The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-12-10

W II wv - Nv "hG WY "ihVhdoiV oic
e. lie ....I aAd le action of his
.Uw JuD .s. /, Is the last which is
q iuI,Li .rly c.rcctive and to
tiyh we should luok for the reform
if abuses
Forests.
If there Is any one duty which morr
han another we eve j, t. ovr children
md our children's Children to perform
ut once it f. to sl"" the forests Of
this country, for Hey constitute the
first and most Important elc'reHt in
the conservation OF the natural re-
sources of the country.
Shortsighted persons. or persons
blinded to the future by desire to
make money in every way out of the
present, sometimes speak as If no
great damage would be done by the
reckless destruction Of our forests. 1t
arguments Of these persons. Thanks
to our own recl;lessness in the use of
our splendid forests. we have already
crossed the verge Of timber famine
in this country. and no measures that
we now take c1n at least for many
years, undo the mis- hief that has al
ready been done. Iut we can prevent
further mischief ing done, and il
would be i'm the highest degree repre-.
hensible to let any consideration Of
temporary convenience or temporary
cost Interfere with such action. espe-
cially us regards the national forests,
which the nation can now at this very
moment control.
THE president here cites I'm support
of his contentious the great destruc-
ton wrought I'm China by the dcnuda.
tion of the forest areas
What has thus happened I'm northern
China, what has happened In central
Asia, in Palestine in north Africa. in
parts Of the Mediterranean countries
of Europe, will surely happen IN our
country If we do not exercise that
wise forethought which should be one
Of the chief marks OF any people call.
ing itself civilized. Nothing should be
permitted TO stand In the way of the
preservation Of the forests, and II Is
criminal to permit individuals to pur
chase little gain for themselves
through the destruction OF forests
when this destruction is fatal to the
well being Of the whole country In the
future.
Inland Waterways.
Action should bc begun forthwith
during the present session OF congress
for the improvement of our inland wa
terways-action which will result II
giving us not only navigable bu
nayigated rivers. We have spen
hundreds of millions OF dollars upoI
these waterways. yet the traffic oi
nearly all OF them is steadily declln
ing This condition is the direct re
suit Of the absence of any compre
henslve and farsceing plan OF water
way Improvement Obviously we can
not continue thus to expend the rev
cnues Of the government without re
turn. 1t is poor business to spenC
money for inland navigation unles
we get II.
Such shorrslghted, vacillatlng an,
futile methods are accompanied by De
crCasing water borne commerce an,
increasing traffic congestion on land
by increasing Hoods and by the vast
Of pu die money. The remedy lies Il
abanG0nl"S thc methods which hay
so si'rally :ailcd and adopting uey
ones in keeping with the needs an
dema IDS of our people
In II report on measure introduces
at the first 'cSsl,a of the present cor
grejs the secretary Of war said. 9Th
chief defect IN the methods hithert
pursued lies I'm tho absence OF execU
tive authority FOR originating comprC
hens'ye plans coverin% the country o
natural divisions thereof" In thi
opi,iCn heartily concur.
Un u the work OF river improvement
Is undertaken In modern way IL car
not have results that will meet tn
needs Of this modern nation. Thes
needs should u" met without furthe
dilly.da lying vi delay. The plan whic
promises the best and quickest result
Is that Of Il permanent commission au
INuoTl''tu lo Co-OEuludle tue WOTk OF a
the government departments relatin
to waterways and to frame and super
wise The execution OF a comprehensiv
plan. The Tina for playing with ou
waterways is past The country d,
mands results.
National Parks.
nrge that all our national parks nd
jaccnt to national forests be place
completely under The control Of tn
forest service Of the agricultural dc
partrlent, instead of leaving them. n
they are now, under the interior dC
partment and pOlicod by the army
Pure Food.
The pure foDd legislation has alread
worked a benefit difficult to everest
mate
Secret Service.
Last year al amendment was incol
poraled IN ths measure providing 10
the secret service which provided tina
there should he no detail from the $,
cret service aud no transfer therefrom
II is not too much TO SaN fhot th'