The Meeker herald., 1891-03-28
v..,..,, ..s w.,.. SURELY.

u " y mattrf pf sfrat frsfri sliat The
attitude Of the Legislature towards for.
-,;ry matters Ma. such tina; II WAS not
thought t--,i Ia attempt io secure the
passage of any radical change, in the
ls~s which will give tho Forestry Com
missioner snfiicirn, power in hi, depart.
tnrn; 10 SECURE tho enforcement, II tho
good laws already on tho s,aiut. books.
The enforcement 81 the laws IL still
practically In The hands Of the County
Commissioners. who. We regret Ia say /.
j-c; tina, they ought. The best tha,
could br done WAS io retain the leg s.sla-
ton that We now have. ~ that We
should take no backward steps, with
perhaps some amendments Ia effect the
present ~ stem - that IL might h, some.
what more efficient. Oa- important
change In tho Law II that of making The
chairman of the board of County Com.
missionrrs more responsible than he
has been and each Commissioner re-
sponsibic for his own district In hts
county. Bu; still more important
change is the offer of reward Of 500
for furnishing information that shall
lead Ia the punishment Of any person
responsible for forest fire. We would
like the law better II the reward WAS
SOD Instead OF siOo. The damage that
can bc done community Is 80 great
that slUD Is mere bagniclic. The pun
ishment ought to III the crime and IL
would bc much better to place II at
500. II Is not likely that the State
would have to pay more than ten or III.
teen of such rewards. aud 1t can very
well Afford to do that. There has been
u good deal Of gushing talk among our
politicians and members Of the Legisla-
ture about working together to build up
the State. But beyond the selfish inter
est that they have there seems to be
little attention paid 10 important things.
There is nothing more important to this
State than To preserve our forests. 1f
the Legislature by passing u law could
increase the flow Of our streams thous.
and millions of gallons year there
would be no hesitation about passing
the law. But in the passage Of forestry
laws which will give us proper forestry
protection, the Legislature indirectly
may do this very thing. AT present by
its failure TO make the laws more eff
cient 1t is imperilling the flow Of water
we have at present. II II is necessary
Ia expend any very large amount of
money there might be some question
about the action of the Legislature. But
no large amount is needed. and yet the
results would be incalculable in value.
1t is just as impossible to preserve the
water supply as 1t is to provide for its
distribution.
| But a still further effect that proper
legislation would have through the in
crease In the forest area near the
sources of our streams would be the
holding back of the water so that in
stead of having the largest proportion
of the water from our melting SHOWS
run off in May aud June, when we are
helped more or less by rains, it can be
retained in our springs and waterways
so that we can have plenty of water in
July and August. Not only would
these laws indirectly procure us a
greater water supply, but would dis
tribute IL in way that would make it
doubly valuable. If the farms of Colo
rado could have the water that comes
every season in our streams and from
rains at just the time they wanted it,
and only then, we should have plenty of
water to cultivate all the land within
one hundred miles Of the mountains
Colorado Springs Gazette.