The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-11-07
OUR TIMBER SLAUGHTER.

OUR TIMBER SLAUGHTER.
'sWoodman, spare that treev' Alas.
he did not, and throughout our great
forest areas he has been busy chopping.
away more than he should have been
allowed to. He not only chopped his
own timber, but chopped the school
childrep's timber in a good many cases,
and the timber that belonged to rising
generations. True, it was we'll enough
to cut the mature timber, but what a
pity to ruthlessly slaughter so much
that might have been preserved. And
the work of devastation goes on. and
will continue until the lumberman has
stripped the northern country of the
remaining pine. In our rapid develop
ment, in the making of cities in a
single night, and with our tremendous
growth and expansion, and our great
wealth of resources, little did we con-
template the future, and the conse-
quences of our rashness. But to-day
we stand and gaze at the barren field Of
commercial carnage in establishment.
While rejecting, the march Of empire
moves on, and carries US along.
commerce" is the watchword, and
trade the countersign, and physical
and hygienic considerations cut little
figure. It seems that the only thing to
do is to finish the work and let future
generations look after themselves.
In Canada the government owns the
timber, and allows the lumbermen to
cut it under certain conditions, and in
this way will prevent wholesale de-
struction of the forests. Germany has
public forest of 10,000,0 600 acres, YIELD
ing net annual revenue of S23, 900. 900,
General G. G. Andrews, chief fire war;
den of the State, says: "A million
people are supported by labor directly
connected with the German forests.
State and private, and 100000 more
are supported by the manufacture of
forest products. If Minnesota would
plant the 100000 acres of waste land
in her limits with pine, she could, after
eighty years, be annually receiving a
net revenue therefrom Of So, 600, OOO.o
The State and federal government
should take steps to save forest area
IN the north for the same reasons that
New York set apart an area of $780,
92o acres in the AdrirOndacks, and TO-
941 in the Catskills for perpetual pre-
serve, ito be forever reserved, main
tanned and cared for as ground open
for the use of all the people for their
health and pleasure, and as forest lands,
necessary to the preservation of the
headwaters of the chief rivers of the
State, and future timber supply.''
Minnesota has set aside 10000 acres
around the headwaters of the Mississ-
ippi as a public park, and containing
over 4O,000,000 feet of white and Nor
way pine, besides hardwood timber.
But this is not enough to save from the
wreck Better to leave the Indian
alone in his glory, than to throw all
our valuable timber land away to CON-
MERGE. In his annual report, Land
Commissioner Hermann recommends
the passage of an act which shall pro-
vide that all public lands which are
more valuable for forest uses than for
other purposes, shall be Withdrawn
from settlement, entry, sale and other
disposition. and be held for the protec-
ton and utilization of the timber
thereon: in accordance with the provis-
ions of forest reservation laws.
Commissioner Hermann saws that
such legislation is demanded by pres
ent conditions.
RED SCHOOL HOVSE IND 1U.prur