Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-12-12

! carried to an excess II becomes ioolishness
} We are prone 10 speak Of the resources OF
this country as inexhaustible; this Is not
80, The mineral wealth OF the couptry, the
coal, iron, oil, gas. and the like does not
, reproduce itself, and therefore Is certain
to he exhausted ultimately and wasteful-
ness in dealing with it today means that
! our descendants VIII feel the exhaustion a
generation or two before they otherwise
would. But there, are certain other forms
OF waste which could be entirely stopped
the waste of soil by washing, for instance
which Is among the most dangerous Of all
wastes now in progress in the United States
enormous loss OF fertility Is entirely un-
necessary. The preservation or replacement
OF 0 ha tae oss We
made beginning in forest preservation. but
It is only besinning. At present lumber
ing Is the fourth greatest industry In the
United States; and Set, so rapid has been the
rate OF exhaustion Of timber in the United
States in the past, and SO rapidly Is the
remainder being exhausted. that the couh-
try Is unquestionaDly on the verge Of a
househ I'D in the land. There has already
teen rise in the price OF lumber, but there
Is certain to be more rapid and heavier
The present annual consumption OK lum-
Der is certainly three times great as the
annual growth; and If the consumption and
growth continue unchanged, practically all
our lumber will be exhausted in another
genera ion. while long before the limit to
complete exhaustion is reached the growing
Ing ways upon our National welfare. About
| 20 per cent of our forest territory is now re-
| served in National forests; but these do not
include the most valuable timber lands,
| and in any event the proportion is too small
| to expect that the reserves can accomplish
more than mitigation Of the trouble which
| is ahead for the Nation. Far more drastic
| action Is needed. Forests can be numbered
| SO as to give to the public the full use of
| their mercantile timber without the slight
| est detriment to the forest, any more than
iC 6nfr tn far tn doh
| harvest: 50 that there Is no parallel between
| forests and mines. which only be com
| pletely used by exhaustion But forests, If
| used as all our forests have been used in
| the past and most OF them still used
will be either wholly destroyed, or so dam
| aged that many decades have to pass before
| effective use can be made of them again. All
these facts obvious that it is extra
| ordinary that 1t should be necessary to re-
| peat them.
| OF course to check the waste Of timber
means that there must be on the part of the
| public the acceptance of a temporary
| striction 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 advo-
| cate the continuance OF the present system
| of unchecked and wasteful extravaganza.
| using as an argument the fact that to check
| 1t will of course mean interference with the
| ease and comfort Of certain people who now
| get lumber at less cost than they ought to
| pay, at the expense of the future genera
| tions. Some of these persons actually de-
nand that the present forest reserves be
| thrown open to destruction. because for
sooth. they think that thereby the price of
lumber could be put down again for two or
| three or more years. Their attitude is pre-
clsely ike that OF an agitator protesting
against the outlay OF money by farmers on
manure and in taking care Of their farms
generally.
MINERAL LANDS.
In the eastern United states the mineral
fuels have already nassed into the hands of
large private owners, and those of the West
are iaP'oiy ioiio"lhs' ~ 10 op' 'ioue 'la.
these fuels shoulo be conserved ana not
wasted, and 1t would be well to protect the
people agaInst unjust anu eaeoi 'iunaee t
piIres' SO lai ae ma on atili po uoh1 70
mas been acconplsneu IN the great OH neias
Administra ton. offers striking example OF
the good results of such a policy. In my
judgment the Government should have the
right to keap the fee OF the coal oil and gas
rights TO develon them under proper regula-
flows. ar else - the congress wili not adont
T.'' W. ,s VI ~ 'I ooaI darosits sho,,Id ba
ms ms ihe'hoI; NY eoai uepo.e p ou 80 ~
soto uhoe, !lniit IONS, ~ eoAIei 'e tiien -,
puplc utll4tles' tne rlsnt 10 mine con' oeris
separated from the ttie 10 lhe SOIL Inc
regulations should permit coal lands 10 be
worked in sufficient quantity by the several
corporations The present limitations have
been absurd excessive and serve no useful
nurnose and often render it necessary that
tbare sbould he either fraud or else aban-
comment % Fne "eFh VI se'HHs Wv 'Ae
coal
THE PANAMA CANAL
Work the Panama Canal is proceeding
in a highly satisfactory manner. In March
last John F stevens chairman of the
ahias o,u,.,.-