The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-12-10

i nat1Onal assets that the nation Will
4 have their benefit in the future Just
| as farmer, after all his life making
4 living from his farm, will, If he is an
expert farmer, leave 1t as an asset of
increased value to his son, so we
should leave our national domain to
our children, increased in value and
not worn out. There are small Sec
| lions of our own country, in the East
/ and in the West, in the Adirondacks,
| the White Moutains, where we can al
| ready see for ourselves the damage In
the shape of permanent injury to the
soil and the river systems which
| comes from reckless deforestation. It
matters not whether this deforestation
is due to the actual reckless cutting
of timber, to the fires that inevitably
follow such reckless cutting of timber,
or to reckless and uncontrolled graz
ing, especially by the great migratory
bands OF sheep, the unchecked wan
dering of which over the country
means destruction to forests and dis
aster to the small home makers, the
settlers of limited means.
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.
It 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 mis-
chief that has already been done to
the forests. Blu: NE can prevent fur.
Their ~ mischief being done; and IL
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
All serious students of the question
are aware of the great damage that
countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa
by deforestation. The similar damage
that has been done in Eastern Asia
is less well known. A recent investi-
cation into conditions in North China
by Mr.. Frank N. Meyer, of the Bu-
reau of Plant Industry of the United
States Department of Agriculture, has
incidentally furnished in very strik-
ing fashion proof of the ruin that
comes from reckless deforestation OF
mountains, and of the further fact
that the damage once done may prove
practically irreparable.
.n Inland Waterways.
. Action should be begun forthwith,
during the present session of the
Congress, for the improvement of our
inland waterways--action which will
result in giving us not only navigable
but navigated rivers. We have spent
hundreds of millions of dollars upon
these waterways, yet the traffic on
nearly all of them is steadily declin-
ing. This condition is the direct re-
suit of the absence of any comprehen-
sivc and far-sreing plan Of waterway
improvement. Obviously we cannot
continue thus to cXpend the revenues
of tho government without return.
1t is poor business to spend money
for inland navigation unless we get it.
Inquiry into the condition OF the
Mississippi and it's principal tributar
les reveals very many instances OF
the utter waste caused by the meth
DDS which have hitherto obtained
for the so-called Improvement" of
navigation. A striking instance is
supplied by the improvement of the
Ohio, which, begun in 1924, was con-
tinued under single plan for half a
century. In 1875 a new plan was
adopted and followed for a quarter of
a century. In 1902 still a different
plan was adopted and has since been
pursued at rate which only prim-
Uses a navigablo river in from twenty
to one hundred years longer.
Such shortsighted, vacillating and
futile methods are accompanied by
decreasing water-borne commerce and
increasing traffic congestion on land,
by increasing floods and by the waste
of public money. The remedy lies in
abandoning the methods which have
so signally failed and adopted new
ones in keeping with the needs and
demands OF our people.
Postal Savings Banks.
| again renew my recommendation
for postal saving banks, for depositing
savings with the security of the gov
eminent behind them. The object to
to encourage thrift and economy in the
wage-earner and person of moderate
means. In fourteen states the deposits
In savings banks as reported to the
comptroller of the currency amount
TO $S,590,245,402, or 9S.4 per cent of
the entire deposits, while in the re-
manning % states there are only $780,
SOS,5i3, or 1.6 per cent, showing con
clusively that there are many locali-
ties in the United States where suf-
ficient opportunity is not given TO the
people to deposit their savings. The
result is that money is kept in aiding
and unemDloyed II IL ,hetioved that