The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-03-11

ne extravaganza win which We are In
The habit Of drawing on the bountiful
a.nr,lv 81 Araber which nature has be-
slowed upon eur oxn land may well be
relieved BY glance abroad At other ccen-
tries, sbcsnding in reco -rces, but poorly
supplied in this respect, where the prop
er maintenance of the common stocA
forms a chief care of the government.
This appears particularly to be the case
lust now in the Kingdom Of Prussia, where
one Of the chief measures laid before the
House Of Deputies since its recent meet
ing vas the bill introduced by DR.. FIRE.
denthal. Minister for Agriculture. Tor 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, II
the measure becomes law, from cutting
their own property down except in order
to replant it, bit by bit. This very auto
cratic piece Of legislation, as We should
consider it, was justified on the part OF
the Minister by verv elaborate statistics.
According to these, while Sweden has 20
ner fent of her lands under wood. Russia
81, Bavaria 80, Austria 80, and Germany
outside Of Prussia and Bavaria q, the
Prussian monarchy has no moro than 25s
per cent, only little less than one-quar-
ter of her soil being used, therefore, Tor
the production of wood, to be employed
chiefly for fuel, Throughout the Kingdom
This percentage is subdivided between
the three classes already indicated in the
following proportions: The State has =
per cent; the parishes and other public
bodies, 81, and private individuals, III, OF
more than one half Of the whole. Ii this
were greatly reduced-so runs the argu-
ment-the others would not by any means
suffice for the public needs, and more
over, much useful shelter from wind and
weather would be lost. As an increase in
the extent of the state or the communal
woods could only be effected BY enormous
expenditure IN the purchase OF private
lands, it is proposed to take The alterna-
tive means Of preserving the private
woods against destruction by their own
proprietors.
Whatever the percentage OF lands now
under wood in the United States may be,
it is notorious that our timber decreases
with rapidity 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
how strongly demanded by the general
| good. AT the same time the urgent nc
cessity Of guarding against the wanton
destruction Of our woods is now being SO
clearly recognized that both the Federal
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 man of approved at.
tainments to prosecute investigations and
inquiries with view Of ascertaining the
annual amount of consumption, importa.
ton, and expectation of timber and Other
forest products, the probable supply fol
future wants, and the best means to DC
adopted for the preservation and restora.
ton or replanting of forests. This action
was taken by the committee in accordance
with the suggestions contained in the
last Presidential message, and has the in
dorsement and recommendation Of the
American Association for the Advance
ment Of Science. Ocedn..'