Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-04


Sattes and its vast commerce for the
future. Yet we are making no prepara-
tfon to realize what we SO easily and
glibly foresee and predict. The vast
possibilities of our great future will be-
come realities only If We make ourselves
in sense responsible for that future.
The planned and orderly development and
conservation of our national resources
Is the first duty of the United States
1t is the only form of insurance that
will certainly protect us against disas-
ters which lack of foresight has repeat
edly brought down on nations passed
away
Later there were responses by represen-
tatives of the national organizations.
Another feature of the morning session
was an address on National Forestry"
by Ex-Governor George c. Pardee of
California.
Former Governor of California George
G. Pardee spoke in part as follows:
Every individual interest of all the
people of California is more or less,
directly or indirectly involved in the con-
servation and preservation of our forests
and the state, as 1t does in other things
should interest itself in the matter of the
forests. Experience has shown that pri-
vate ownership of the forests is the most
prodigal and destructive ership. 1:
destroys too often the present and the
future; it is uneconomical now because
it does not pick the best and leave the
poorer for the preservation of the future,
and 1t, too often, makes an ill-earned,
presently acquired dollar superior to the
countrys future welfare.
"As experience has shown that neither
individuals, the counties nor the states
can be depended upon either to conserve
or preserve the great forests, which, If
properly handled, would be never-end-
irg source of wealth to our people, the
government of the United States has set
aside In forest reserves good part of
the forests OF the country. This has
been done under the supervision of that
great and wise man, who has done more
for this country than any Of us yet
realizes-President Roosevelt.
"In SO setting these forest lands aside
the government does not intend to re-
move them from the use of the people,
On the contrary, it Is the governments s
intention, and 1t is now so doing, to make
the forest reserves as productive of
wealth to the people Of the country as the
German forests are to the German people.
Our government realizes that If only ripe
trees are cut for commercial purposes,
If the seedlings, the saplings and the
seed are permitted to grow, If the young
growth be properly thinned out so that
it will have an opportunity to thrive, If
fire be kept out, If new forests be Plant
ed where the ak and fires have killed
off the old ones-our government realizes
that then the American people will have
for all time, an inexhaustible source of
wealth and will always be sure of the
multitude of things that come. directly
and Indirectly, from the forests.
Wealth of California
'In the state of California alone there
are something like 220O0,OO0 acres of forest
reserves under control of the government;
that is, about one-fifth of the area of the
state. In the United States the forest re-
serves area is considerably larger than
the whole state of California-and 1T
ought to be much larger. Although these
reserves have been under government
control but very short time they have
already begun to return good values to
the people of the country. For instance,
in the fiscal year 1904-5 the revenues of
the forest reserves from the sale of tim
Der were $60.14262, while for the year
1865 the returns were $767 219.96-over ten
times as great. over 96,OO0,0OO feet of lum-
ber were sold from the reserves in 1906.
The price of this lumber, on "stumpage"
basis, also increased from $3.50 per thou
sand feet to 81.
"It is thus apparent that the SUPPOSE
tion is wrong that the forest reserves
throttle all use of forest lands by private
Any individual may secure
permit to take from the land timber in
such quantities as his needs and his purse
will permit But no man may go onto
the land and indiscriminately cut the tim
ber, the old and young trees. He may cut
only those which the government experts
mark for the ak. Neither may he destroy,
by the ak or fire, the seedlings or the
seed
Therefore, any man may get his tim
ber his wood or his lumber safe from the
greedy grasp of private monopoly, and
the forests and their uses will be pre-
served for our children and our children
children's uses and enjoyment"
The afternoon session was devoted prin-
cipally to addresses. DR.. w. ]. MCGEE of
the bureau of soils and a member of the
Inland waterways commission was one of
the principal speakers.
M. o. Leighton, United States hydrog-
rapher also addressed the gathering.
On motion of Matthew Dougherty of
the Utah delegation the thanks of the
congress were extended to Secretary Gar
field for his able address sent in the letter
Of regret.
Following the address of Mr.. Pinchot
he first excitement of the congress de- |