RECLAMATION OF WET LANDS IN THE UNITED STATES. To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: The following resolutions were adopted by the National Drainage Congress in convention at New Orleans, La., April 10–13, 1912: "Whereas our national prosperity, well-being, and commercial supremacy rest now and must ever remain in the soil; and to maintain our prestige, support a rapidly increasing population, and subserve the interests of the whole people, there must be a complete and scientific utilization of our agricultural resources throughout the United States of America; and "Whereas there are now nearly 75,000,000 acres of unproductive swamp and overflow land, the greater part of which may be reclaimed and made productive, and 150,000,000 acres more which, although now productive, would be largely enhanced in value by drainage; and "Whereas there are undeveloped possibilities of transportation and marketing in connection with such reclamation projects by the utilization of drainage canals and existing streams for navigation; and "Whereas there is urgent necessity for the conservation of our agricultural resources through the restoration and preservation of our soil fertility and the gathering and dissemination of information relating to these subjects; and "Whereas the swamp and overflow lands of the United States are a menace to public health and constitute, by reason of State-line complications, a problem that one State alone can not solve, it is the duty of the United States Government, by the exercise of its power for pacification and harmonization, to remove this menace by the drainage of said swamps: Therefore be it "Resolved, (1) That we petition the Congress of the United States to order a complete survey of all swamp and overflowed lands in the United States. "(2) That we indorse and commend the principles of the Newlands bill (S. 122) to create a Board of River Regulation, and urge every delegate to this congress to cooperate in all possible ways to aid in securing the enactment by Federal Congress during the present session of such legislation as will immediately result in the creation of this board, clothed with full authority and provided with necessary funds. "(3) That whereas the stupendous work of building the Panama Canal is hastening to completion; and whereas there has been assembled upon that work the greatest aggregation of mechanical devices ever brought together by man, which devices will within a brief period be no longer needed in the Canal Zone, and whereas some of this machinery may be used to advantage in executing the constructive works which must be executed in carrying out the plans advocated by this congress, "Be it resolved, That the National Government be requested to withhold from sale until the mechanical needs of these contemplated works can be determined, all of such machinery which is not manifestly unsuited to the class of work to be performed in carrying out the projects which we advocate. "(4) That this congress urge the United States Government to protect the passes at the mouth of the Mississippi River by adequate military and naval power in order that the freight-rate-making channel to the sea may never be jeopardized." Respectfully submitted. NATIONAL DRAINAGE CONGRESS, Acting President. NATIONAL ASPECT OF SWAMP DRAINAGE.' By M. O. LEIGHTON, Chief Hydrographer United States Geological Survey. That which I have to suggest is based on two fundamental principles: First, that natural laws are superior to man-made ones, and when the two kinds are opposed, as they sometimes are, man is very foolish to handicap himself by trying to sustain those of his own make; second, that government is merely a means to an end, that end being to enable the people to satisfy their needs and desires in the wisest way. I hold that these two principles do not admit of argument. Some parts of the earth are not, in their natural condition, well suited to man's occupancy. Man has therefore seen fit to readjust the face of nature to suit his particular needs. In the course of this readjustment he has changed rural conditions into urban ones; has diverted the course of rivers to make the arid places productive; has tunneled mountains, bridged chasms, leveled hills, and even diked off the ocean itself. These and a thousand things more has man performed because nature has not arranged and constructed to his liking. But though nature has shown a cheerful disposition to submit to such changes, she has always insisted that they be made in certain ways. Whosoever violates her laws must finally fail of his purposes. Do you know of any exception to this rule? As a nation we require the riches that lie disguised in the swamp lands of the United States. As a people we can not feel that our full duty has been performed until we have made these swamp lands centers of prosperity and comfort for ourselves and those who shall come after. To do this we must again change the face of nature and we must make that change in accordance with nature's laws. THE CHARACTER OF A SWAMP. What is a swamp? It is merely an area of land which, because of some adverse natural conditions, has been deprived of or denied a suitable outlet for its surplus water. That water therefore accumulates in or upon the ground and renders the area too wet for man's comfortable occupation. It also prevents the entrance of air into the ground. Now air, or the oxygen contained in air, is as essential at the plant roots as it is at the plant leaves, and so it is that in swamps we have a dense wet soil generally stagnant, on which nothing of a very useful character will grow except certain kinds of 1 From addresses delivered at irrigation congress in Chicago in December, and at the drainage congress in New Orleans in April. |