Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-01-25

wood and that makes il u moral and
obligatory policy Of state and federal
government to do everything they can
10 preserve. increase and reproduce our
forests during those very years when
properly economically and uscf,lly
these same forests are supplying our
own needs, as they should.
Secretary " ilson said some time ago.
aud "A very serious saying it was: "ACri.
culture. commerce and mining will groat-
ly miss the cheap supply OF wood to
which they have been accustomed" That
is especially true of Vermont, where il
is safe to say. cou1tins home and loca
uses, as wcll a. exports, the consump.
tiOn of woods has gone forward for
| twenty years at the value of half "A
million month, Georgia may lose hcr
pine through turpcntne. axe and saw
bnt much of the land so cleared will
give place to farms, staples. fruits and
vegetables Missouri may lose her oak
respond to he call for future support.
Oklahoma may part with her blacj; lacl,
for fence and vail. but corn. cotton and
wheat fields VIII take their place. For.
cstry. however, is somewhat of n local
.
tract,d valleys, mountain heights. mix
ed hills ard narrow bottoms. as we have
them in this state, must be considered.
50 that tn, denudlton and loss of for
osts is for us a much more sori-
ous problem than it is else
whore, serious from the view
point of destroying a steady income. from
that of its effect upon our water supplies
from the exposure of our plough lands to
frcshctS, and destructive and serious
also. To our sugar output and even fuel
supply. since neither natural gas nor oil
afford an economic advantage to our State
in its commercial and industrial competi-
ton. At this very moment Congress is
considering the establishment of "A iores-
try reserve ~ the East. five million acres
in the Appalachians and one million acres
i'm the White mountains, measures sup
ported Icy tho American Forestry asso-
citation now in the 2ith year of its
work, and defined by surveys in the first
case At the expense Of the United States
ana in the latter at the expense of New
Hampshire. Against the charge of senti-
mcntaism is placed the argument that
the water shed of New England rivers
must be preserved. Against the claim
that it takes so many years to realize on
70 forestry investment is placed the
sound argument that forest lands
properly handled. yield better from
year to year than crop lands. besides
doing collateral service. Against the
| suggestion that individual States should
pay their own way in these matters is
placed the reply that mountain States.
suitable for forests. are scarcely ever
populous ana that their ncghbors profit
indirectly moro from forestration than
they do themselves. National nterfor-
cnce and conservation is not a mistake
hut indeed as common sense as for the
federal government to make ana preserve
harbors. There is good ground for hold
ing. on advice of forestry experts, that
these proposed reservations will prove
financially advantageous to tho govern
mont. in short, that the plans for these
two forestry reserves stand as business
propositions pure and simple. 'rhcv should
receive tn" support of our local Scnti-
ment in the expectation that at some
future time Congress may tind it prac-
ticablc to extend to our own State. if it
does not Independently act sooner a
like service, since Vermont would seem
To be well situated ANA onvironcd for
Pnchot, the forester. declares that all
nations but China care for tho forest but
TINS was hardly true as regards the Unit
ed states until something practical by
way Of reservation was done during the
administrations of Presidents Garfield.
Cleveland and Roosevelt. The .Iaps have
n forestry school. Russia las revenue
from it's forests. New Zealand ana Aus
tralia protect tree life. Canada sells tim
Der and holds the lands for future use.
French villages produce wood enough to
pay village taxes, while Germany makes
forestry science and owns Az billion
dollars of growing trees. Switzerland, Sc
cure on her categat. had legislated for
forests over goo years, a mountain coun-
try, true to forestry and liberty. Follow
ing Pinchot in his quotation, | would
draw from that country what to mo seems
most excellent and rational advice in the
words of the great Landolt: "Our foros,
laws are intended to work more through
instruction, good example and oncour-
agemont than by severe applcation'
and he also adds these suggestions.
in effect, that men are more likely to be
persuaded to act because "A thing is use
ful than because it is compulsory, which
is true in a small country. a Crystallized
country, but which is not readily nor
finally accepted in country of infinite
distances almost aud illimitablc resources,
as it's people think.
do not escape the pressure of the
thought, however, that Vermont is an
individual government, sef-eXistent
and sclf-perpetuating and thus rcspon-
sblc to it's own people for proper gov
crnmental results. II may be small in
size aud inferior in the number of its
population but It exists TO itself and to
that people and, therefore, it has its
own duties to discharge. Among these 1t
would seem that the development of its
uuarries and the conservation of its for
ests are paramount. as among the chief
natural resources which ii has and which,
with agriculture, chiefly. will be the main
supports Of it's people for years and years
to come. Compared with tho lumber
uroducts of Wisconsin, Minnesota. Michi-
gan and Washington. whether measured
bv logging. saw mills or planning. its out
,ut will be relatively small hut it is i'm
pultant to our state. to its people 10 is
farmers. 10 it's water supply, to the pro-
oryation of its values and to the couScl-
walton of its lands. aud it would seem To
he wholly practicable and prudential to
maintain agitation and interest in this
subject as j. business measure, removed
from uoliticS and individual consldera-
lions. IT, therefore, we can help forestry
through the support in this State of prop