The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-05-15


electric power, irrigation, navigation
of rivers, reclamation of swamp and
overflowed river lands, lumber and
timber.
The streams from which power may
be obtained have been, within the last
few years, filed upon in such numbers,
under the lax laws of California and
the United States that the fear is ex-
pressed in many sections that the
power has been already pretty well
taken up, Many of these filings are
for purely speculative purposes; others
are for future development; but COM
paratively few of them, not more than
dozen or Is are actually being used
or in process OF preparation OF utiliza-
ton. The fear is becoming prevalent
that the acquisition of these water
rights by private persons or corpora
tions will lead monopolies and over
capitalizations, and that in this way
these great and most important natur-
al resources will not be at the chief
disposal of the people. The action of
the United States Government, how
ever, in regulating the use of the
streams, ought to prevent an absolute
and oppressive monopolization OF
them.
A start has been made by the state
toward an efficient forset service. 1t
is not yet what it should be, but be-
ginning has been made and quite a
number of those who formerly waste
fully destroyed lumber on their lands
and left it bare and fre-baked are be-
ginning to appreciate the necessity
and economy OF scientific numbering
and forest protection.
Because the state is now but thinly
populated, having only two million
people on one million acres of terri
tory her natural resources have not
been, as in some other states, nearly,
if not quite annihilated; nevertheless,
her people have made quite extensive
inroads on her forests. Because Of
the fact that interested lands have
been more than sufficient for the sup
port Of her population, California has
not been compelled as other states
have been, to sacrifice her forests in
order to gain land for farming pur-
poses. The destruction of her forests
has resulted only from careless and
prodigal commercial operations upon
them together with fires resulting
from these operations or carelessly
set for other purposes. In Oregon,
Washington and California the ma
tion's future store of timber is situat-
ed. Both in quality and quantity the
Pacific Coast states are possessed OF
the most valuable arboreal asset of
the United States. Here, then is Of
fered the best field for the interposi-
ton, between determination and pre-
Of the benevolence Of the
federal government for the future, the
future, beneficial to the
people OF the whole United States.
Here also is the governments best
to set itself between the
OF private monopoly in these
national resources and the people.
As the coal and petroleum produc-
ton both decrease, the absolute need !
of the preservation, conservation and
protection from monopoly of the wat
er power in the country will become,
and is becoming, more and more ap-
parent.
Professor Thomas c. Chamberlain,
Of the University of Chicago, read a
paper on Soil Wastage. He said in
part:
To give thought to the future ap-
1eals to me with peculiar force, be-
,ause recent studies have led me to
he belief that the earth's future habi-
ability is vastly greater than we have
been wont to believe. 1t is common
that the earth sprang from
.haos at the beginning Of our era and
s plunging on to catastrophe a final
winter in the near future, but have
:ome to believe that the earth arose
rom regenerative process and offers
fair prospect Of habitability for tens
If millions of years to come. If this
,e true; it is eminently fit that our
ace should give thought to the dis
ant results of it's action. 1t is also a
lew conception of geology that eli
natic conditions have been much like
he present from early eras, in spite
# some notable variations, and that
his generally uniformity is the result
f profound regulative system which
las kept the temperatures andt he con-
titution of the earth's atmosphere
within the narrow range conpenial to