December 15, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



823 



magnitude of the values involved. Since 

 water is the sole source of productivity 

 and habitability, it is the primary basis of 

 all values; and since the property of the 

 country may be appraised at a figure ap- 

 proaching $150,000,000,000, while the water 

 reserve (stored chiefly in the ground) may 

 be estimated at ten yeara' rainfall or 50,- 

 000,000,000 acre-feet, the one may be bal- 

 anced against the other as the gold reserve 

 is balanced against the currency whose cir- 

 culation maintains property values. Reck- 

 oned in this way the value of the water re- 

 serve may be put at $150,000,000,000 in 

 gross, i. e., $3 per acre-foot or 2.2 mills per 

 ton — a reasonable figure, corresponding 

 fairly with the current cost of irrigation 

 water, and far less than any current water 

 rates in cities or even the ordinary margin 

 of rates above the cost of waterworks. In 

 connection with the gross valuation, it may 

 be noted (chiefly on the basis of estimates 

 by the National Conservation Commission 

 toward the end of 1908) that more than 

 10,000,000 of our people are supplied — 

 largely from protected catchment areas of 

 over 1,000,000 acres — by waterworks, which 

 for 42 cities (not including Chicago, Phila- 

 delphia, Cleveland, Cincinnati, et al.) cost 

 no less than $271,159,483 and perhaps as 

 much more for catchment basins, and 

 supply 1,324,300 acre-feet of domestic 

 water,^^ worth in round figures computed 

 at $3 per acre-foot $4,000,000 annually; 

 that some $200,000,000 are invested in irri- 

 gation works, using 34,000,000 acre-feet of 

 water annually to render productive 13,- 

 000,000 acres of arid lands; that the 

 water-power available at a cost comparable 

 with that of steam installation is 37,500,- 

 000 horsepower (enough to "operate every 

 mill, drive every spindle, propel every 

 " Eeport of the National Conseryation Commis- 

 sion (60th CongreBS, 2d Session, Senate Document 

 676), 1909, Vol. II., p. 178. 



train and boat, and light every city, town 

 and village in the country "^^), worth in 

 gross earning power $20 per horsepower- 

 year or $750,000,000 annually; that the 

 annual loss through draining away of the 

 ground water in only nine interior states, 

 reckoned at $3 per acre-foot, is $442,000,- 

 000 ; that the estimated yearly loss through 

 soil erosion is $500,000,000; that if navi- 

 gation were so developed that one fifth of 

 our freight moved by water the annual 

 saving to producers and consumers would 

 be $250,000,000 ; and that needed drainage 

 of our 75,000,000 acres of swamp and over- 

 flow land would add over $20 per acre 

 above the cost of draining (or $1,500,000,- 

 000), to our national wealth and provide 

 home-sites for 5,000,000 to 7,500,000 fam- 

 ilies. Even the most conservative figures 

 indicate that the development, control 

 and utilization of water raises the largest 

 and one of the most pressing economic 

 issues now before the American people. 



32. Since the uses of water are interde- 

 pendent and most of the physical relations 

 interstate, complete control may not be ex- 

 ercised justly either by any single state 

 sovereignty or by excliisive federal sover- 

 eignty; so that concurrent legislative and 

 administrative action is required by states 

 and the municipalities within them and by 

 the federal government. 



33. Since under the Constitution the fed- 

 eral government is primarily responsible 

 for the general welfare, requisite action 

 may properly, and in view of the urgent 

 demand should without needless delay, be 

 initiated by the congress. 



34. The magnitude and complexity of 

 the interests affected, the delicacy of the 

 legal relations involved, and the dearth of 

 both exact knowledge and practical ex- 

 perience concerning the several uses of 



« Ibid., Vol. I., p. 41. 



