LARGE PUBLIC WORKS

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20986, 14 October 1933, Page 7

LARGE PUBLIC WORKS

STIMULATING INDUSTRY IN U.S.A. YOUTHS' AFFORESTATION CAMPS (Sl-BCIALMf WRITTEN FOR THE I'UESS.) (By T.C.L.) XIII. The prosecution of large utility works is one of the means by which President Roosevelt expects to put back large bodies of men into employment and to provide the spending power to reinstate the country's industry and economy. The large sum of £660,000,000 sterling is provided for the purpose. One of the largest of the schemes is that known as Muscle Shoals, in the Tennessee Valley. In 1917, when America entered the war, President Wilson sought a site for a great clam in order to develop power for extracting atmospheric nitrogen for the nation's war requirements. Muscle Shoals was selected and work begun on the construction of what was called the Wilson Dam, after the President. Following the Armistice Congress refused appropriations for completing the structure, which was then half finished. Henry Ford made an offer to complete the dam, his idea being to supply his own works at Detroit and others in the vicinity. The Government refused the offer. Development of 3,000,000 H.P. The amount of power that can be developed by integrated development of the river and its tributaries is estimated at 3,000,000 horse-power. Thus from a power standpoint the Tennessee is one of America's most important rivers. Rising high in the Appalachian Mountains the river rushes swiftly into the Ohio. In a relatively short distance it has a arop of 290 ft and in its 700 miles of length one of 660 ft. This downward rush, or " head," as the engineers describe it, of a great volume of water accounts for the immense potentialities of the river as a power generator. The basin of the river has an elongated area of 40,000 square miles, and the works will be located at no great distance from the centres of population and some of the largest industries of the whole United States. Along the river lie great coal and iron ore and limestone deposits. Not only has the President in mind the development of immense quantities of power, but his plans embrace the afforestation of denuded areas, so as to restore the watersheds' potentialities, as well as the withdrawal from cultivation of marginal and submarginal lands and the reorientation of the valley. A commission of three men has been set up to construct the dams, because there will be several by the time full development occurs, the manufacture and sale of power and the production of nitrates. New Departure Welcomed. It is quite a new departure for the Government of the United fcuates to launch out in this way and develop the natural resources of the country. In the past this field was left open to private enterprise. Not only the railways and many of the municipal tramways, but practically all the gas and electricity supplies are in the hands of private corporations, which, perhaps naturally, have always studied the interests of their shareholders before those of the public. Like the banks the public utility companies, as

thfv arc called, just now arc not very popular wiiu the public, which has hailed the completion of the Muscle Shoals scheme with considerable satisfaction if for no other reason than that it will keep the public utilities concerns in check. Neither has Uncle Sam ever before appeared in the garb of a manufacturer and seller of fertilisers, and how he will shape in this capacity is affording many citizens considerable interest and speculation. On the whole, however, there is so much resentment against the past exactions of the trusts and combinations and their failure to meet the new situation arising out of the economic crisis that the public welcome any move along the lines of Government intervention or participation in industry, especially in the development of great natural resources such as those in the Tennessee Valley. Smart Piece of Work. Probably the smartest piece of work to be credited the amazing Roosevelt since he assumed the leadership of the nation is the placing of more than 300,000 boys and young men into forest camps This large number was enlisted, trained and transferred to more than 1400 camps scattered over the countryside within two months. The military ha'd charge of the work, and military equipment is being used. The camps are conducted along military lines, and the boys, who work only about 6 to 6h hours a day for five days a week, get a dollar a day and found, and send their wages oack to depression-ridden families at home. The camps, one of which the writer visited m Arizona, are similar to a New Zealand military camp. The lads are clad in dungarees, and regard their work in the nature of a picnic. The only thing lacking is military drill and discipline, which would set them up properly. Not that they are giving trouble, for on the whole the lads are well behaved. The desertions have been remarkably few, less than one per cent., and that was before proper organisation had been arranged. Good Work in the Forests. Good work is being done in the forests. Undergrowth and dead wood are being removed and fire-breaks provided, thus aiding healthy forest growth and preventing the spread of forest fires. Plant and tree pests and parasites arc being controlled and destroyed. Streams are being cleaned and head waters dammed to prevent floods and soil erosion. In some areas carap sites are being provided for tourists and picnic grounds improved and cleaned. It is an important national conservation work that is being done by labour that before was doing worse that nothing. Many of the boys were roaming and living on the country, jumping freight trains and menacing the farmers and townspeople alike. It is estimated that there were nearly half a million of them altogether, besides more than 50,000 girls. In Los Angeles, for instance, the average number of arrivals from the eastern districts was 9000 boys and 1000 girls monthly. Organisations such as the Rotary clubs took care of as many as possible, but the problem grew acute, and had not the President taken them off the roads and trains and placed them in the afforestation camps a desperate situation would have been reached. Considerable relief is also being afforded the homes of the lads from the remittance of 25 dollars a month, which makes all the difference between sufficiency and starvation. Altogether the scheme is regarded as a most successful one and likely to result in permanent national benefit as well as tiding over large numbers of lads for whom at present there are no prospects of employment.