The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-01-22

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'
nizlng 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 reEorestation
Of cut over land and the perpetuation OF
existing forests by use. An annual tax
upon the land itself exclusive OF the tim.
Der. and n 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 a moderate tax permanently
than. that It should pay an excessive rev.
enue temporarily and then cease to yield
at all.
Second only in Importance to good
fire laws well enforced is the enact
ment of tax laws which will permit
the perpetuation of existing forests by
use.
Lands.
With our increasing population the
time is not far distant when the prob.
lem of supplying our people with food
will become pressing. The possible
additions to our arabic area are not
great, and it will become necessary to
obtain much larger crops from the
land. as Is now done in more densely
settled countries. To do this we need
better farm practice and better strains
of wheat, corn and other crop plants.
with reduction in losses from soil
erosion and from insects, animals and
other enemies of agriculture. The
United States department OF agricul.
ture is doing excellent work in these
directions. and it should be literally
supported.
The remaining public lands should
be classified and the arabic lands
disposed Of to homemakers. In their
interest the timber and stone act and
the communication clause of the home.
stead act should be repealed. and the
desert land law should be modified In
accordance with the recommendations
OF the public lands commission.
The use of the public grazing lands
should be regulated in such ways as
to improve and conserve their value.
Rights to the surface of the public
land should be separated from rights
to forests upon it and to minerals be.
meath It, and these should be subject
to separate disposal.
The coal. oil. gas and phosphate
rights stu remaining with the govern.
ment should be withdrawn from entry
and leased under conditions favorable
for economic development
Minerals.
The accompanying reports show that
the consumption of nearly all of our
mineral products is increasing more
rapidly than our population. Our min
eral waste is about one-sixth Of our
product. or nearly 100000 for each
working day In the year. The loss Of
structural materials through fire is
about another million n day. The loss
IF life in the mines is appalling. The
larger part Of these losses of life and
property can be avoided.
Our mineral resources are limited in
quantity and cannot be increased or
reproduced. With the rapidly increas-
ing rate OF consumption the supply will
De exhausted while yet the nation is in
It's infancy unless better methods are
devised or substitutes are found. Fur
Their investigation is urgently needed
N order to improve methods and to de-
Eelop and apply substitutes.
It is OF the utmost Importance that a
bureau Of mines be established in ac-
sordance With the pending bin TO re