New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-23

much he total CaTIlg
forests at the present rate for about ten years
7 especiallv commend to the Congress the 1acls
presented by the commission as 10 the FelaI i
between forests and stream now IN us peolIile
upon the Importance of the forest lands IN ma
tionaI ownership. without an UNDERSTANDING
of this intimate relation the CONSERVATION. VI
both these natural resources must largely ran.
3 The time has fully arrived for recognizing IN
the law the responsibility TO the community tne
state and the nation which rests upon the pr
vate owners of private lands Phe o"heIsi ~
of forest land is a public trust. The man who
would so handle his forest as TO cause eTosI9"
and to injure stream flow must De not only GU
TTba ranort ~ the National Conservation Com
mission says:
Forests In private ownership cannot be conserved
unless na they v are we'll enforced Sire control i'm
possible without adequate force or men We 70
sole duty is fire patrol during the dangerous sea
hold as first among the tasks before the
states and the nation in their respective shaLeS
in forest conservation the organization OF en-
cient fire patrols and the enactment oI soou
fire laws the part Of The states
The report says further
Present tax laws prevent reforestati9n o. cut
over lsnd and the IerpetuatOn of existing Ioresls
by use. An annual tax upon the land itseiL, ex-
elusive Of the timber and tax upon Ide f
forest Investment and is practicable and certain
ea tar tax han that It Should pay
excessive revenue temporarily ana then cease ~
yield a. all
q Second only In importance 10 BQou HIc 10"
wen enforced is the enactment of tax laws which
will permit the perpetuaton of existing forests
by use.
With our increasing population the time Is not
far distant when the problem OF supplying our
people with food will become pressing. Inc pos
sible additions TO our arabic area are not great
and it win become necessary TO OBTAIN LIIG IL l.
larger crops from the land, as Is now done IN
more densely settled countries 10 90 TINS we
need better farm practice and better strains Oh
wheat, corn and other crop plants, WIN d reuuc-
ton In losses from soil erosion and from lhseCts
animals and other enemies of agriculture. Inc
T-iited states Department of Agriculture is
doing excellent work in these directions, and It
should be literally supported
The remaining public lands should be classihed
and the arabic lands disposed Of TO home
makers In their interest 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 Commis-
sion.
The use of the public grazing lands should bo
regulated in such ways as to improve and COD
serve their value.
should be separated from rights TO forests upon
it and TO minerals beneath 1t. and these should
be subject to separate disposal.
The coal, oil, gas ard phosphate rights still re-
manning with the government should be with
drawn from entry and leased under conditions
favora BILE for economic development.
MINERALS
The accompanying reports show that the con
sumption of nearly all of our mineral products
is increasing more rapidly than our population.
our mineral waste Is about One-siXth or our
product. or nearly SlOOO0OU for each working
day 81 the year The loss OF structural ma
teriais through fire is about another million n
day The loss Of life IN the mines is appalling.
The larger part Of these losses OF life and prop
erty can be avoided.
and cannot he increased reproduced. With
the rapidly increasing rate of consumption the
supply viii he exhausted Whhe yet the hatloh i Is
In it's infancy, unless better methods are devised
or substitutes are found. Further investigation
Is urgently needed in order 10 improve methods
and to develop and apply substitutes.
1t IS Of the utmost Importance that bureau
Of mines be established IN accordance with the
rendinr hill to reduce the loss Of life in mines
and the waste Of mineral resources, and to In
vestIcate the methods and substitutes for pro-
longing the duration Of our mineral supplies
Both the need and the public demand for such
bureau rapidly becoming more urgent 1t
should cooperate with the states IN supplying
data to serve as a basis for state mine regula-
lions The establishment OF this bureau VIII
mean merely the transfer from other bureaus OF
work which II Is agreed should he transferred
and slightly enlarged and reorganized for these
CONCLUSIONS.
The Joint conference already mentioned
adopted two resolutions to which call your spe-
ciai attention. The first was intended to pro
mote cooperation between the states and the
nation upon all OF the great questions here DIS
cusscd. II is as follows:
Resolved That Joint committee be appointed
by the chairman. to consist II six members Of
Ss .- fbe National Conservation Commission
whose duty II shall he 10 prepare and present 70
10 s-ata and national commissions and through
them 70 the Governors and the President. a plan
for united action by all organizations concerned
with the conservation OF natural resources. con
motion Of Governor Noel OF Mississippi the chair
man and secretary OF the conference were added
10 and constituted q part OF this committee1
The second resolution Of the Joint conference
10 which refer calls upon the Congress TO pro-
vide the means for such cooperation The
principle of the community OF interest among
all our people in the great natural resources
runs through the report OF the National Con-
servation Commission and the proceedings Of
the Joint conference These resources. which
wisely developed, rightly used, and prudenty
conserved only by the common action of all the
poople acting through their representatives, in
state and nation Hence the fundamental ne
oessity for cooperation. Without II we shall
accomplish but little. and that little badly. The
resolution follows:
We also especially urge the Congress OF the
United states the high desrablity of maintaining
q national commission on tie conservation Of the
resources of the country. empowered to cooperate
with state commissions to the end that every SOW
ere commonwealth and every section of The
country may attain the high degree of prosperity
and the sureness of perpetuity naturally arising
in the abundant resources and the VigOr. inten-
gence and patriotism of ou~ people.
In this recommendation I most heartily con-
cur and I urge that appropriation of at least
$4,000 be made to cover the expenses of the
National Conservation Commission for neces-
sary rent assistance and travelling expenses.
This is a very small sum. ] know OF no other
way in which the appropriation of so small
sum would result in so large a benefit to the
whole nation THEODORE ROOSEVELT
The White House Jan. %. 1909.
TO1TITTCCTON'C REPORT