Three Acres And Liberty | Page 5

Government should act to
the fullest extent of its constitutional powers in the reclamation of these
lands under proper safeguards against speculative holding and
landlordism.
"The rivers are valuable to the farmers as drainage lines, as irrigation
supply, as carriers and equalizers of transportation rates, as a readily
available power resource, and for raising food fish. The wise
development of these and other uses is important to both agricultural
and other interests; their protection from monopoly is one of the first
responsibilities of government. The streams belong to the people; under
a proper system of development their resources would remain an estate
of all the people, and become available as needed.
"River transportation is not usually antagonistic to railway interests.
Population and production are increasing rapidly, with corresponding
increase in the demands made on transportation facilities. It may be
reasonably expected that the river will eventually carry a large part of
the freight that does not require prompt delivery, while the railway will
carry that requiring expedition. This is already foreseen by leading
railway men; and its importance to the farmer is such that he should
encourage and aid, by every means in his power, the large use of the
rivers. The country will produce enough business to tax both streams
and railroads to their utmost.
"In many regions the streams afford facilities for power, which, since
the inauguration of electrical transmission, is available for local rail
lines and offers the best solution of local transportation problems. In
many parts of the country local and interurban lines are providing
transportation to farm areas, thereby increasing facilities for moving
crops and adding to the profit and convenience of farm life. However,
there seems to be a very general lack of appreciation of the possibilities
of this water-power resource as governing transportation costs.

"The streams may be also used as small water power on thousands of
farms. This is particularly true of small streams. Much of the labor
about the house and barn can be performed by transmission of power
from small water wheels running on the farms themselves or in the
neighborhood. This power could be used for electric lighting and for
small manufacture. It is more important that small power be developed
on the farms of the United States than that we harness Niagara.
"Unfortunately, the tendency of the present laws is to encourage the
acquisition of these resources on easy terms, or on their own terms, by
the first applicants, and the power of the streams is rapidly being
acquired under conditions that lead to the concentration of ownership in
the hands of the monopolies. This constitutes a real and immediate
danger, not to the country-life interests alone, but to the entire nation,
and it is time that the whole people become aroused to it.
"The forests have been exploited for private gain not only until the
timber has been seriously reduced, but until streams have been ruined
for navigation, power, irrigation, and common water supplies, and
whole regions have been exposed to floods and disastrous soil erosion.
Probably there has never occurred a more reckless destruction of
property that of right should belong to all the people.
"The wood-lot property of the country needs to be saved and increased.
Wood-lot yield is one of the most important crops of the farms, and is
of great value to the public in con trolling streams, saving the run-off,
checking winds, and adding to the attractiveness of the region. [Taken
up in a special chapter of this book.]
"In many regions where poor and hilly lands prevail, the town or
county could well afford to purchase forest land, expecting thereby to
add to the value of the property and to make the forests a source of
revenue. Such communal forests in Europe yield revenue to the cities
and towns by which they are owned and managed."
These revenues would furnish good roads even in the poorest and most
sparsely settled districts.
There are a number of other reasons why people do not like to live
outside of cities--or do not succeed in farm work. There is the difficulty
of finding help. This, how. ever, rejoices the heart of the modern
sociologist. Consider--we first teach our children independence and
train them for everything but farm help or household services. Then we

degrade the "help" below a mill "hand" so that people will not even sit
at table with them at an hotel. Next we fix a theory of conduct for them
that keeps them constantly under orders and pay them wages that make
it hardly possible for them to rise above the station to which we have
appointed them.
Finally, when we move away from the haunts of men out to
Sandtown-by-the-Puddle we blame them that they do not rush to join
us. Most