Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-03-11
Protection Of Timber.

The extravaganza with which We are
in the habit OF drawing on the bountiful
supply of timbs which nature has be
slowed upon our own land may we'll be
relieved by glance abroad at other coun
tries. abounding in resources, but poorly
supplied in this respect, where the proper
maintenance Of the common stock forms
a chief care Of the government This ap-
pears particularly to be the case just now
in the Kingdom Of Prussia, where one of
the chief measures laid before the House
OF Deputies since its recent meeting was
the bill introduced by DR.. Prudential,
Minister Of Agriculture, for the better
protection Of woods, not merely those
that are state Or communal property, but
those belonging to private owners, who
in some cases will be restrained, if the
measure becomes law, from cutting their
own property down, except in order to
replant it, bit by bit. This very autocrat.
ic piece of Legislation, as we should con-
slider it, was justified on the part of the
Minister by very elaborate statistics. Ac-
corling to these, while Sweden has 43
per cent. of he, lands under wood, Russia
81, Bavaria 50, Austria 80. and Germany
outside Prussia and Bavaria ~, the Prus-
sian monarchy has no more than 23115 per
cent, only little less than one.quarter
of her soil being used, therefore, for the
production of wood, to be employed chief:
ly for fuel, throughoutthc kingdom. This
percentage is subdivided between the
three classes already indicated in the fol-
lowing proportions: The state has TX
per cent. the parishes and other public
bodies, 81, and private individuals, 1917
or more than half Of the whole. If
this were greatly reduced-so runs the ar
gum others would not by any
means suffice for the public needs and,
moreover, much useful shelter from wind
and weather would be lost. AS an in
crease in the extent of the state or the
communal wooas could only be effected
by enormous expenditure in the purchase
Of private lands, it is proposed to taket the
alternative means Of preserving the pri-
vates woods against destruction by thei:
own proprietors. =... ....s
Whatever the percentage Of lands now
under wood in the United States may be,
it is notorious that our timber decreases
with arapidity which has Of late years
began to excite serious alarm. Under
our system Of government, such paternal
legislation as that resorted to in Prussia
would, of course, be impossible, no mat.
1 Ter how strongly demanded by tile gener.
al good. At the same time the urgent ne
cessity Of guarding against the wanton
destruction Of Of our woods Is now being
so clearly recognized that both the Fede
raj and the State Governments are giving
the question their earnest attention. Thus
one Of. the last bills reported this session
back to Congress was that from the House
Committee on Public Lands for the pro
lection Of timber on the public domain
This bill authorizes the appointment by
the President Of q man Of approved At
tainme ents to prosecute investiga gations ane
inquiries with view Of ascertaininR III,
8 annual cunt of Consumption, importa
. tion, and exporla alton Of timber and othe
q forest products, the probable supply Is
future wants and the best meaDs to b
! adopted fof the preservation and restnre
tion of replanting of forests This actio,
vas taken 81 the committee Ia accnrdanc
with the sng gcstions contained infths Ia
.sl Prcsidential message md has thc indors,