Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-01-26

!
der Of orr forests unless some penalty is at
fixed by law 10 the Ruthless destruction of
whole tracts of forest land. Railroads are
penetrating every year to portions of the
State which have hither o been isolated from
the main lines Of travel. The growing III
dusiry Of Vermont demands something better
than the old.fashoncd methods OF ttanspor-
tation. Very many of oar towns and villages
arc bonding together to supper, branch lines
OF railway, and IT will rot be long before the
whole State will be intorsectcd with net |
work of steel Whit, then, will become of
our for, SIS, and wlai Of Our agricultural and
manufacturing interests dependent upon
them, and the health Of our people ? These
are certainly questions Of Importance, and
We are glad that they have been brought 50
forcibly and effectively before our legisla-
tors.
But what shall be done, IN the way of leg
islation, TO preserve our forests? In the first
place, as we have suggested, there should be
penalty for the wan,on destruction of tim
Der lands. In France, where the matter of
forestal legislation has reached II high state OF
perfection, there is II very severe and minute
code OF penalties for The injury and wanton
destruction of forest trees. A gradated list
OF Imprisonment and fines for such offences
is published by the government and strictly
enforced by the officials. The forests OF
France are probably the best preserved and
most permanently valuable in the world.
There is positively no chance for their ex
tincton, so well devised ore the laws with
regard to them and SO strict the surveillance
of the officials In Sweden the forests of the
domain are placed under the surveillance Of
commission called The Commission Of the
Administration Of Forests, under the juris-
diction of the Minister Of Finance, aud under
the direct care of employees aud agents of the
forest service There are between six and
seven hundred forest guards stationed
throughout the domain to enforce the forest
laws and assist private proprictols desiring
to submit their forests to Il regulated econo-
N.Y. In Denmark every person purchasing
Il forest is forbidden 10 cut it-except such
wood n is necessary for his own consump-
ton, for period of ten years, aud no cop
pice shall be cut until it has attained to ma
tue growth. In Spain and Portugal the laws
against the wholesale destruction of forests
are very severe. Prussia has perfect army
of ards for the protection of her timber
land. Even the vast domain of Russia i:
supplied with officials whose especial duty
/ 1t is to preserve strict ccono
my, in every district, in the lum
boring operations OF the land holders
England, it is well known, is rs careful o
her iorcst-parks as though the whole king
dom were one vast landscape garden. SOM
such system of surveillance and penalt,
must be established here in Vermont, If TIN
matter oi preserving Our forests is ever goini
to amount TO anything.
, Another thing must be done. We mus
have some practical system OF tiE.bcrcul
turc. Some substantial inducemcnt, othc
than the eventual welfare OF the holders o
, the properly, should be extended to the land
owners Of the State. Also at every publi
= meeting of farmers or manufacturers some
thing should be brought forward to foste
. popular sentiment in favor of trcc-planting
p The Press of the State should lend its inilu
cnce, constantly, to the movement. The de
n vice Of an annual ''aibor day" las WORKED
, cXccllently in some of the Western States
, Let this day be made legal holiday
, all schools and societies, and the pub
! l,,'n tp