The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-01-22
TO PROTECT RESOURCES
Continued from Page one,

year, the government fire patrol saved
commercial timber worth as much as
the total cost of caring for all ma.
tional forests at the present rate for
about ten years.
Il especially commend to the con.
gress the facts presented by the com.
mission as to the relation between
forests and stream flow in its bearing
upon the importance of the forest
lands in national ownership. Without
an understanding of this intimate re-
lation the conservation of both these
natural resources must largely fail.
1.-THE time has fully arrived for
recognizing in the law the responsible
ity to the, community the state, and
the nation which rests upon the priv
ate owners of private lands. The own
ership of forest land is a public trust.
The man who would so handle his for
est as to cause erosion and to injure
stream must be not only educated, but
he must be controlled
The report of the national consera-
tion commission says:
Forests in private ownership can
not be conserved unless they are pro-
tected 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 dangerous season.
Il hold as first among the tasks be-
for the states and the union in their
respective shares in forest conserya-
ton the organization of efficient fire
patrols and the enactment of good
nre laws on the part of the states.
The report says further:
Present tax laws prevent refor-
estation OF cut-over land and the per-
petuation of existing forests by use.
An annual tax upon the land itself
exclusive of the timber, and a tax
upon the timber when cut is well
adapted to acual conditions of forest
investment and is practicable and GER
tain. 1t is far better that forest land
should pay moderate tax permanent
Iy than that 1t should pay an excessive
revenue temporarily and then cease
to yield at ALL
second only in importance to good
ire laws well enforced is the enact.
ment of tax laws which will permit
he perpetuation of existing forests by
Use.
with our increasing population the
lime is not far distant when the prob
em OF supplying our people with food
VIII become pressing. The possible
additions to our arabic area are not
great, and 1t will become necessary
to obtain much larger crops from the
land, as is now done in more denselv
settled countries. To do this, we need
better farm practice and better strains
Oh wheat, corn, and other crop plants.
with a 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
De classified and the arabic lands dis
posed OF to home-makers. In their in
terest 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 recommendation
OF the public lands commission.
THE use of the public grazing lands
should be regulated in such way a.
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
beneath II, ana me should be subject
to separate disposal.
Inc coal, Oil as and phosphate
rights still remain g with the govern
ment should be withdrawn from entry
and leased under conditions favor
able for economic velopment.