Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-12-04

BISMARCK DAILY TRlRuNE. "
are rapidly being exhausted and that
IL no change takes place exhaustion
will come comparatively soon and that
the effects Of 1t will be felt severely
In the everyday life Of our people.
Surely when these facts are SO obvi-
GUS there should be. no delay in taking
preventive measures. Yet we seem as
a nation to be willing to proceed in
this matter with happy go lucky indif.
ference even to the Immediate future.
It is this attitude which permits the
self interest Of very few persons to
weigh for more than the ultimate in
terest of all our people. There are per-
sons who find it to their immense pc
cuniary benefit to destroy the forests
by numbering. They are to be blamed
for thus sacrificing the future OF the
nation as whole to their own self in
terest OF the moment, but heavier
blame attaches to the people at large
for permitting such action, whether in
the White mountains, In the southern
Alleghanies or In the Rockies and Sier-
ras. "a big numbering company, impa-
tient for Immediate returns and not
caring to look far enough ahead, will
often deliberately destroy ali the good
timber in region, hoping afterward
to move on to some new country. The
shiftless man Of small means who does
not care to become an actuai home
maker, but would like immediate prof
1t, viii find it to his advantage to take
up timber land simply to turn it over
to such a big company and leave 1t
yalueless for future settlers. A big
mine owner, anxious only to develop
his mine at the moment win care only
to cut ALI tie timber that he wishes
without regard to the future, probably
not looking ahead to the condition of
the country when the forests are ex-
hausted any more than he does to the
condition when the mine Is worked
out. 81. 4 lis$4 q l& tss..
7 / do not blame these men nsarly as
much as / blame the supine public
opinion, the Indifferent public opinion
which permits their action to 60 un.
checked. OF course to check the waste
OF timber means that there must be
ON the part Of the public the accept.
ance ofra temporary restriction In the
lavish use Of the timber in order to
prevent the total loss of this use in
the future There are plenty Of men
In public and private life who actually
advocate the continuance Of the pres
ent system Of unchecked and wasteful
extravagance, using as an argument
the fact that to check It will OF course
mean Interference with the ease and
comfort Of certain people who now gel
lumber at less cost than they ought t
pay at the expense Of the future gen
erations. Some Of these persons actu
ally demand that the present forest
reserves be thrown open to destruc
tion because, forsooth, they think thai
thereby the price Of lumber could BIZ
put down again for two or three OF
more years. Their attitude Is precise
" like that OF an agitator protesting
against the outlay OF money by farm
ers on manure and in taking care o.
their farms generally Undoubtedly
If the average farmer were content alb
solutely to ruin his farm he could FOL
two or three years avoid spending any
money on 1t and vet make good dea
Of money out Of IT. But only say
age would In his private affairs show
such reckless disregard Of the future
yet it is precisely this reckless disre
gard of the future which the oppo
nents of the forestry system are nov
endearoring to get the people Of tn,
United States to show. The only trou
BILE with the movement for the preser
walton OF our forests Is that 1t ha,
not gone nearly far enough and wa,
not begun soon enough. It is d mos
fortunate thing, however, that we be
gan 1t when we did. We should &C
quire in the Appalachian and whit,
mountain regions all the forest land
that 1t is possible to acquire for th,
use of the nation. These lands be
cause they form national asset ar
as emphatically national as the river
which they feed and. which fioy
through SO many states before the,
reach the ocean. <. I 5%
4 y 3 q Wy 10