Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-05-13
THE NATIONS FORESTS.

The senate stands by its amendment
to the sundry civil bill suspending in
definitely the forest reservation orders
proclaimed on February %, 1897, by
President Cleveland, but the public
lands committee of the house has unani-
mously refused to approve that reaction
airy policy. There is still chance,
therefore, of agreement upon the more
intelligent proposal that the period of
suspension allowed by act of the present
congress at its extra session for the cor
rection of possible mistakes in fixing the
limits of the reservations shall be con-
tinued for year in order that the survey
and examination now going on may be
complete. 1t is clear that no legitimate
interest could suffer by the adoption of
that course, while it would save the
country from the discredit and misfor-
tune of reversing an enlightened action
deliberately taken.
President Harrison's reservation of
nearly $4,000, 900 acres of forest lands
was generally approved and did not
arouse serious opposition in any quarter,
but President Cleveland's proclamation
/
Ing more than 20,000,000 acres to the
nations forest domain, provoked COM
plants from settlers who believed that
their indispensable privileges were
threatened, and from railroad and mining
companies whose lucrative depredations
it seemed likely to stop. In the former
case the alarm was not well founded; In
the latter case the cutlery, though natural
enough, did not deserve to appeal strong
ly to the representatives in congress OF
all the people, whose possessions had
been continually despoiled. The able
committee appointed by the National
Academy of Science, on whose report
the presidents action was based, never
contemplated a wasteful sequestration OF
these vast tracts without regard to their
natural and superior uses. On the con.
trary, it declared that they could not be
withdrawn from occupation, but Unjust
be made to perform their part in the
economy of the nation" by the sale tC
miners and farmers of land more valua
BILE for its vulnerable deposits and fol
agricultural purposes than for its tim
Der, by the sale of mature timber, and by
the granting of suitable privileges &c
settlers and prospectors. In conformity
with these views the committee proposed
a scheme of forest administration anC
sought to have it embodied in law. The
creation of the reservations was the
necessary first step in the formulation OF
a national policy which sooner or later
must be adopted.
Those who learn from their own mis-
takes to repair past losses and avoid fur
Their misfOrtunes are wise. Those who
profit by the experience of others before
disaster befalls themselves are wiser yet
If the people of the United States do no
soon adopt adequate measures to stOI
the devastation which has already passed
the limit OF safety they will ultimately
be compelled to follow the example Of
older nations and resort to the slow anC
costly process of reforestation. The
reckless destruction of timber by desigr
Is not the only, and perhaps not the
greatest, evil which ignorant indfler
ence in this matter tolerates. Sheer
carelessness contributes enormously t.
the waste. The forestry report says
that, while there are no statistics Il
show the annual loss from fires in the
western states and territories, "nearly
every summer their smoke Obscures fol
months the sight of the sun over hun
dreds of square miles, and last summer
(lS96) your committee, travelling for sly
weeks through northern Montana, Ida
no and Washington, and through west
ern Washington and Oregon, were al
most constantly enveloped In the smok,
of forest fires" To prevent this doubl,
destruction from axe and fire, and there
by to preserve the conditions which pro
foundly affect climate, soil and water
flow, is an essential duty which the gov
eminent and people of the United States
have too long neglected. 1t will be de
plorable If congress now abandons thu
tentative course which contains thu
promise of a wise and permanent natl
onal pOlicy.-New York Tribune.