Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-09-10
Great Hopes from the New
Scheme.
Soon 70 MIME Six IIendduarter Citi,s-
Little Opposition to Conservation
Now-Almost Everyone Secs
Its Advantage, Pinchot Says.

AJ
the work has been planned. Those who
have had n chance to visit the Washing
ton office of the forest service during the
past two months have learned that there
Is an organized forest training school
running In the big brick building on f
street ana that the men who are to 70
into the field Will have received weeks
OF training in their new duties before II
II time for them to leave the city Other
field officers have been ordered into the
local ONCE and before the time for
change of administration the thorough
preparation will mako It possible for the
men to take their places and conduct
their Offices as though the work had been
going on for months.
Astual transfer O, the national forest
business to the field will be made grad
ually, so that there will be practically
no interference with the routine work.
When through, the change OF admins.
tration to the six district headquarters
will mean much in expediting and rem
dering the forest work more effective.
The saving OF time In getting action on
matter relating 60 administration will be
ono Of the most important benefits. Now.
II takes from four days to two weeks Ia
E'l uldll TO washington ana receive re-
ply Mt the various points in the /, ma
tional forest States. With the mail GO
ing 10 six central cities In the West in
stead Of to Washington. there will be n
marked saving in time In getting action
on matters rotating to the administration
OF the forests and the benefit Is sure to
be felt by every forest user
ALL SEE VALUE OF CONSERvA-
TON
An inventory OF the natural resources
Of the world Is possibility OF the near
future. according to Clifford Pinchot, chief
Of the United States forest service and
chairman OF the executive committee Of
the national conservation commission
Mi PirChot was In Chicago recently In
conference with government officials lie
was asked to tell something regarding
the progress OF the work in which he Is
row engaged and said This /. the
first time in the worlds history that n
nation las stopped to take stock OF its
raturai resources. and the action OF tho
United States marks therefore. a new
era In the progress Of civilization Other
nations are showing Indications that they
intend to take similar action and more
will he sure to follow. It would not sur
prise me II the movement were to be
taken up In all lands and territories Al
ready steps have been taken for making
an inventory of the worlds stock Of coal
It would be a great benefit I. there were
to be a similar estimate Of the lumber re.
sources OF the world.
Il am delighted with the progress that
Is being made In the inventory Of natural
resources that has followed the meeting
Of the Governors and am especially
pleased because Of the efficiency with
which the government bureaus are push
ing the work. The results should be
notable and far-reaching. The work that
IL now going on IL not only an inventory
OF natural resources. II Is also an exact
valuation. as far as that Is possible, OF
10th what we have and what we waste.
The work Is thoroughly practical. for we
Will get at the money end OF II care
fully as circumstances permit The less
We waste the more there viii be for
everybody In the long run. The trend OF
modern commercial life Is TO avoid waste
Of various kinds, but such efforts should
bc broadencd. 1t is always the Aller
things that are the most obvious and the
larger ones escape attention. they are so
prominent that few pay any attention to
them.
UTILIZE MILL WASTE
For example. It occurred to the lum-
bermen some years ago that they ought
to utilize the mill waste. This was
economy Of resources on small scale,
because long before such waste was
| checked there had been wholesale de-
struct!on In tho forests, the source OF
supply. The same principles apply to all
manner OF things where natural resources
are utilized. There IL now little oppoai-
! ton TO the conservation work. but for
mery Il was bitter and there were many
MISUNDERSTANDING. All of us are i'm
mensely pleased over the change In sem
t,ment throughout the West that has fol-
lowed the public lands convention that
| took place In Denver last year. An at
tempt was made there to dscred!t the
| conservation policies, but these having
failed. progress Is now more rapid than
ever before Some OF those that attend
ed the convention went there with the
idea that they wanted the forests turned
over to state control. but they changed
| their minds when the facts we're set be-
fore them and finally indorsed the present
|
! plan
| at is possible to transport low grades
| Of lumber enormous distances from the
| Pacific coast on account OF low freight
| rates. Such lumber is marketed In Chi
| cago and even in China and Australia.
| But even with this advantage Of trans
portation the United States must depend
| for the great bulk OF supply upon the
| timber grown within It's own borders,
I'VE have experimental with many for
| eign trees. but II is almost invariably the
| case that the home product, which Is the
result OF thousands OF generations OF nat
ural selection. is best adapted to our uses.
In many cases tho foreign trees start
we'll Sometimes they thrive FOR d years
or so and then no to pieces. The
eucalyptus Is n notable exception to this
rule. for II has done wonderfully well in
California We have been anxious to dc
all that we can for the benefit OF native
trees. In addition to the corporation Of
with the national conservation commits
| sion, various organizations which were
represented at the White House confer
ence are offering valuable assistance In
the work that is now going on. Several
OF the large organizations which have
held their conventions since the White
House conference have appointed COM
mittees to act In cooperation with the
national commission. generally In the
conservative movement and particularly
80 far as tho movement has 20 do with
vlnl