Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1904-12-16
Friday Dec. 10, 1904.
IRRIGATION & FOREST RESERVE.

IRRIUAIION q fORESI RESERNE.
In his annual message President
Roosevelt devotes considerable space
to the consideration of the interests
of agriculture, and gives special at
tention to the subjects of irrigation
and forests reserves. In relation to
irrigation, the president says that
during the two years that have
elapsed since the passage of the rec
lamation act rapid progress has been
made in the surveys and examination
of the opportunitiesfor reclamation
in the thirteen states and three terri
tories of the arid west"
In the course of his review fof this
subject the president takes occasion
to say that the act for the reclamation
of the arid lands has been found to
he remarkably complete and effec-
tive.
The arid belt is fortunate in having
at the head of the nation q man who
40 we'll understands the situation in
that part of the nation, and is so will
ling to lend the power incident to his
great office for its advancement.
What we need in all branches of the
government is practical men, who,
like Mr.. Roosevelt, have "been
there" themselves. One such man is
worth dozen theorists. Through
having lived in the west Mr.. Roose-
velt is we'll aware of the value of
wafer ON the arid lands in that sec
tion, and also of the unsurpas sed fer
Utility of the soil, and no one realizes
better than he does the profitable
sra of the investment that the
3 making in spending por-
.,cts revenues in the develope-
~. this part of the country.
matter of forest reserves the
StBxecutive manifests the same
-nasserly conception of the situation,
and in evidence thereof says that the
reserves ar created for two prime
ipal purposes, the first of which is
the preservation of the water supply,
which he says is the most important
use. The water supply is to be pre-
served for the he nefit of the settlers
whom the president realizes are de-
pendent upon the water for their abil-
ity to remain In the country The
next object is the preservation of the
timber for the use of the' various
classes of wood users.n Among the
most important of these are settlers
under the reclamation act and other
acts, for whom a cheap and accessible
supply of timber for domestic uses is
absolutely necessary miners and pros
peotors who are in serious danger of
losing their timber by fire or
through export by lumber compan
les The president further says
that" the forest reserve policy can be
successful only when it has the. full
support of the people of the west.
1t cannot safely, and should not in
any case, be imposed ON them against
their will. But neither can we accept
the views of those whose only inter
est in the forest is temporary who
are anxious to reap what they have
not sown and them move away leav-
ing desolation behind them. On the
contrary it is everywhere and always
the interest of the permanent settler
and the permanent business man,
the man with stake in the country,
which must be considered and which
must decide. "
From the foregoing it is evident
that the forest reserves are created
purposely for the benefit of the set
tiers and the building up of the
country, and that the intention is
to 30 arrange their management as to
serve the interest of those who are
identified with the solid interest of
the country, and not in the interest
Of those whose interests are only tenn
porary, and who are anxious to reap
where they have not sown.