Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1909-01-23

l y
statement OF facts and principles, lea,
ing the executive to recommend tn
Specific steps to which these facts an
principles inevitably lead. According
ly call your attention to some of tn
larger features OF the situation dis
closed by the report and to the actio
thereby clearly demanded for the gen
eral good.
Waters.
The report says:
Within recent months IL has been rec
ognized and demanded BY the people
through many thousand delegates from
all states assembled In convention I'm diff
ferent sections of the country, that tn
waterway should and must be improves
| promptly and effectively as a means O
maintaining national prosperity.
The first requisite for waterway i'm
provement Is the control Of the waters II
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 l 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. II 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-
af rf~ff hn Arat M OF
swamp and overflow lands. the pre-
ventiOn of soil wash and the purlfica-
ton Of streams for water supply. Ii
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 states
and other organizations and individual
citizens.
The work of waterway development
should be undertaken without delay,
Meritsrious 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 IL possible, but IL necessary
by the issue of bonds In small denomi-
nations
1t Is especially important that the
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
benefits which win follow the develop
ment of this great asset. which belongs
to the people and should be controlled
by them.
Forests.
| urge that provision be made for
both protection and more rapid devel-
Dpment of The national forests. Other
wise. either the increasing use OF these
forests by the people must be checked
Or their protection against fire must
be dangerously weakened. II we COM
pare the actual fire damage on similar
areas on private and national forest
nd CrYia To- p;,.- gear. The -ovcrI-
nent fire patrol saved commercial tim
Der worth as much as the total cost Of
airing for all national forests at the
present rate for about ten years
especially commend to the congress
he facts presented by the commission |
is to the relation between forests and |
stream flow In It's bearing upon The i'm |
,ortance of the forest lands in nation
Il ownership Without an understand |
M of this intimate relation the con
ervation of both these natural re-
ources must largely fail.
The time has fully arrived for recog- |
liZing in the law the responsibility to |
he community, the state and the ma
ion which rests upon the private own
RS of private lands The ownership |
f forest land Is public trust The
nan who would SO handle his forest
$ to cause erosion and to injure
tream flow must be not only educated,
ut he must be controlled.
The report of the national conserva-
ion commission says:
Forests in private ownership cannot be
observed unless they are protected from
re. We need good fire laws, well en-
breed. Fire control is impossible with
ut am adequate force of men whose sole
uty is fire patrol during the dangerous
eason.
| hold as first among the tasks be-
ore the states and the nation in their
espective shares In forest conserva-
on the organization OF efficient fire
atrols and the enactment Of good fire
Tvs on the part OF the states.
The report says further:
Present tax laws prevent reforestation
cut over land and the perpetuation OF
listing forests by use. An annual tax
pom the land itself. exclusive of the tim
er. and tax upon the timber when cut
well adapted to actual conditions of
rest investment and Is practicable and
,rtaln. 1t is far better that forest land
lould pay a moderate tax permanently
ian that 1t should pay an excessive rev.
Tue temporarily and then cease to yield
all
Second only in Importance to good
re laws well enforced is the enact ,
ent of tax laws which will permit
lie perpetuation of existing forests by
,e.
Lands.
With our increasing population the
me Is not far distant when the prob
IN Of supplying our people with food
Ill become pressing The possible
lditiOns to our arabic area are not {
eat, and It will become necessary to @
tain much larpnr cronS from the I