Fort Pierce news. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) 190?-1920, 1908-12-11

than another We owe itvc6 Dur chfft1fen
and our childrens children to perform
at once 1t Is to save the forests Of
this country, for they constitute tho
lrst and most important element Id
the conservation Of the natural re-
sources Of the country.
Snortsighted persons, or persons
blinded to the future by desire to
make money In every way out of the
present. sometimes speak as II 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. Thanka
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 all
ready been done. But we can prevent
further mischief being done, and II
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.
THE president here cites in support
of his contentious the great destruc-
ton wrought In China by the denuda-
ton of the forest areas.1
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 II 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
Inland Waterways.
Action should be begun forthwith,
during the present session Of congress,
for theiimprovS Of our inland wa
terways--actlon 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 compre-
hensive and farseeing plan Of water
way Improvement. Obviously we cam
not continue thus to expend the rev.
enues Of the government without re-
turn. 1t is poor business to spend
money for inland navigation unless
we get It. a4
Such shortsighted, vacillating aud
futile methods are accompanied by de-
creasing water borne commerce and
increasing traffic congestion on land,
by increasing foods and by the waste
Of public money. The remedy lies In
abandoning the methods which have
so signally failed and adopting new
ones in keeping with the needs and
demands Of our people,
In a report on a measure introduced
at the first session of the present con.
gress the secretary of war said, ''Thc
chief defect in the methods hitherto
pursued lies In the absence Of execu-
tive authority for originating compre-
hensive plans covering the country or
natural divisions thereof" In this
opinion heartily concur.
Until the work Of river improvement
Is undertaken in modern way 1t can
not have results that will meet the
needs Of this modern nation. 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-
thorized 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-
manda results
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