Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-16

forestry service now, and other enthus
lasts, set at work, and the work be-
gun by Cleveland was taken I'D by
President Mckinley, and has been still
further advanced by President Roose-
welt Now the national forests cover
fifth of the total timber area of the
United States, or about $4,000, 900
acres in all. If the government wish
ed it could derive millions of dollars
of revenue from these tracts by cut
ting the timber, but Mr.. Pinchot's
policy is to cut conservatively.
supply Is Going.
According to Mr. Griffith, the timber
supply of the United States, at the
present rate, and under present meth
DDS, will be exhausted. Forest fires
and wasteful cutting are destroying
the supply, and it is evident that the
government must compel lumbermen
to forego present profit by perpetual
supply and greater profits in the end.
Next month an international confer
ence, in which the states and the eoun
tries of Mexico and Canada are to be
represented, will be held for the pur
pose of considering the preservation
| of the forests of North America.
Interesting Views shown.
Mr.. Griffith exhibited large mum
Der of stereopticon views in illustra
ton of his remarks. He showed tbs
forest fire and its causes and results
The cause is largely the slash, OF
worthless branches and tops which ara
| left lying in a tangled mass in thu
forest and forms mass of fuel thai
When once set afire can not be ex
tinguiShed by an army of men. The
results are losses of millions of dol
| lars yearly. Last year the forest fire
damage in Wisconsin was $4,000. 900
a million and quarter acres beina
burned. The loss in Michigan ana
Minnesota was even greater An ares
of nine million acres have been burned
over or cut in the United States. This
land is largely sandy, and unsuited fol
agriculture.
Had the lumbermen of 90 years ag;
when cutting his trees, left a single
seed tree to an acre, there would now
tbe luxuriant forests, instead of the
frightful barren wastes that exist" the
] speaker declared, iE discussing the
| method of cutting to provide for TIL;
| natural reproduction of the trees. H,
stated that in Germany the revenue
from the forests is so great that the
lpeople pay no taxes in some district.
/ China's Bitter Lesson.
Among the striking pictures were
those showing the awful conditions ii
IChina, where the hills are eroded, th1
river valleys are torrents in the sprins
and great dry wastes five weeks later
Iand where agriculture is possible only
to limited extent and by means O
terracing.
China has learned the lesson of the
cost of destroying its forests and tht
Experience has been bitter. Now thi
Chinese are sending young men t.
tGermany and France to learn forestry
land work with view to replantins
THE country with trees.
/ In France, too, the lesson has beer
learned at a bitter cost, and now tn,
work of restoring the forests is goin:
ION at cost of millions
Mr.. Griffith concluded his address b,
Ipicturing the work in Wisconsin. ant
explaining the methods employed, ant
the schemes proposed for the preseI
walton of Wisconsin timber lands. H
explained the relation of water powe
To forestry, and the endless chain plal
of taxing the water power, using tn
money for forestry work, thereby in
Icreasing the water power, and creatin
lSreater revenues for forestry work
Hear Minneapolis Poet.
The address by Mr. Griffith was pr,
[ceded by an excellent dinner, serve
[by the men of the club under the dire,
Ition of Fl. e. Brown as chairman of tn
tcommittee. w. H. Dawson, inspectc
Fin chief of the M. w. A.. was in tn
city from Minneapolis and was a CUES
at the dinner. Mr.. Dawson is a poe
and the club president, DR.. Smitl
called on him to read two of hi
verses. He gave two very pleasin
reflections. The high school orchestr,
Eunder the direction of Professor Chri.
| CONTINUED on Page Nine.)