowledge to the matter in hand, in from power developed by works for the 

 one great national scheme and purpose, improvement of navigation would pay 

 in one continental view, for one uni- the entire cost of maintenance and con- 

 versal aim and end, and that is "The tinue further development, and pay in- 

 greatest good to the greatest number terest on the expenditure of 100,- 

 for the longest time." 000,000 as working capital. The full 

 Government experts have estimated development of all the feasible water 

 that a working capital is needed for possibility of the country would furnish 

 the national conservation scheme of a power probably greatly exceeding five 

 100,000,000; that the .income from times the present total horsepower of 

 water-power alone would pay the whole all kinds in the Nation, or 150,000,000 

 thing, or that the cost of half a crown horsepower. In addition to the recla- 

 a head a year would save 50 shillings mation of 25,000,000 acres of arid land, 

 a year in certain few avoidable losses, there are about 77,000.000 acres of 

 They claim that not only would the swamp land now useless, but of inex- 

 destruction of floods and freshets be haustible fertility, which, if drained and 

 practically eliminated, and hence this thrown open to agricultural uses, would, 

 enormous loss be saved, but that such allowing forty acres to each family, fur- 

 an undertaking, which it would take nish homes for 10,000,000 people, 

 ten years to finish, besides preventing A working capital of 100,000,000 

 30,000,000 per year of flood damage, would save, directly and indirectly, 

 73,000,000 annually of loss by forest 1,000,000,000 a year, and yield vastly 

 fires, or 200,000 a day, which could be more of economic good to the people 

 prevented by intelligent management, and their posterity than can be reek- 

 would save also 50,000,000 annually oned in pounds and pence ; and yet the 

 alone in transportation if one-fifth the land is infested with interests whose 

 freight could be handled by water; and tools are in Congress, blocking this in- 

 quite another 100,000,000 in the pre- vestment with the cry of "economy" 

 vention of soil erosion and through and "deficit," with which they are block- 

 other benefits to farm lands. In these ing also the national defenses, and then 

 items alone the expenditure of two and boasting that we have laid up more 

 sixpence a year per capita would save wealth in a generation than Great 

 2 10 shillings a year a head. This Britain in half a millennium, and own 

 is making no account of the water over a quarter of the world's wealth, 

 uses in irrigation, the drainage of What posterity will think of these en- 

 swamp and overflow land, and a puri- lightened and disinterested patriots 

 fied and cheaper water-supply, and the ma y t> e imagined from the opinion of 

 consequent prevention of an enormous some o f their contemporaries this Con- 

 loss of human life from preventable dis- sg wm 'ch has refused Mr. Roose- 

 ease, the economic gain from the miti- ve j t>s request t h a t 10,000 be voted for 

 gation of preventable disease being es ^ maintenance of the National Con- 

 timated at 300000.000 a year. servat io.n Commission. I believe the 

 pointed out by these experts that there Waterways Com- 

 are many indirect benefits which would / , 

 ari.e from these projects, c. g., the de- mission worked for nothing and boarded 

 velopment of water transportation in- themselves ; otherwise we woulc 

 stead of that by rail would reduce the have had one. 



(To be concluded} 



