The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-12-10

" Nv u nc Is III any way aInPnaDlC r.
public opinion and the action of his
fellow Judges. 1t is the last which L.
most Immediately effective and tC
which we should look for the reform
of abuses
Forests.
Ii there is any one duty which more
than another we owe II to our children
and our childrcn'S children to perform,
ut once it 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.
ShortSightcd persons, or persons
blinded to the future by desire to
make money in every way out OF the
present, sometimes speak rs 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 rccklcsSncSs in the use of
our splendid forests, we have already
crossed the verge of Il timber famine
in this country, and no measures that
we now take can, ut 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 I'm the highest degree repre-
hcnsiblc 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.
THE president here cites In support
of his contentious the great dcstruc-
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 1t Is
criminal TO permit individuals to pur-
chase n little gain for themselves
through the destruction of forests
when this destruction Is fatal to the
we'll being Of the whole country in the
future
Inland Waterways.
Action should be begun forthwith,
during the present session of congress,
!
tcrWays action which will result In
giving us not only navigable but
naviGatcd 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 compre-
hcnsive and farseeing plan of water
way Improvement. Obviously we can
not continue thus to cXpcnd the rev
cnues of the government without re-
turn. 1t is poor business to spend
money for inland navigation unless
we get it.
Such shortsightcd. vacillatlng and
| futile methods are accompanied by de
"rcasng water borne commerce and
increasing traffic congestion on land.
by increasing floods and by the waste
IF public money. The remedy lies in
abandoning the methods which have
80 si@nally failed and adopting new
ones in Keeping with the needs and
demands of our people.
In report on n measure introduced
ut the first session of the present con
rreSS the secretary of war said. THE
chief defect in the methods hitherto
pursued lies in the absence of eXccu-
tive authority for originating compre
hensiye plans covering the country or
natural divisions thereof" In this
/ opinion heartily concur.
| Until the work of river improvement
IS undertaken ina modern way 1t can
not have results that will meet the
needs of this modern lIlation. These
needs should be met without further
dilly-dallying or delay. The plan which
promises the best and quickest results
IS that of permanent commission au-
thorizcd to coordinate the work of all
the government departments relating
to waterways and to frame and super
wise the execution of comprehensive
PLAN The time for playing with our
waterways IS past. The country de-
mands results.
National Parks.
urge that all our national parks adj
iacent to national forests be placed
completely under the control of the
forest service of the agricultural de-
partmcnt, Instead of leaving them, as
they are now. under the interior de-
partmcnt and poIiccd by the army.
Pure Food.
The pure food legislation has already
worked benefit difficult TO overcsti-
| mate.
Secret Service.
Last year an amendment was incor-
,olatcl iii the measure providing for
| he secret service which provided that
there sho,ld he no detail from the So
ret service and no transfer thcrcfrom