Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1909-12-02
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Legal Advertisements at Legal Rates.
SOME THOUGHTS ON cONsERVA-
TON OF NATURAL RESOURCES

tary Ballinger and Chief Forester
Pinchot keeps the question of the
conservation of our natural
resources" fresh in our minds. Yet,
many people have but q faint idea of
what is meant by that term. It
means the protection. preservation
and guarding of these resources,
which may be timber. coal, water
power, soil fertility, minerals, or any
thing and everything that nature
furnishes, for the benefit and enjoy
ment of the children of men. That
does not imply, that these resources
are not to be utilized by man. Some
may think that the best way to con-
serve a thing is to make no use of it.
But that would be doing like the un-
faithful servant, who hid his masters
talent in the earth, and that was not
to the masters liking. The Indians
have been the unfaithful and slothful
servants in the case of America. In
possession of natural resources, the
richest in the world, yet they made
little or no use of them, and hence
we're taken away from them. The
white man has them now in trust,
and the way he has developed them
and made use of them is the marvel
of the world. Yet, he has not in all
cases, made the best possible use of
these resources. 1t must be admitted
that in many ways he has squandered
the rich heritage left in his hands.
Our forects have BEEN burned, or de-
vastated by the lumberman's ak. the
fertility of the soil has been depleted
by careless and unscientifc methods
of farming. But the greatest mis-
use of natural resource, intended
for the use and enjoyment of all
people, is when it is allowed to be
taken by the favored few and ex-
plotted for private gain, to the detri-
ment and oppression of the great
body of the people. Too many of our
natural resources have been allowed
to fall into the hands of corporations,
who have small regard for the rights
and interests of the public. Especial
ly is this true in regard to coal lands
and timber lands, and the great water
powers, which in the future when our
coal fields and forests are exhausted,
We may have to depend upon for heat,
light and power. are rapidly being
gobbbled up in the same manner. Yet,
let no man get the idea, that a water
power is conserved by letting the
water flow freely and unobstructed
over the precipice and onward IT,
ward the sea No. it's truly con-
served only when the wheels of in
dustry are turned by the falling
waters. The sol! is conserved, not
by lying idle. but when by intelligent
methods of farming and rotation of
crops, it is constantly enriched and
made to produce larger and larger
harvests. Our forests are not con-
served when mature trees are allow
ed to decay and fall, while the dwell
lers on the prairies suffer for want of
cheap fuel and building material.
Neither are they conserved unless for
every tree cut: another one is planted
or given an opportunity to grow.
Often private enterprise is more ef-
fective in developing the natural re-
sources Of the country than a public
undertaking of the work would be.
but here comes In the danger that
such DEVELOPMENT work does not al.
ways conserve the public interests,
which should be paramount at all
times. We believe the government
should exercise q wise control Of all
natural utilities. even though 1t may
not operate them. To carefully guard
and protect at all times the public in.
terests is problem for our best
statesmen.
Some of the educational institutions