The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-22

the ordinary citizen mas gained In free
dom Of opportunity because of his
service for the common good. The
highest value we know is that Of the
individual citizen, and the highest JUS
tice is>to give him fair play in the ef-
fort to realize the best there Is In him.
Common Sense Needed.
The tasks this nation has to do are
great tasks. They can only be done at
all by our citizens acting together. and
they can be dore best Of all by the di-
rect and simple application Of homely
common sense.
The national conservation commits
sion wisely confined its report to the
statement OF facts and principles, leav-
ing the executive to recommend the
specific steps to which these facts and
principles inevitably lead. According
~ call your attention to some OF the
larger features OF the situation dis
closed by the report and to the action
thereby clearly demanded for the gen.
eral good.
Waters.
The report says:
Within recent months 1t has been rec
ognized and demanded by the people,
through many thousand delegates from
all states assembled in convention In diff
ferent sections OF the country. that the
waterways should and must be improved
promptly and effectively as q means OF
maintaining national prosperity.
The first requisite for waterway i'm
0,t to ~ NS< Ot4vo IL,
such manner as to reduce floods and reg
ulate the regimen OF the navigable riv-
ers. The second requisite Is development
OF terminals and connections in such man
ner as to regulate commerce.
Accordingly urge that the broad
plan for the development Of our water
ways, recommended by the inland wa
terways commission. be put in effect
without delay. It provides for COM
prehensive system of waterway i'm
provement extending to all the uses Of
the waters and benefits to be derived
from their control, including naviga-
ton, the development Of power, the ex-
tension Of irrigation, the drainage of
swamp and overflow lands, the pre-
vention of soil wash and the purifica-
ton Of streams for water supply. 1t
proposes to carry out the work by CO.
ordinating agencies in the federal de-
partments through the medium Of an
administrative commission or board,
acting in cooperation with the st: tes
and other organizations and Individual
citizens.
The work OF waterway development
should be undertaken without delay.
Meritorious projects in known con-
formity with the general outlines Of
any comprehensive plan should pro-
coed at once. The cost Of the whole
work should be met by direct appro-
priation If possible, but if necessary
by the issue of bonds in small denomi-
nations.
1t is especially important that the
development Of water power should be
guarded with the utmost care both by
the national government and by the
states in order to protect the people
against the upgrowth of monopoly and
to insure to them a fair share in the
benefits which will follow the develop
ment Of this great asset, which belongs
to the people and should be controlled
by them.
Forests.
l urge that provision be made for
both protection and more rapid devel-
opment Of the national forests. Other
wise, either the increa sing use of these
forests by the people must be checked
or their protection against fire must
be dangerously weakened. If we COM
no IN %Ia a c<,,ol Aro dorroro nm similar
areas on private and national forest
lands during the past year. the govern
meut fire patrol saved commercial tim
Der worth as much as the total cost OF
caring for all national forests at the
present rate for about ten years.
especially commend to the congress
the facts presented by the commission
as to the relation between forests and
stream dow in it's bearing upon the i'm
al ownership. without an understand
ing Of this intimate relation the con-
servation Of both these natural re-
sources must largely fail.
The time has fully arrived for recog-
nizing in the law the responsibility to
the community, the state and the ma
ton which rests upon the private own
ers of private lands. The ownership
Of forest land is a public trust. The
man who would SO handle his forest
as to cause erosion and to injure
stream flow must be not only educated,
but he must be controlled.
The report Of the national conserva-
ton commission says:
Forests in private ownership cannot be
conserved unless they are protected from
fire. We need good fire laws. well en-
forced Fire control Is impossible with
out an adequate force of men whose sole
duty is fire patrol during the dangerous
season.
hold as first among the tasks be-
fore the states and the nation In their
respective shares in forest conserva-
ton the organization Of efficient fire
patrols and the enactment of good fire
laws on the part Of the states.
The report says further:
Present tax laws prevent reforestatior
of cut over land and the perpetuation OF
existing forests by use. An annual tar
upon the land itself. exclusive OF the tim
Der. and a tax upon the timber when cut
Is well adapted to actual conditions OF
forest investment and is practicable and
certain. 1t Is far better that forest land
should pay moderate tax permanently
hon thof oh