Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-23

Of forest investment and is prac.
ticable and certain. 1t is far bet
ter that forest land should pay
moderate tax permanently than
that 1t should pay an excessive
revenue temporarily and then
cease to yield at all
Second only to good. fire laws we'll
enforced Is the enactment of tax
laws which will permit the perpetual
ton of existing forests by use.
Lands.
With our increasing population the
time is not far distant when the prob
lem of supplying our people with food
will become pressing. The possible adj
ditions 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 densely
settled countries. To do this, we need
better farm practice and better strains
OF 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 1t should be literally
supported.
The remaining public lands should
be 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stead act should be repealed, and the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 recommendations
OF the Public Lands Commission.
The use Of the public grazing lands
should be regulated in such ways as
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 be-
meath it, and these should be subject
to separate disposal.
The coal, OIL gas, and phosphate
rights still remaining with the govern
ment should be withdrawn from entry
and leased under conditions favorable
for economic development.
Minerals.
The accompanying reports show
that the consumption of nearly all Of
our mineral products is increasing
more rapidly than our population. Our
mineral waste Is about one-sixth of
our product, or nearly $1,00O,000 for
each working day in the year. The
loss Of structural materials through
fire is about another million day
The loss of life In the mines is appal-
ling. The larger part Of these losses
of life and property can be avoided
Our mineral resources are limited
in quantity and can not be increased
or reproduced. With the rapidly in
creasing rate of consumption the sup
ply will be exhausted while yet the ma
ton Is in its infancy, unless better
methods are devised or substitutes are
found. Further investigation is ur-
gently needed in order to improve
methods and to develop and apply sub
stitutes.
1t Is of the utmost Importance that
a bureau of mines be established in ac-
cordance with the pending bill to re-
duce the loss Of life in mines and tho
waste of mineral resources and to in
vestigate the methods and substitutes
for prolonging the duration of our
mineral supplies Both the need and
the public demand for such 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 establish
ment of this bureau. will mean merely
the transfer from other bureaus of
work which it is agreed should be
transferred and slightly enlarged and
recognized For these purposes.
Conclusions.
The Joint conference already men
toned adopted two resolutions to
which 1 call your special attention.
The first was intended to promote CO.
operation between the states and the
nation upon all of the great questions
here discussed 1t is as follows:
Resolved, That a joint commit
tee be appointed by the chairman,
to consist of six members of state
conservation commissions and
three members of the national
conservation commission, whose
duty it shall be to prepare and
present to the state and national
commissions, and through them to
the governors and the president,
PioLi w uliitSu oSlloh oil
CARNATIONS concerned with the
conservation of natural resources.
Con motion of Governor Noel of
Mississippi, the chairman and sec
rotary Of the conference were
added to and constituted a part
of this committee).
The second resolution of the Joint
conference to which l refer calls upon
the congress to provide the means for
such cooperation. The principle of
the community of interest among all
our people in the great national re-
sources runs through the report Of the
National Conservation commission
and the proceedings of the joint con-
ference. These resources, which
form the common basis of our welfare.
can be wisely developed, rightly used,
and prudently conserved only by the
common action of all the people.
acting through their representatives
in state and nation. Hence the fun
damental necessity for cooperation.
Without it we shall accomplish but
little. and that little badly The reso-
luton follows:
We also especially urge on the