The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1908-12-12

/ which he Is IN any way amenaDle ara
public opinion aud the action OF his
fellow judges. II Is the last which Is
most immediately effective and &c
which we should look for tie reform
OF abuses
( Forests.
III there is any one duty which more
than another we owe 1t TO our children
and our chlldren's children 10 perform.
at once Il 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.
Shortsighted persons, or persons
blinded 10 the future by desire 10
make money In every way out OF the
prescat. sometimes speak as II no
great damage would be done by the
reckless destruction Of our forests. IL
Is difficult to have patience with the
arguments OF these persons. Thanks
10 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 al
ready been done. But we can prevent
further 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-
clally 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.
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 he 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 Il 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
future.
inland Waterways.
Action should be- begun forthwith,
during the present session OF congress,
for the improvement OF our inland wa
terways- action which will result In
giving us not only navlgable but
naylgated rivers. We have spent
hundreds OF millions OF dollars upon
these waterways, yet the traffic on
nearly all OF them is steadily declln-
ing This condition Is the direct re-
suit OF the absence OF any compre-
henslve and farseeing plan OF water
way Improvement Obviously we can
not continue thus TO expend the rev.
enues OF the government without re-
turn IL is poor business to spend
money for inland navigation unless
we get H.
Such shortslghted, vacillatlng and
futile methods are accompanied by de
creasng water borne commerce and
increasing traffic congestion on land
by increasing floods and by the waste
OF public money. The remedy lies I'm
abandoning the methods which have
SO signally failed and adopting new
ones I'm keeping with the needs and
demands OF our people.
In a report on measure introduced
at the first session Of the present con
gress the secretary OF war said, The
chief defect In the methods hitherto
pursued lies In the absence 81 execu-
tive authority for originating compre.
henslve plans covering the country or
natural divisions thereof" In this
opinion | heartily concur
Until the work OF river Improvement
Is undertaken I'm modern way Il can
not have results that WIFI meet the
needs OF this modern nation. These
needs should be met without further
dllly-dallying or delay. The plan which
promises the best and quickest results
u that OF permanent commission au-
thorized to coordinate the work OF all
the government departments relating
10 waterways and TO frame and super
wise tho execution 81 a comprehensive
plan The time for playing with our
waterways IS past The country de.
mands results.
National Parks.
urge that all our national parks nd.
lacent 10 national forests be placed
completely under the control ~ the
forest service ~ the agricultural de
partmcnt. instead Of leaving them MS
they are now under the interior do
partment and policed 10y the army.
Pure Food
The pure food legislation has already
worked benefit difficult 20 ovcrcsti.
mate
Secret Service.
Last year ~ amendment was incor.
porated IN The measure providing for
the secret gcry Ice which provided that