The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-17
President Nudge of Rock Island
Sees Visions of Future.
Says Government Will Own Rail-
roads in Fifty Years.
FAULKNER OBJECTS.
Santa Fe Man Has Little Use
for Uncle Sans Figures.
Other Items of General Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Fifty years from now, we are led to
believe, the government may own all
the railroads. Therefore it should be
the governments duty to supply it's
own railroad ties by conserving its own
forests, not looking to the .e.I4roads to
take the initiative"
This was the contribution of H. U.
Nudge newly elected president of the
Rock Island railroad.
That's not the only reason why the
government should attend to the plant
ing and conservation of forests Presi-
dent Nudge fastened to add, "for. per-
sonally, think the railroads may have
a longer lease of life under private
ownership
But If 1t takes 80 years for a tree
TO grow. it is too much to ask of the
railroads to invest money now, the in
terest upon which will be compound
ing all the time. to meet possible needs
so far away. Conditions may change
utterly.
THE government can borrow money
at q lower rate of interest than we can.
end by the issue of 50-year bonds could
undertake the development OF future
forests proftably.'
For my part. i should be very glad
to see such a step taken to finance
the movement to conserve and build
ZIP our forests" said Clifford Pinchot.
chief forester of the United States,
but, unfortunately, congress takes a
different view about it. And the fact
remains that sooner or later the rail-
roads have got to face a condition of
a depleted timber supply. We cannot
hasten the growth of trees, and unless
you plan to use steel ties or concrete
ties, the feasibility of which is pro-
folenatic. you have got to plant them
or so without"
Our results have not been wholly
satisfactory said A. S. Baldwin, chief
engineer of Illinois Central railroad.
I'm Illinois we have learned that the
kind Of trees we tore. up and threw
away are the ones that the soil is
adapted to, and that the ones we plant
ed were a different species from what
we thought. The Illinois nursery does
rot show anything very promising.
AN of which proves merely hat we
made mistakes. At Harahan, La, we
have done better. Planting there was
begun seven years ago. There is now
n good growth of fence posts, and by
the eighteenth year we expect tinnbers
big enough to be cut for railroad ties.
Chief Forester Pinchot declares for q
different method of taxation of timber
lands.
why should a crop of corn be taxed
once while it is growing and crop OF
asked. II believe that in taxing forest
lands merely the value of the lan6
should be assessed. and that the timber
should be taxed at the time it is cut
The present evils of forest land taxa
tion must be remedied before a solu
tion of the problem of conservation
can be had"
Z. o. Faulkner, of the Santa Fe rail
road is not satisfied with the elabor
ate figures submitted by the govern
nlent foresters showing the saving tina
would follow investment by the rail
roads in the production of their owl
timber supplies.
THE forest service has got to ge
down to practical figures" he said
I'VE are willing to be shown, but tn
invitation that all the railroads EN-
ploy their own experts to figure GU
the problem is discouraging. and it i
not going to produce results. VIII,
can't the forest service take some stat
and demonstrate what can be done?
Eve have men everywhere ready t
cooperate now said Mr.. Plnchot
Besides, an expert forester will COS
q railroad only $500 a year, and yol
can't plant trees from reading books
You have got to have the men who cal
do If -