The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-09


supply can last but from twelve TO twenty
years as a commercial wood. nor can the
pines. The manufactures OF Indiana are
dependent upon wood. since no substitute
has been found which possesses the Pc
culiar qualities OF wood for many pur-
poses. The printing press distributes the
worlds daily news on sheets of wood while
famine is rapidly approaching in this
material The largest wood pulp mill In
the world is short on its supply of wood
since the clearing OF the northern forests,
while Canada, looking 10 her future inter-
ests, places an export duty of 81 80
wood. the American policy being the
verse. a duty being placed upon imported
timber. thus Fastening the extinction OF
American forests.
Fifty thousand citizens of Indiana are
employed in wood industries and receive
annually sl5.oo0.Oo0 in wages. which sup
ports a quarter of a million women and
children. The product of this labor brings
Sc, 0C0.0co each year to Indiana's manu-
I'm 1895 16, 2.292 acres were reported by
the statistician as used in agriculture and
in pastures and woods, and 6,SOOoVe acres
rough lands and swamps not suited for
agriculture. If this vast area could be re-
afforested IL would add TO the States ma
terial wealth $500 ,000. 600, doubling the value
of our land assessment. whereas II allowed
% remain as at present no income can DC
hoped fer.
continued no time should be lost in secur-
|
unproductive acre within the State. Trans
portation charges increase rapidly with the
greater distance which materials must be
brought, and the tendency will be TO re-
move factories to points near the source OF
supply. We may thus lose our present
business unless We shall produce at home
the wood required.
THE greatest inducements should be
offered to land holders for the planting and
care of young forests. Information must
be collected and disseminated among the
farmers upon forest subjects. To this end
the Indiana Forestry Association was
formed. and it should have the co-opera-
ton OF every manufacturer and business
firm of the State, as ii has work to per-
form which can be done in no other man.
ner. Through its influence 100000 forest
trees have been planted and a greater in
terest awakened. 1t appeals to the COM
mercial bodies for such recognition as will
enable 1t to extend its usefulness"
PRESERVATION OF STREAMS.
During the morning DR.. ]. N Hurry, Of
the State Board of Health, spoke on
Some Industries in Their Relation to the
Pollution of Streams" During his remarks
he said: 1.-THE rivers, the creeks and the
small branches of Indiana make an aggre-
gate length of several thousand miles.
These streams must be preserved free from
pollution and disease-breadins sewage in
order to preserve the health of residents.
che sewage that is now poured into the
riverways can be economically disposed
of through other means and the streams
kept clear
Another threat against the streams
lies in certain ndustries-tin-plate works,
strawboard wood-pulp and straw paper
mills. The laws of the State very properly
prohibit the pollution Of streams. and the
courts have upheld the Jaw The only thing
lacking is the means of procedure to pre-
serve the streams and prevent injury to
The SIS, 900, 000 invested in stream-poi1uting
industries. The establishment CT a labora-
tory of hygiene Is necessary, that practi-
cal experiments may be made to discover
the best process of Kidding the industries
CT the waste and poisonous products. Such
a laboratory would also enable the State
TO enforce the pure food laws. At present
there is no provision for making chemical
analyses, and, as a consequence. the law is
ineffective. The State, 1t is said, might
avail itself of the laboratories connected
with the two State universities. This IS
an impra ctical suggestion and an impossi-
bic one to carry out.
1T will be possible only for special
laboratory, having special legal recoEni-
| ton and special powers, to do the very
necessary work here proposed. / urge The
Board of Commerce and all citizens to lend
all possible encoura cement and aid to the
| founding of a State laboratory of hygiene"
After several commendatory speeches,
President Fortune took the floor and said.
1.-The preservation of our streams is one
complish. 1 move that this body indorse
| the plans suggested in DIR. Hurtys paper
| for the purifying of the streams, and that
| "a special committee be appointed to give
| the matter its careful consideration and
prepare a bill, to be introduced at the
| acxt session of the Legislature. that VIII
| provide practical means fer the carrying
out of the project
The motion was adopted and a committee
composed of Alexander Johnson, c. A.
| Hughs. J. W. Robb, c. w. Kimbrough, j.
r. Sears, c. c. Foster and c. A. Kenyon
was appointed to look after the matter
OTHER PAPERS READ.
| w. W. Thornton, of Indianapolis, read a
paper urging the codifcation of all city
and town laws under one head because of
| the fact that the people who most fire.
| quently had occasion to consult them were
laymen and not lawyers. and the informa-
| ton should be compiled so as to be avail
| able to the uninitiated In legal matters.
| He also said he was sure that If the Board
| of Commerce or any other body wanted to
have good laws passed they must not de-
pend on the Legislature, but must draft
| their own bills and secure their passage
| by their own efforts He said the average
| legislator had no technical knowledge OF
| many matters he was asked to vote for,
and 1t would therefore be to the best in
| terests of the people that all bills dealing
/ should be drafted outside the Legislature
| by people well acquainted with the condi-
| tions sought to be corrected.
| John p. Seers, of Anderson. read a paper
on lis it Profitable to Give Bonuses to
| Manufacturers He took the position
| that the theory of the system was much
/ like that of merchant advertising his
wares. and that to get the best results a
| careful observance of the usual rules OF
| business procedure is necessary. The
| principal points to be observed, he said
| were Investigations as to the capital. in
tegrity, number and condition of employees
| and resources Of the company II is de-
| signed to substitute. He said a factory was
| worth to community at the rate of 500
for every man employed, but that Ander-
| son had secured its factories at less fig
| ure, probably about $50 man. He said
| the location of factories benefited every
| one but principally the real estate men
| few of whom had been willing, however
to subscribe to bring factories to Ander.
| son. He said factories also tended to make
the standard of manhood higher, i'm that in
| towns where there were no industries
| young people found nothing to do wher
they arrived at an age where employment
| is necessary, and then 1.-The heritage OF
| good character is sacrificed to lack of op
| portunity." He urged that, while bonuses
were proper in inducing the location Of
| factories, all commercial bodies Offering
| inducements to manufacturers ought TO in
| sist on a contract prohibiting the owner:
from selling out to any trust within five
| years at least. He said, however, that al
| factories absorbed by trusts, no bad effect:
had resulted from ii as yet.
1
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