The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-23
Points TO Features.


The National Conservation commits
sion wisely confined It's report 10 the
statement OF facts and principles. leav-
specifc steps TO Which these facts and
principles Inevitably lead. According
~, ! call your attention 10 some OF Ne
larger features OF the situation dis
closed by the. report, and TO the action
thereby clearly demanded for the gem
eral good.
Within recent months. :. has
been recognized and demanded BY
the people. through many thou
sand delegates from all states as
sembled In convention in different
sections OF the country mat the
waterways should and must be
improved promptly and effectively
as means OF maintainins nation
a. prosperity.
The hrst requisite for waterway
Improvement Is the control OF the
waters In such manner as TO reduce
floods and regulate the regimen OF
the navigable rivers. The second
requisite Is development OF termin-
ais and connections In such man
mel as TO regulate commerce.
Accordingly. 1 urge that the broad
ways. recommended by the Inland
Waterways Commission. be put in ef-
feet without delay II provides for
comprehensive system OF waterway
Improvement extending TO all the uses
OF the waters and benefits TO be de-
rived from their control. including
navigation. the development OF power
the extension OF irrigation, the drain
age Of swamp and overflow lands. the
prevention OF soil wash. and the puri
fcation OF streams for water supply
II proposes to carry out the work by
departments through the medium OF
an administrative commission or
board. acting in 'co-operation with the
states and other organizations and In
Il urge that provision be made for
both protection and more rapid devel-
opment OF the national forests. other
wise. either the Increasing use OF
these forests by the people must be
checked or their protection against
IRE must be dangerously weakened.
IL We compare the actual Are damage
On similar areas on private and ma
.ional forest lands during the past
year the government fire patrol saved
commercial timber worth as much as
forests at the present rate for about
EN- years.
II especially commend TO the con.
mission as TO the relation between for /
SITS and stream flow In Its bearing
ipon the importance OF the forest
ands In national ownership. without !
IN understanding OF this intimate re- ,
alton the conservation OF both these
natural resources must largely fail.
'. Public Trust.
1.-THE time has fully arrived for rec
)knlLlnk IN AHf law tine responsibility
% the community. the state. and the
latiOn which rests upon the private
,wners Of private lands The owner
hip OF forest land IL puolic trust.
rhe man who would so handle his
'orsst as to cause erosion and to In
ure stream flow must be not only edu-
.atcd. but II must be controlled.
The report OF the National Conser-
iation Commission says:
Forests In private ownership can
not be conserved unless they are
protected from fire. We need
good fire laws. well-enforced. Fire
control Is impossible without an
adequate force OF men whose sole
duty Is fire patrol during the dan
gerous season
II hold az first among the tasks be-
'orc tho states and che nation I'm their
shares In forest conserVa-
ton the organization OF efficient fire
patrols and the enactment OF good Are
laws on the part OF the states
The report says further:
Present tax laws prevent refOr-
ostatiOn OF cut lover land and the
perpetuation OF existing forests by
use An annual tax upon the land
itself. exclusive Of the timber. and
tax upon the timber when cut is
well adapted TO actual conditions
81 forest Investment and IL prac-
ter that forest land should pay
moderate tax permanently than
that ~ should pay an excessive
revenue temporarily and then
cease To yield at all.
Second only IN Importance TO good
ncnt Of tax laws which Will permit
the pcfpetuation OF existing forests
"The use Of the public grazing lands