Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-15
GOV. FOLKS PROMISE
First Definite Result of Gov
errors Conference.
GREETED WITH APPROVAL
Will Appoint a State Commission Of
Forestry.
FORT SPEECH NOT DELIVERED
AL Unspoken Addresses Will Be
Printed-Criticism of Federal
Methods Answered by
Secretary Garfield.
FORT SPEECH NOT DELIVERED


noon by Gov Folk that he would appoint
d state commission of forestry. the hrs'
concrete action was taken at the con-
ference of governors considering the
country's resources The announcement,
&as greeted with enthusiastic cheers. and
most of the other governors in the room
announced that they would follow Mr.
Folks example.
After Gov. Folk had finished speaking
the floor was taken by Chase S. Osborne
Of Sault Sainte Marie. who announced that
the bill making the inland waterways
commission a permanent organization had
just passed the Senate. Mr.. Osborne de-
Clared that he considered this action OF
the Senate as a direct result of the gath
ering at the White House.
Gov. Deneen of Illinois presided at the
afternoon conference. at which the first
motion was made by William Jennings
Bryan. to the effect that all speeches
which. for any reason. could not be de-
1ivered at the convention. should, never
theless. be Incorporated in the proceed
3ngs. in time-honored Congressional Rec
ord style. The motion was carried. Mr..
Organs motion followed the announce
1nent by Gov. Fort of New Jersey that
he had been summoned home and must
3eave at. once. He requested that his
speech. which he was prevented from de-
dvering. be printed In the record of the
proceedings.
Former Gov. Pardee of California was
then called upon and spoke upon Cali
fornia's rivers and forests.
Address of Ex-Gov. Pardee.
Reclamation by Irrigation and Drain
age was the subject discussed by Dr.
George c. Pardee. formerly Governor of
California. and although he spoke par
ri Of hiS fata he i,,
considerable detail to the wealth of tim
Der all along the Pacific coast. which. he
said. must be the chief resource Of the
country in the years TO come. I'm north
eTn California the stream and forest prob
lens consist entirely. or practically so. in
protection, preservation and conserva-
ton" said DIR. sPardee. and he declared
the future of the state depends upon the
proper solution of the questions, in SO
far as California's electric power, irriga-
swamp and overlooked river lands and
lumber timber are concerned.
Utilizing Stream Power.
Dr. Pardee said that it has been esti-
mated that the utilization of stream
power from Mount Shasta to the 1eha-
chapi mountains. a distance of 600 miles.
will produce 100000 horsepower of cleo
trical energy. equivalent to 100000 tons
of coal per annum and worth easily ST.
900. 100000
THE streams from which power may
be obtained" the speaker continued,
s'have been. within the last few years,
filed upon in such numbers. under the
lax laws of California and the United
States. that the fear is expressed in
many directions that the power has been
already pretty we'll taken up. Many of
these filings are for purely speculative
purposes; others are for future develop
ment: but comparatively few of them.
not more than dozen or fifteen, are ac-
tually being used or are in process of
preparation for utilization"
Value Of Irrigation.
Concerning the future productivity of
one of the greatest sections in California
DIR. Pardee said:
Lying between the Sierra Nevadas and
the Coast Range are the great San Joaquin
and Sacramento valleys. which in reality
acres of level and rolling foothill land
lying In and tributary to this valley are
very fertile. but arid and semi arid
About twenty-five years ago however,
II was discovered that this land, when
Irrigated. would produce very remunera-
tive crops of grapes, alfalfa and various
other agricultural products and compre-
thensive irrigation is. therefore. necessary
to enable this great valley TO become
thickly settled and properly utilized
Under natural conditions. this whole
stretch of country was given over. in the
northern and central parts, to grain farm
Ing: in the southern part, to sheep and
cattle ranges.
Z The speaker referred to the value of the
forest reserves which had been created
about the headwaters of the rivers Of
sthe state, and he also reviewed the great
work of the United States reclamation
service in the attention II has given TO
the matter of reservoirs for impounding
the flood waters of the various streams.
.Anothe. of the problems which Califor-
mia has been compelled to meet has been
the shoaling of the rivers on account of
the debris carried down from hydraulic
mining operations in the mountains.
Conditions in California.
In final summary DIR. Pardee said
Fro mthis hasty and incomplete sur
'vey of California's river and forest re-
sources it is apparent that though the
state Is new and but thinly populated
having only 2,Uo1,OO0 people on 100. 40 OUO
acres of territory-her natural resources
have not been, in some of the other
states. nearly. If not quite. annihiiated.
Nevertheless, her people have made quite
extensive inroads into her forests. Be-
cause of the fact that her interested
lands have been more than sufficient for
the support of her population. California
has not been compelled. as other states
have been. to sacrifice her forests in
order to gain land for farming purposes.
2 THE forests are the peoples capital.
Which should not be impaired. only the
income being used for the peoples bene-
tit. AS the President so we'll said in his
Rainy river veto message to Congress:
We are now at the beginning of a great
development in water power. Its use
through electrical transmission is enter
ing more and more largely into every ele-
ment OF daily life of the people; alre lady
the evils of monopoly are becoming man
ifest; already the experience of the past
shows the necessity of caution in making
unrestricted grants of this great power :"
Fl. a. Jastro of Bakersfield. Cal. presi-
dent OF the American National Livestock
Association. was to have been the mex,
speaker. but he had been overcome by
heat and taken to his hotel His illness Is
not serious. His address on Grazing and
Stock Raising was read by w. c. Barnes
of New Mexico.
The Grazing Problem.
Discussing the grazing problem in the
southwest. a problem resulting from the
wasteful methods of the early settlers. H
A. Jastro. president of the American Ma.
t.onal Live Stock Association. said the
cattlemen are at last reused to the fact
that better methods must be followed OF
their business will be ruined. Some plan
of government control. however. would
be necessary In order TO secure to stock
men a permanency In their business
enjoy under our present land laws. Mr.
Jastro advocated. as a remedy for evil
which menaces an industry valued a,
81 DUOthn. the system of mana n,