The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-03-27
THE FORESTRY BILL.
Unity of ActiOn-An important Mat
ter.

To the Editor.
Pending in the legislature are forestry
bills Of somewhat inverse policies. 1t would
be easy to straighten them on a single line
were it not for the evident Indifference
about the matter. Can it be possible that
our legislature will let it go by default?
Have we not had lessons enough by way of
forest fires, floods, droughts and the loss of
many Of our streams and lakes. or must
we have a desert in Minnesota before on,
lawmakers will wake up out Of their Rip
Van Wrinkle slumber? The Iumbermen have
a bill introduced, drawn up by Gen. An
drews, under expectation of getting an
office-but that, we learn, is snubbed so far
as the office goeS-Which bill is disconnect-
ed from all relations with tree culture on
the farms. 1t is purely a police bill. The
State Forestry Association has a. bill. which
it asks for support. and which connects the
culture of trees with the saving of trees.
thus avoiding all rivalship and antagonism
in policy and w~Ork-that is, the association
is to cooperate with the proposed fire war
den system, reportorially and educationally.
with the duty also Of inspecting the work
done to control forest fires. 1t is an
suspicious time now to do something. Being
one of the founders of the forestry asso-
citation, one of it's first presidents. and
knowing the great benefits it has con-
ferred upon the people, I earnestly hope ali
personal considerations will be set aside
and that the judicious policy of the associa-
ton be Endorsed and carried into enact
ment. But this policy should go farther.
We must stop the steals going on, even
this very winter, despite the pine land in
Vestlgatlng committee. And here l wish to
lay before the candid reader my closing
paragraph in the report Of said committees:
"Ihese pine forests are still a vast prop
erty. even stripped as they have been.
They belong to the future generations: they
are a sacred trust. No penny wise and
pound foolish policy should be pursued to
save at the spigot and waste at the
bung.' The state should be as liberal as
an Individual would be to protect and guard
a property of equal value. Now it is sim
ply an unprotected carcass, exposed on the
pupilc highway, for the dogs to rend and
ueVour. In a little while there will be
nothing left but the bones.
~ VIII, of course, be urged that honest
olhclals can protect the public interests in
these PARTICULARS; but legislation is not for
today alone, but for many years to come.
We know what we are: we know not what
we may be. 1t is difficult to put ordinary
human nature into the administration of
millions of dollars worth of property and
expect 1t not to reveal ordinary human
DuI EVEN IL tne representatives
OF the state prove to be strictly honest,
they will find themselves surrounded by
the SnarpeSt set of raScalS that our modern
civilization has ever given birth to. If YOU
permit them to put a single foot on the
pine land of the state, under any excuse.
they will speedily force themselves into
the possession of thousands of acres of it.
You must build an absolutely impassabIe
wall around the states property, or it is
lost. The present excitement and watch
fulness growing out of this Investigation
will soon subside; but the greed an rapacity
of mankind are undying. and by the time
the people have forgotten all about the
pine lands, because they think they are
safe, the thieves will be busy again all over
them. plundering them. Imagine the state
passing a law that if the school houses of
the state are in danger of fire they should
be sold at auction to the highest bidder.
rather than have action taken to provide