The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-01-28

streams for water supply. 1t proposes to
carry out the work By co-ordinating
agencies In the federal Department.
through the medium OF an administrative
fUm% Wien he or s eosro' a aStio osba sr STroDTs-
tons and individual citizens.
= work OF waterway development
should be undertaken without delay.
Meritorious projects In known confor-
nifty with the general outlines Of any
comprehensive plan should proceed at
once: The cost OF the whole work
possible, but il necessary 81 the issue q
bonds in small denominations.
1t Is especially important that the de-
gasraed With Il t me's atm SSge Care shG Boti S s.
the national government and by tho
states, I'm order TO protect the people
against he upgrowth OF monopoly and
to insure to them a fair share in the en-
.efits which will follow the development
OF this great asset which belongs to the
people and should be controlled by them.
Forests.
L urge that provision be made for both
the national forests. Otherwise, either
the increasing use OF these forests by the
people must be checked or their protec-
ton against fire must be dangerously
weakened. II we compare the actual fre
damage . IN similar areas on private n
national forest lands during the past
year the goyeEnment Are patrol saved
$780, NN " ~ ~
total cost Of caring for all national fori
ests at the present rate for about 10 years,
l especially commend to the congress-
the facts presented by the commission al
to the citation between forests and
stream flow In Its bearing upon the lint
portance of h forest lands in national
ownership. Without an understanding OF
this intimate relation the conservation OF
both these natural must larget
ly fail.
The dime has fully arrived for recognize
Ing In the laW the raQnOnafhtlffW 70 thA
community, the state, and the nation
which, rests upon the private owners Of
private lands. The ownership Of forest
land is a public trust. The man whd
would so and his forest as to causA
erosion and ito injure stream flow must
be not, only educated, but he must ba
The report OF the National Conservation
commission says.
Forests I'm private ownership, can not be
G SPe. We 9 aeed g 5sey ARE ARE RrSseot ven frG inl
forced. Fire control is impossible With
out an adequate force OF men whose sold
duty Is fire patrol during the dangerous
1 hold as first among the tasks befora
the states and the nation In their re-
spective shares In forest conservation ms
organization of efficient fire patrols and
the enactment of good fire laws on the
part Of the states.
The report says further:
of cutover land and the pe~rpetuation Cd
existing forests by use. An nnual tag
pom the land itself. exclusive of the tim
Der. and q tax upon the timber when cur
forest Investment and Is practicable and
certain. IT is far better that forest land
should pay a moderate tax permanently
enue temporarily and then cease to yield
Second only In Importance to good fire
tax laws which Will permit the perpetua-
ton or existing forests by use.
Lands.
With our increasing population the time
Is not far distant when h problem OF
supplying Y people with food viii be-
our arabic area are not great, and II will
become necessary to obtain much larger
crops from the land, as is now done in
this, we need better farm practice and
better strains of wheat, corn, and other
crop plants, with q reduction In losses
mails, and other enemies OF agricIlture.
The United States department of agricul-
ture Is doing excellent work in these di5
rections and 1t should be literally sup
ported. rN. cfaa I
The remaining public lands should be
classified and the arabic lands disposed
Of to home makers. In their interest the
timber n stone act and the commuta-
tlon clause of the homestead act should
be repealed, and the desert land law
be modified In accordance with
the recommendations of the Public Lands
The use of the public grazing lands
should be regulated in suc ways as to-
improve and conserve their value.
Rights to the surface of the public land
should be separated from rights to for
ests upon II and to minerals beneath it.
AND these should be subject to separate
disposal. n
The coal. oil, gas and phosphate rights
still remaining with the government
should be Withdrawn from entry and
leased under conditions favorable for
economic development. ,
Minerals. 1
The accompanying reports show that
the consumption of nearly all OF our min
zeal products is increasing more rapidly
IS about one-sixth of our product, or
nearly $1.0O0,O00 for each working day I'm
the year. The loss of structural materials
day. The loss of life in the mines is ap-
palling. The larger part of these losses of
life n property a be avoided.
Our mineral resources are limited in
quantity and can not be incresead or re-
produced. With the rapidly increasing
rate of consumption the supply will be
exhausted while yet the nation is In its
unless hotter methods are de-
yised or substitutes are found. Further
investigation Is urgently needed In order
to improve methods and to develop and
apply substances.
1t is OF the utmost importance that a
bureau of mines be established i'm accord
with the pending bill to reduce the
loss of life In mines and the waste of
mineral resources, and to investigate the
n substitutes for proIonging
the duration OF our mineral supplies.
Roth the need n the public demand for
such a bureau are rapidly becoming more
urgent. 1t should cooperate with the
states In supplying data to serve as a
basis for state mine regulations The es-
tablishment OF this bureau will mean
merely the transfer from other bureaus
of work which IL. is agreed should be
transferred and slightly enlarged and re-
organized for these purposes.
Conclusions.
The joint conference already mentioned
adopted two resolutions to which / call
your special attention. The first was In
tended to promote cooperation between
the states and the nation upon all OF the
great questions here discussed. 1t is as
follows:
Resolved, That a Joint committee be
appointed by the chairman, to consist OF
six members OF state conservation COM
missions n three members of the Ma
tional Conservation commission, whose
duty IL shall be to prepare and present to
the state and national commissions, and
through them to the governors and the
president, a plan for united action by All