Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-12-11

WHICH ne Is III any way uIHcuHDle HEe
public opinion and the action of his
fellow judges. 1t is the last which is
most Immediately effective and to
! which we should look for the reform
Of abuses.
Forests.
If there is any one duty which more
than another we owe it to our children
and our children's children to perform
at once 1t is to save the forests of
this country, for they constitute the
first and most important element 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
is difficult to have patience with the
arguments of these persons. Thanks
to our own recklessness in the use of
our splendid forests, we have already
crossed the verge of a timber famine
in this country. and no measures that
we now take can, at least for many
years. undo the mischief that has al
ready been done. But we can prevent
further mischief being done, and it
would be in the highest degree repre-
hensible to let any consideration of
temporary convenience or temporary
cost interfere with such action, espe
cially as regards the national forests,
which the nation can now at this very
moment control.
1.-THE president here cites in support
of his contentious the great destruc-
ton wrought in China by the denuda-
ton of the forest areas.
What has thus happened In 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 it Is
criminal to permit individuals to pur-
chase a 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 be begun forthwith,
during the present session of congress,
for the improvement of our inland wa
terways-action which will result IN
, giving us not only navigable but
navlgated rivers. We have spent
hundreds of millions Of dollars upon
I nearly all Of them Is steadily declin-
4. ing. This condition is the direct re-
=. suit of the absence Of any compre
I hensive and farseeing plan of water
way improvement. Obviously we can
: not continue thus to expend the rev
: enues of the government without re
y turn. 1t Is poor business to spend
, money for inland navigation unless
we get 1t.
l. Such shortsighted, vacillating and
n futile methods are accompanied by de
= creasing water borne commerce an6
I increasing traffic congestion on land
v by increasing foods and by the waste
t Of public money. The remedy lies IL
4 abandoning the methods which hav,
l. so signally failed and adopting new
v ones in keeping with the needs ant
d demands Of our people
In a report on a measure introduced
It at the first session of the present con
d gress the secretary of war said, 9Th,
d chief defect In the methods hilbert,
e pursued lies in the absence of execu
y tive authority for originating compre
hensive plans covering the country o
natural divisions thereof" In thi
!, opinion l heartily concur.
Until the work of river improvement
"a is undertaken in a modern way 1t can
t. not have results that will meet tn
y. needs Of this modern nation. Thes
q needs should be met without furthe
" dilly-dallying or delay. The plan whicl
% promises the best and quickest result
70 Is that of a permanent commission au
70 thorized to coordinate the work of al
h. the government departments relatin
to waterways and to frame and super
=. wise the execution of a comprehensiv
.. plan. The time for playing with GU
n waterways is past The country dc
70 mands results.
A. National Parks.
D. i urge that all our national parks ad
r. jacent to national forests be place
Of completely under the control OF tn
r. forest service of the agricultural d.
e. partment. instead of leaving them, q
es they are now, under the interior d,
In partment and policed by the army.
er Pure Food.
The pure food legislation has alread
ne worked a benefit difficult to everest
Il mate.
W. Secret Service.
~ ! Last year an amendment was inco
We porated In the measure proylding fl