Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-08

coined ny the president of the United
States as an important and formal dec
iaration in favor of the public rights in
public resources which ownership does
| not ALLEVIATE. In the past two years his
tory has been making along these lines,
and the various congresses for cOnSCrVa-
tion and irrigation and the gatherings of
governors of states which have been
held in 1908, have developed public
thought along the lines of the welcome
opinion of our Maine supreme court [
am persuaded that the waste of public
equity, notably in our forests. makes it
Imperative that the present legislature,
should at least make 2 beginning in the
direction of state forest reserves ana
state water storage. From year to wear.
the nation has gone on, hit miss, our
rivcls have shrunk. and our forests have
hccn invaded that, from one end of
the country to the other. There is reason
able alarm. Exhaustion of natural re-
sources. OF water power and forests would
be Il grave disaster to corpora tons as
WI as to the people. Floods waste and
destroy in the spring, and in midsummer.
aut umn and winter We go dry. Mess
we preserve the forests on our mountain
and hilsdes the soil will be carried by
the heavy rains into the valleys and the
mountain slopes he forever dcSoata.
Thousands of acres in other countries
now desert were made such by waste
ana pillage Of Wild lands. To preserve
land cultivate the forests at our river
headwators, seems to me to be our inme-
date duty.
Accordingly / recommend that the
legislature authorize and create d state
water supply commission. to devise
plans for the development of our water
power. under ultimate state ownership
and control. so far as is practicable This
is no new matter. Since July l., 1907.
I lay on, l,n fat, Mt,
books Of Now York state operating I'M
der expert direction. The Empire State
q year ago owned 1.51S.f5o acres of pub
tic land. If which upwards of % percent
was in the A,iirondaclls. In his message
| of Jan. !. 1905. the governor of New York
recommended that the state of New York
extend it's purchases. at the same time
urging that any effort of private inter
est3 to invade the common rights .of
these lands should be defeated.
:. Must RepIant Forests.
Under state direction the time is at
, hand when we must repiant forests care
! lcssly DESTROYED. The state can produce
| pine and spruce trees for q very small
| sum per thousand. \ state water supply
commission naturally would cooperate
with the Forest and Game commission to
| establish nurseries of forest trees.
| The work which ! commend and which
|
should be giv.'n to mon who have expert
knowledge of the subject. Skilled cugi-
| n"eis, members of such state water sup
| ply commission. should supply exact in
| formation regarding water powers unde-
veopcd and should equip MS with infor-
| nation and advice promotive of public
| rights in harmony with vested rights.
| The interests of existing corporations
and the people are in harmony whom
| properly understood. l agree with the
| governor of New York that "nO grant
| should be made OF water power priv
| eges without compensation, nor without
| restriction that will properly protect the
| rights of the public from whom the prlvf-
| iegcS are derived
| 1t is noted that the science of forestry
! is now invoked in 40 percent of the for
| ests vet remaining in the hands Of the
| nation and of states, while in but enc
| percent of forests owned by corporate OnS
| forestry has been Invoked. The excellent
record of public forests distinguished
| from corporate forests is due to the fact
| that forestry in public lands has been
conducted by experts devoted to scienti-
| &c forestry. The opinion of the supreme
| court. enforcCs the rights of the people
| to regulate the cutting of logs as against
| destruction of forests and | call to your
| attention the power thus vested in You,
to be used iudiciously for the preserva-
ton of your rights and those of your pos
| terity.
| Our State institutions.
/ have visited nearly all the state inst-
buttons within the past few months. 1
find their condition to be satisfactory
md their management a general credit
| to the state and to the officials
| Under the provisions of what is known
as the state care act, which becomes OPP
eratiye in 1910 all of the insane of the
state who are now supported in large
measure by municipalities are to he sup
ported by the state. expense for the
same to be paid from tho state treasury.
About three hundred people will thus be-
| And this legislature must make provision
| for their support. To meet the require
| ments | suggest that one more wing
with a capacity to care for one hundred
and fifty patients. be ADDED to the East
ern Maine Insane hospital at Bangor
This will balance up this institution in
all its departments. and complete it in
| accordance with its original design both
as to architecture and to capacity This
| it seems to me. will meet the states re-
| uuirements for the coming two years
Any subsequent addition to the insane
hospitals In Maine should he, for the
| present, / believe, on what IS known as
| the cottage plan" Under this plan,
| buildings of less expensive material can
\ be constructed in which harmless pa
tents can be cared for in such way. as