Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-12-16

rains there are freshets, and roaring
muddy torrents come tearing down
bringing disaster and destruction
everywhere 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 happier
in our country if we do not exercise
that wise forethought which should be
one of the chief marks of any people
calling itself civilized. Nothing should
be permitted to stand in the way OF
the preservation of the forests, and il
is criminal to permit individuals tc
purchase little gain for themselves
through the destruction of forests
when this destruction is fatal to the
wellbeing of the whole country in the
future.
inland Waterways.
Action should be begun forthwith
during the present session of the con-
gress, for the improvement of our in
land waterways-ac which will re-
suit 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 result
of the absence of any comprehensive
and far-seeing plan of waterway i'm
provement. The plan which promises
the best and quickest results is that
of permanent commission authorized
to coordinate the work of all the gov
eminent departments relating to water
ways, and to frame and supervise the
execution of a comprehensive plan
The time for playing with our water
ways is past. The country demands
tresults.
The president urges that all our ma.
| tional parks adjacent TO national for
ests be placed completely under the
/ control of the forest service of the
agricultural department, instead OF
leaving them as they now are, under
the interior department and policed by
the army. Congress should provide
for superintendent with adequate
corps of first-class civilian rangers.
The president urges postal savings
banks and parcels post. Better aid
to the national educational department
is advised; war on tuberculosis and
other diseases is applauded; and the
president recommends that legislation
be enacted placing under the jurisdic-
ton of the department of commerce
and labor the government printing Of
flee. At present this Office is under
the combined control. supervision and
administrative direction of the presi
dent and of the joint committee on
printing of the two, houses of congress
1t has 1909 employees and spends from
S. 100000 to $7,00O,000 a year. The
president advocates the immediate ad
states and calls the attention of con
gress to the Importance of the prob
! lem of the fisheries in the interstate
waters. The fisheries of the Missis
sippi, the Ohio and the Potomac are
| in a bad way For this there is ne
remedy except for the United States tt
control and legislate for the interstate
fisheries as part of the business of in
terstate commerce The federal stat
ute regulating interstate traffic in game
| Foreign Affairs.
| We have behaved and are behaving
towards other nations, as in private
life an honorable man would behave
towards his fellows.
Panama Canal.
The work on the Panama canal il
being done with speed, efficiency ant
entire devotion to duty, which make i
model for all work of the kind. NJ
task of such magnitude has ever before
been undertaken by any nation; and nj
task of the kind has ever been better
1 performed.
recommendation is made for thu
extension of the ocean mail act of 1879
SO that satisfactory American oceal
mail lines to South America, Asia, thu
Philippines and Australasia may b.
established.
Hawaii.
We have begun to improve Pear
harbor in Hawaii for nava
base and to provide the necessar.
military Notifications for tn
! protection of the islands, blu
the president can not too strongl.
emphasize the need of appropriation
for these purposes of such an amour
as will within the shortest possible
| time make those islands PRACTICAL,