Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-11-06

other Industries that depend on water for
their power, are interested in this great
question. This State has many aud va
ried resources. Many OF them are practi-
cally mex haustabie. There is no danger
of exhausting our granite; there is no
danger OF exhausting our lime; there is
no danger of exhausting our slate. But
our lumber resource Is worth a hundred
times more than all these combined. and
this resource Is in great danger of being
exhausted, possibly not during our lives,
but we do not live for ourselves alone,
and there Is q moral obligation resting on
each generation to leave to their success
ors and heirs the landed estates which
they received from their fathers In a
better and more valuable condition than
they found it when they took possession.
What can the State do, and what can
the State board OF trade dot The danger
to our forests does not come so much
from the extensive land owners and the
large companies as from the small own
ers. The small owners in many large
cases are heirs of former large owners,
and they have no particular interest In
their lands except to realize as much
money as possible from them at once.
The large owners are more conservative,
and many OF them draw their contracts
for the sale OF stumpage with great care
and strictness.
The International Paper Co., which
owns nine pulp and paper mills in this
State, made and are enforcing rigid rule
In cutting lumber on the 800, 900 acres or
more which II owns In Maine, This rule
provides that no tree less than twelve
inches In diameter breast high shall be
cut. The Great Northern Paper Co.,
which owns the paper mills at Millnock-
ct and Madison, has a similar rule for It's
Maine timber tract of over 100000 acres.
These two companies and the Berlin
Mills Co. employ skilled foresters on
their lands.
Shall the State OF Maine, which is SO
proud OF its motto, Dirigo, and which In
SO many ways has lived up to the full
meaning Of that magic word, look on re-
signedly while the destruction OF the
wood upon which the States life and pros
perity depends, goes on unrestrained, and
not take any action In the matter? There
is the same authority under the constitu-
tion for the State to examine the right OF
eminent domain that there is in the state |
OF Pennsylvania, New York, New Hamp-
shire, Minnesota, Michigan or California. |
Maine has three important rivers which |
have done more for the Industrial de- |
velopment OF the State than all other |
causes combined. But let the destruct- |
ion OF our forests go on for the next |
twenty-five years at the same rate and in |
the same reckless manner that has been |
the case during the last twenty-five years
and, unless scientific experts are all wrong, |
the volume of water will not be so con-
slant as now. There will be greater and |
more disastrous floods in the spring be-
cause the forest lands, being stripped, will
not retain the rain or the water from the
melting SHOWS, while on the other hand
the rivers will run very low during the
heated summer and during the fall and
winter.
The poorest and cheapest land in the
State is adapted to forest growth, such as
the sides of hills and mountains, rocky
and barren lands where nothing but trees
could be made to grow. Such land could
be purchased at low price per acre and
by proper regulations and care could be
made to pay large interest ON the invest
ment.
What other State could set apart as re-
three such sections as the six
containing the five great Ran
gley lakes, or the ten townships that con-
tain the great Moosehead lake with Kineo
and the Spencer mountains, or the twelve
hat would include dur highest
elevation, Mount Katahdiu and the beau
tiful West branch lakes. Could these
three sections be set apart for use as State
parks, posterity would have cause TO hold
In grateful remembrance the wisdom
and foresight bit OF the public spirited men
W ho we're instrumental in bringing about
such desirable result.
FIN closing Mr.. Wiggin recommended
hat the State board OF trade appoint
committee to look thoroughly into the
question of forest preservation, and that
Il such action seems appropriate after the
report OF the committee has been received,
he board address the legislature by reso-
utions or otherwise; that immediate
steps be taken to arouse public interest;
hat Arbor day be more generally observ-
I'd and that course in forestry be estab-
is he'd at the University of Maine.