Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-11

| any secret nOstrum.
DR.. Picrce'S Pellets. small. sugar-coated,
| easy to take as candy, regulate and in.
| vigorate stomach, liver and bowels.
inent should keep control Of it so that
it could not be monopolizcd by q few
wealthy men. Congress has not vet
acted uron these recommendations, eX-
Ccut for III" repeal Of the iniQuitous
lieu-l;,nd law. But the recommends
tious are 50 just and proper, 50 essen
tina to our national welfare. that l be
love they will surely ultimately lie
adopted
In 1881 Congress authorized the Pres
ident to create national forests in the
public domain. These forest reserves
remained for a long time in charge Of
the General Land Office, which had no
mon properly trained III forestry. But
another Department, that of Agricul-
ture, Possessed the trained men. In
other words. the Government forests
were without foreSters and the Gov
crnmclt foreStCrs without forests.
Waste Of effort and waste Of forests
inevitably followed. Finally the situa-
ton WAS crdnd in 1903 IN the creation
u tI!t '.Ilibtb E'lsil'0 L pI'Fl h''I ~ -
which has stopped the waste, conserved
the resources of the national forests,
and made them useful; 50 that our
forests are now being managed on
coherent plan, ana in a way that
augurs well for the future.
The mineral fuels Of the eastern
United States have already passed into
the hands of large private owners, and
those Of the West are rapidly follow
ing. This should not be, for such
mineral resources belong in n peculiar
degree to the whole people. Under
private control there is much waste
from Shortsighted methods Of work.
ing, and the complete utilization is
often sacrificed for greater i'm
mediate profit. The mineral fuels
undcr our present conditions are as
essential to our prosperity as the
forests will always be. The difference
is that the supply is definitely limited,
for coal does not grow and trees do.
II is obvious that the mineral fuels
should be conserved. not wasted, and
that enough of them should remain in
I've h3ndS of the Government to pro-
tact the people against unjust or eXtOr-
tomato prices 50 far as that can still
be done. What has been accomplished
in the regulation Of the great oil fields
Of the Indian Territory offers n strik
ing example of the good results of
such a policy. Last summer. accord
ingly. l withdrew most of the coal
bearing public lands temporarily from
disnosal. and asked for the legislation
necessary to protect the public interest
nv tDn nf
fuels; that is, for the power to keep
tie fee in the Government and to lease
the coal, oil, and gas rights under
proper regulation. No such legislation
was PASSED, but | still hope that we
SHALL ultimately get it.
In addition to treating Alright for the
benefit Of the whole people the forests
and the mineral beds. we should
similarly try to preserve for the benefit
of all the people the great stretches Of
public domain, some three hundred
million acres in all, which are unfit
for cultivation by present methods and
valuable only for the forage which
they supply. This vast area is now
open to the free grazing of cattle.
sheep, horses, and goats, without
restriction or regulation. When
population has increased, as is now the
case, such utter lack Of management
means that the public domain is
turHed over to be skinned by men
whose only concern is to get what they
can out Of it at the moment. without
any regard to whether or not ii Is
ruined so far as the next generation is
Tn other words. the range
abuse; and as an incident conflict and
oioodshed frequently arise between op-
losing users. With the rap settling
OF the West the range is more and
hi"r" ovcrgraZed. Moreover. much of
Ii car not be used to advantage unless
y n fenced. for fencing is the only
way by which to keep in check tho
absentee owners Of nomad focks
V Hlch roam hither and thithcr. utterlv
deStr@s?nG the pasturage ana leaving ! |
waste behind, so that their nrnsanco
Is incompatible with the presence of
Good judges estimate
'"dt our public range has now lost
nearly half its value, yet fencing Il
against me law. and as the law now
stands 1t IS Wcll-nigh impossible to do !
'''S thiilG TO keep the value Of the |
range. The only practical remo5v ;s !
- give control Of the range to the
eurral Government. Such control
would not only stop all conflict hut
would conserve the forage without
StcIMns its use, as our experienced
with the national forests has fully
proved. 1t would likewise secure TO
me west the great benefits of legiti-
hate fencing without interfering in the
'hGntest With the settlement 90