Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-09

being given to the public for the first
| time. 1t was an important gathering. in
Guiding the governors of thirty states
who had attended the meeting of the
joint commission yesterday.
The meeting was presided over by Gift
ford Pinchot. chairman of the commits
sion. The general report Of the commits
sion was read by ex-Gov. Blanchard OF
Louisiana, who covered in a general way
the four major sections of the commits
sion's Investigations. lands. waters. min
erals and forests. The report was not
| recommendation for any specific line OF
action. hut a statement of the commas
sion's findings for the information of the
President and Congress
Gov. Blanchard had some starting
facts to communicate: He said in relation
tn forests that but a quarter of the area
of the country was now forest ciad,
whereas formerly forests covered more
than half. We were wasting two-thirds
of the timber that was cut. OF lUp leet
cut from the forests not $50 round us
way into commerce. The waste COM
menced at the butt of the tree and con-
tin1Ied through the logging camp, the mill
and into the factory.
The fire waste was another serious fac
tor This could be stopped. the report
said. at an expenditure Of one-fifth OF
the value Of the wood annually destroyed
1t was impossible either for the state, the
federal government or the private owner
to care for reforestation and fire protec-
ton as il should be done, but by co-opera-
ton between the three the waste could
be stopped and the forests renewed.
The country. he said. was now cutting
three times as much wood annually as the
forests reproduced. but by judicious
system of replanting and scientific
methods OF cutting the forests could he
made to Weld more wood than was an
nuaily being taken from them.
Forest Taxation System Bad
The report said that the forests were
very injudiciously dealt with I'm the
matter of taxation. They were taxed
on the standing timber and the pro-
prietors wanted to get their money out
Of them by clearing the land. A much
more sensible way. Gov. Blanchard
said. would he to tax the timber cut
and remit the taxation altogether on
the standing trees. 1t was better to
derive a small revenue from the forests
for all time than to get a larger rev
nue. for while and then have 1T cease
altogether
The damage that had been far
done to the forests was not irreparable
If prompt action were taken they could
be conserved and used for all time
But even at that the country would
have to pay a price for its prodiSallty
and the country would feel the short
age of timber for the next twenty-five
years.
The mineral resources Of the country
were dealt with in the same way, as well
as the lands so much of which had al
ready been alienated by the government.
There was need of A thorough readJust-
ment of the land laws and especially OIL
the stone and timber act.
On the subject of water the report
showed the immense amount of rainfall
area over the United States. amounting
to ten Mississippi rivers in one. Part or
this rainfall was evaporated, part found
its way To the sea and part was cut OH by
use for municipalities. power uses ana
irrigation The report stated that only In
rrigation was the water used to anything
like the extent it might be For navlga-
ton. power and municipal use the vast
aggregate of waters was hardly touched
Section reports followed the general re-
port That for the minerals of the
country was read by Senator Flint of Cal
ifornia. This was followed by general
discussion participated in by the gov
errors and others
Senator Flint said that enough natural
gas coming out of the earth today was
wasted to light all the cities OF over
100000 inhabitants In the country. This
entire waste could be controlled by laws
similar 10 those now prevailing in Indiana.
The waste in coal mining was equivalent
to about one-half Of the product mined
that is to say, in 1907 to 240,OO.WU tons.
products for the past year amounted to
about $1,0OOO per day.
Loss of Life in Mines.
The loss of life in the coal mines alone
last year was 1900. with 1000 more in
jured. This was from two to four times
as great as the record in any other coun-
try in the world, taken on the basis of
each LOCO men employed.
There is still an area Of about 10000
square miles Of coal in the country. This
area contains, roughly, about 100000,
100000 tons. But the coal fields have
pra ctically all been discovered, and it is
not likely that this area will be added to
per cent.
The supply of hgh-grade iron ore avail
able is about =. S40.ON.Wn tons. and OF the
low grade ores. such are not available
under present economic conditions. - =
Geo, COG coo tons. There is at the present
rate of consumption about enough iron
to last to the middle of the present CEN
fury. and enough coal to last to the mid
die of the next century.
The supply of copper. lead and zinc was
less definitely known, but there was about
enough to last to the end of the present
century
The report on the land section. Senator
knute Nelson. chairman. was read at
the Afternoon session. This was followed