Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-04-22
THE FORESTRY PROBLEM.

vet there i no more invariable lesson
| fauoht by the history of countries ana
| nations What has become OF those
Lands of Asia which once We're SAID %
.4low with milk and honey; winch
a-no,o, their then forest-clad mountains
! and on their hills covered with VINE
| vards and fig groves. and ON theH
| nIains waving with graintields, nour-
ished teerning and prosperous popula-
| +ions. which reared great cities ana as
| tonishino monuments Of the clVlnZa-
| tion of their timer w hereVer UheI
forests disappeared their mountain
| sides were denuded Of soil, thelr springs
| dried ND. their watercourses disappear
| ed at one season and became raging tor-
| rents at another, inundatlng the 'aleys
and covering them with the graVel anu
| loose rock swept down from the noun
] tains: their vineyards ana orchaFuS
| wilted and died of want OF moisture
| their plains became parcned anu par
ren: and for many centuries lhey nafe
been desolate deserts, roaned over "
| beasts, and nomadic tribes niue pee,e5
| than robbers, poor, miserable, Gegraieu
| and relaused into barbarism. what Is
| the lesson taught by the history OF
| Snain. in ancient times one OF the most
| Inxuriant graden-spOts Of the world,
tbe pranary Of the Roman Empire
The noble forests which still existed IN
the time of the Moors were ruthlessly
swept away, and it is not without rea
| son that learned historians aScrlDe the
| economic az well az the political deca-
dence of Spain in a great measure 10
the evils which the destruction OF her
forests brought with it. Examples OF
minor consequence may prontapiy De
studied in some parts OF ltaly anu
| southern France.
We NAV congratulate ourselves upon
| the fact that the warnings with regard
| to this subject, which so long were Ut
| fered in vain. are at last beginning to
| command the attention of the people at
| large Earnest efforts are being made
| in New York. Pennsylvania, New Jer-
| sey. West Virginia. Wisconsin, ana
| several New England States to preserve
| large stretches of forest, in most cases
| with a view to protecting against De
I nudation the head waters Of the pr1n-
cipaI rivers. President Harrison set
| apayt. bv executive orders, about H.
| 600. 900 acres az forest reserves IN the
far Western States and Territories, ana
/ President Cleveland in the same man
ner reserved various districts, aggre-
| eating about 27,000,0 900, all for the
| same purpose. Thus a fair start mas
been made in policy designed to avert
| the most disastrous consequence OF our
recklessness; and there is no doubt that
| these movements and measures nave
| the hearty sympathy of every intelil-
/ gent man in the country whose Judg-
ment is not warped by private interest.
| But we must not indulge in the DEUS
| ion that mere popular sympathy VIII
| be sufficient for the attainment OF the
object. Every forward step for the
systematic preservation Of pubic FOR
ests will have to overcome the stubborn
and crafty resistance of greedy persons
who seek to enrich themselves by prey
ing upon the public property; and that
resistance will be supported by coward
ly politicians in Congress or In the
| State Legislatures who have such gree
DIV robbers among their constituents
and wish to conciliate their political
ihuence.
When during the administration OF
President Hayes, the Interior Depart
ment made the first earnest effort to
stop the plundering and devastation OF
public timberlands, notion seemed 10
prevail that the public forests were
| everybody's property, to be taken or
wasted az anybody pleased. Enterpris-
ing timber thieves were eappropT1ahng 70
themselves not merely trees, but whole
forests. Hundreds of sawmills were
in full blast to manufacture public
forests into merchantable lumber. not
only TO be used at home but to be ex-
ported TO foreign countries. The value
Of the stolen lumber 80 exported
amounted to many millions Of dollars
every year. When the first steps were
taken to arrest this wholesale robbery
and destruction, the Interior Depart
ment was flooded with kilograms and
letters Indignantly demonstrating
against such tyrann.cal attempts and
Senators and members Of the House oi
| Representatives came rushing IN, ASK
ing in angry tones how the Depart
ment could dare thus to interfere with
| the legitimate business Of the country
And when the Secretary applied t.
Congress for national forestry legisla-
ton, he was contemptuously sneered al
even by great statesmen for his out
Iandish notions, that might do for a
little German principality, but were
rediculously out Of place in n great
country like this.
The supercilious sneering has ceased,
but, "a the protests Of Western Sena
tors and Representatives against Pres
ident Clevelands last forest reserve
order proved, that active resistance has
not ceased To battle il will require
much discernment. GOODNESS, and III
trepidity on the part of executive Off
GERS as well as legislators. They
shot,ld take good care not 10 be STAN
peded by the ancient pretence of the
timber thieves that they are only pro
viding for tine urgent needs Of the peO
, pie. and that if they are prevented
. from stealing, the business of the coun
, J trg will come to a standstill while, IL
fart. what timber the farmers and min
, ers need is comparatively very little
/, and easily supplied; but the main busi
/ ness Of the timber thieves IL TO sell in
! the general market for their private
! profit what they steal from the public
i The present secretary of the Interior
/ who is hard pressed about the fores'
reserves recently ordered by President
: Cleveland should keep his old expert
] ence well in mind. Nor will il be diff
!, ficult to protect the public timber land;
against robbery if proper means b'
, granted Especially will this be easy
to the national government. lndiaI
. wars are no longer 10 be apprehended
A large part Of the army will be dispos
! able for other objects Whv should
, not few battalions be organized anc
. specially instructed as forest guards fol
> such service2 There could hardly be q
; more useful employment for the soldiei
in time OF peace
The next problem will be TO keep the
| forests 50 saved from devastation in Z
; state Of constant and profitable renewa
so IA TO make them . source Of public
revenue. This is a matter OF science
and of administration In this respec
several European countries present Il
ms u noble example and vast store o
u experience; and it Is to be hoped tina
y we have at last outgrown the childisl
u notion that we are too great 10 lear
i anything from abroad No respect
able American university or colleg
. should be without its forestry depart
: ment, manned with instructors perfect
{ IL familiar with European systems ant
!. nobody should he intTusted with fores
administration other than persons cdu
Gated in such schools. The first re
y qirement to be kept in mind is tina
r this branch of public service bc KEEP
severely ont Of politics.; for scientifi
:, administration has no more dangerOu
enemy than the practical party poll
tician. This is an experience whic
h especially the Governor of New York
/. nc ia in earnest with his forestry policy
should not for moment forget
II may sound like an exaggeration &
:, say that, as 10 the future prosperity o