The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-06
Queer Story About Teaching
Esperanto in Kansas.
Educators Favor Teaching IT in
Public Schools.
FORESTS STILL HERE
ORESTS STILL HERE.
Cover One Fourth of Land in
United States.
This Is the Time to Look to the
Future.

Washington, D. c., Jan. 6.-Donald
H Ferguson of Columbus, Kan, who
is in Washington for a few days to
look in on congress- said that there
was a strong movement on foot
among certain Kansas educators to
teach Esperanto in the public schools
of the Sunfiower state. Mr.. Ferguson
is taking deep interest in the PROPOSE
tioD.f and discussing the subject, said:
The Esperanto language is to be
the greatest peacemaker in the world,
and every civilized nation of the earth
should teach it in their schools. If all
the people of all nations could freely
talk with each other, they would have
better understanding and higher
opinion of one another Commerce
and travel would be easier.
The language is simplified to the
utmost. Its laws are exact. The
spelling is phonetic-one letter, one
sound, one sound, one letter There
are no double letters and no silent
letters. 1t is an invented language,
not used by any nation, but designed
to be learned and used as an auxiliary
language. An educated person can
get a good understanding of it in six
Latin and Anglo-Sax All good
minded and philanthropic people
should assist in its promotion
sas has requested President Roosevelt
to name n. T. Draper of Annapolis as
one of the cadets. The young man is
a son of the late Major Herbert L.
Draper of the marine corps.
Few people have anything like a
clear idea of the amount of forest
wealth left in this country. Those
resource which has assisted in mate
rial development since the landing of
the first settlers are usually too much
Influenced by the condition of that
particular state or section in which
they are most familiar.
If they live in a much deforested or
a treeless region, the people usually
imagine that the country's timber
supply is even more limited than is
actually the fact; on the other hand,
in a section where a pinch in timber
has not been experienced, the feel
ing is likely to be altogether the other
way, and some become so Indifferent
at times as to think that there is real
" not much reason to worry about a
tim Der problem. Both can profit by a
reading of the actual facts.
The forests of the United States now
cover about $50 million acres, or about one
fourth of the land of the whole country.
The original forests covered not less than
$50 million acres. or nearly one-half.
The forests owned by the government
cover one-fourth of the total forest area,
and contain one-fifth of ali timber stand
ing. Forests privately owned cover three
foprths of the area, and contain four
having three times the area and four times
the forests. the timber land privately own
ed is generally more valuable.
Forestry. or conservative numbering, is
practiced on 20 per cent of the forests
publicly owned and on less than one per
cent Of the forests privately owned. This
covers the country's forest resources as
man of the section of forests of the ma
tionai conservation commission, in outlin-
ing the future has said:
sBy reasonable thrift. we can produce
present need. and with it conserve the use
fulness OF our streams for irrigation, wa
ter SUPPLY. navigation. and power.
Under right management, our forests
will weld over four times much as now.
We can reduce waste in the woods and in
the mills at least one-third. with present
as well as future profit we can perpet-
uate the naval stores industry. Preserva-
tive treatment will reduce by one-fifth the
quantity of timber used IN the water or
in the ground. We can practically stop
forest fires at a. total yearly cost of one
fifth the value of the standing timber
burned each year. not counting young
I'VE shall suffer for timber to meet our
grow again. But if we act vigorously and
at once. we shall escape permanent timber
scarcity"
Kansas postmasters appointed: Helena
Schuetz at Germantown: Carl o. Hunt
at Natona: Richard H. simmons at
named office has Just been established.
FOR SUFFERING ITALY.
Salvation Army Workers Taking Pen
ny Collections at Hutchinson.
Hutchinson, Jan. 6.-The local
branch OF the Salvation Army of
Hutchinson is today distributing be-