The Mankato free press., 1909-01-29

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terways commission. be put in effec
without delay. 1t provides for com
! prehensive system of waterway i'm
prOvement extending to all the uses o.
the waters and benefits to be derived
from their control, including naviga
ton. the development of power, the ex
ension Of irrigation, the drainage OF
swamp and overflow lands, the pre-
vention of soil wash and the purifica
tion of streams for water supply. II
proposes to carry out the work by CO.
ordinating agencies in the federal de.
! partments through the medium of an
| administrative commission or board
acting in cooperation with the states
and other organizations and individual
citizens.
The work of waterway development
, should be undertaken without delay.
Meritorious projects In known con
formity with the general outlines of
any comprehensive plan should pro-
ceed at once. The cost of the whole
work should be met by direct appro-
priation II possible, but if necessary
by the issue of bonds in small denomi-
nations.
1t is especially important that the
development of water power should be
guarded with the utmost care both bv
the national government and by the
states in order to protect the people
against the upgrowth of monopoly and
tn insure tc +t,-,>- H.,- -hsre in the
enefits which will follow the develop
ment of this great asset. which belongs
to the people and should be controlled
by them.
Forests.
l urge that provision be made for
both protection and more rapid devel-
opment of the national forests. Other
wise, either the increasing use of these
forests by the people must be checked
or their protection against fire must
be dangerously weakened. If we COM
pare the actual fire damage on similar
areas on private and national forest
lands during the past year, the govern
ment fire patrol saved commercial tim
Der worth as much as the total cost Of
caring for all national forests at the
present rate for about ten years
l especially commend to the congress
the facts presented by the commission
rs to the relation between forests and
stream flow in its bearing upon the i'm
portance Of the forest lands I'm nation
al ownership. Without an understand
ing of this intimate relation the con-
servation of both these natural re-
sources must largely fail.
The time has fully arrived for recog-
nizing in the law the responsibility to
the community, the state and the ma
ton which rests upon the private own
ers of private lands. The ownership
of forest land is a public trust. The
man who would so handle his forest
as to cause erosion and to injure
stream flow must be not only educated,
but he must be controlled.
The report Of the national conserva-
tion commission says:
Forests in private ownership cannot be !
conserved unless they are protected from
fire. We need good fire laws, well en- |
forced. Fire control is impossible with |
out an adequate force of men whose sole !
duty is fire patrol during the dangerous
season
| hold as first among the tasks be- |
fore the states and the nation in their |
respective shares in forest conserva- |
ton the organization of efficient fire !
patrols and the enactment of good fire ;
laws on the part of the states.
The report says further:
Present tax laws prevent reforestation !
of cut over land and the perpetuation of |
existing forests by use. An annual tax
upon the land itself, exclusive of the tim
Der, and a tax upon the timber when cut |
s well adapted to actual conditions of |
forest investment and is practicable and !
certain. 1t is far better that forest land /
should pay moderate tax permanently
han that 1t should pay an excessive rev.
,nue temporarily and then cease to yield
1t all.
Second only in Importance to good
ire laws we'll enforced is the enact
nent of tax laws which will permit
he perpetuation of existing forests by
lse.
Lands.
With our increasing population the
ime is not far distant when the prob,
EN- of supplying our people with food
will become pressing. The possible
editions to our arabic area are not
,reat, and it will become necessary to
'btain much larger crops from the
and, as is now done in more denseIy
ettled countries. To do this we need
'etter farm practice and better strains
4 wheat, corn and other crop plants,
With reduction in losses from soil
rosion and from insects, animals and
ther enemies of agriculture. The
United States department or agr1cui-
ure is doing excellent work in these
directions. and 1t should be literally
The remaining public lands should
)e classified and the arabic lands
disposed Of to homemakers. In their
interest the timber and stone act and
he Communication clause Of the home
tead act should be repealed, and the
esert land law should be modified In
ccordaRce with the recommendations
I the public lands commission.
The use of the public grazing lands
hould be regulated in such ways as
, improve and conserve their value.
Rights to the surface of the public
md should be separated from rights
D forests upon 1t and to minerals be- |