The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-18
FOREST RESERVES
And IRRIGATION
Clifford Pinchot, Chief Forester Of
u. S. Government, Addresses
Irrigation Congress.
The Congress, Tho Due to Adjourn,
This Evening, Has Much
Work Undone.
Many Addresses Will Be Printed
Later Instead Of Being De-
livered Orally.

Ogden, Utah, Sept. 1S-With the closing
session Of the eleventh National Iirriga-
ton Congress scheduled for this evening,
not half Of the work of the congress has
been accomplished. To-day, beside the
reading of the most interesting papers
coming before the congress those Of the
government experts in forestry and irriga-
ton, there was scheduled the report of
the committee on resolutions and the fight
sure to result over the adoption or re-
lection of the majority report, committing
the body Of irrigators for or against the
national land laws was expected to be a
| lively one.
| 1t was also apparent before the congress
was called to order this morning that the
struggle for next years convention will
| be very sharp. The combination Of
northwestern states at a caucus held last
night narrowed the fight down to Ell Paso
and Boise on the first ballot, at least, with
| Spokane as the second choice of the north
west. With the southwest 1t seemed to
Ebe Ell Paso or nothing and both sides con-
| fidently claimed they would win on the
| first ballot.
A large number Of papers by the heads
| of bureaus of the agricultural department
which were to have been heard yesterday
were on the program for this morning
| before the fight for the 1904 congress was
to be taken up.
! On the suggestion Of Chief Engineer
! Newell and the government engineers only
| three Of the addresses on the program
were delivered, in order to give more time
| for discussion on the land laws ques-
| ton. All the other addresses and papers
| Of the government experts will be printed
in the official proceedings of the congress.
The following addresses were deliv-
cred: Forest and Water Supply by F.
Fl. Newell chief engineer United States
government; Forestry" by Clifford Pin
chot, chief forester United States govern
ment; Forest Reservations in Utah." by
A. F. Potter, government forestry expert.
| Mr.. Pinchot said:
PInchot's Speech.
President Roosevelt has said that the
principal object Of the forest policy Of the
United States is, and must be, to make
prosperous homes and to keep them pros
| porous. x The object of the government In
dealing with the forest reserves is, there
fore, to give them the greatest permanent
usefulness to the settler and the home
makers. Wise forest administration is
impossible without a knowledge of local
conditions and local needs, and without
| the careful adaptation of the forest re-
serve rules to meet those needs.
| In the delicate and important task of
administering the forest reserves, which
are so vitality necessary to the We'll being
| of Industries and communities thruout
4
met by the demands of conflicting inter
| ests. In each case it is essential that the
| administration of the reserve should meet
| the needs of the people and that each re-
serve should be given it's highest possible
present usefulness, while protecting with
I the greatest care Its continued utility to
the community. The idea Of permanent
usefulness Is fundamental in every case.
The four great timber using industries
I numbering, building, mining and trans
portation are peculiarly dependent for
their future prosperity upon a sustained
4 supply Of timber from the government for
est reserves and special provision must
be made to meet their needs. The use OF
the mature timber is often essential and
almost universally advisable in the healthy
growing forest, and provision Is made by
the law for it's disposition to those who
! need it. Thus use of the reserves will
grow steadily greater and more essential
as time goes on, and every care should be
taken to safeguard the young growth fol
the future.
For the present much the most i'm.
portant use of the forest reserve Is tt
supply water to the irrigator and it,
utility In this respect should be safe
guarded in every possible way. This use
I too, will increase with time, and 1t will
become more and more evident that thu
: foundation Of the irrigation development
of the west lies in the wise administra
tion Of the forest reserves. Not only cal
the present supply Of water be con
served by the right handling Of the forest
but there is no question whatever that II
many localities they may be largely In
creased. From this point Of view, as wei
as from many others, protection agains
fire is the first duty Of the government
toward the reserves.