The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-09-07
CONGRESSMAN TAWNEY
IS ROOSEVELT TARGET.
Continued from first page.)
Drainage.

drainage.
Where the states are unwilling or
unable to undertake the drainage of
swamp and overflow lands by the fed
eral government is a wise and nee
essary measure. Much of it must be
done by the nation in any case, as an
Integral part of inland waterway de-
velopment. 1t affords a most prom
Using field for cooperation between
the states and the nation.
The National Forests.
The people of the United States
believe in the complete and rounded
development of inland waterways for
all the useful purposes they can be
made to serve. They believe aY.o m
forest protection and forest extension.
The fight for our national forests in
the west has been won. After
campaign in which the women of
Minnesota did work which should Sc
cure to them the perpetual gratitude
of their state. Minnesota won her ma
tional forest, and will keep it; but the
fight to create the southern Appa-
lachian and White Mountain forests
in the east is not yet over. The bill
has passed the house and will come
before the senate for a vote next
February. The people Of the United
States, regardless Of party or section.
should stand soHdly behind it, and
see that their representatives do like
wise.
If any proof were needed that for
est protection is a national duty, the
recent destruction of forests in the
west by fire would supply It. Even
with the aid of the army added to
that Of the Forest Service the loss has
been severe. Without either it would
have been vastly greater
But the Forest Service does more
than protect the national forests
cally and increasingly useful as
well. During the last year for which
I have the figures the national for
ests were used by $4,000 cattlemen
with their herds, 5000 sheepmen with
their flocks, 5000 timbermen with
their crews, and $4,000 miners. More
than 5000 persons used them for 9TH
err special industries. Nearly $4,000
settlers had the free use of wood.
The total resident population of the
national forests is about a quarter of
million. which is larger than the
population of certain states. More
than 100000 acres of agricultural
land have been patented or listed for
patent within the forests, and the re-
ports of the forest officers show that
more than 100000 acres of agricul-
tural land have been patented or
listed for patent within the forests,
and the reports of the forest officers
show that more than 10000 people
year use the forests for recreation,
camping, hunting fishing, and similar
/ purposes. All this is done, of course,
without injury to the timber, which
has a value of at least a thousand
million dollars.
Moreover, the national forests
protect the water supply of a thou
sand cities and towns, about 500 ir-
rigation projects, and more than 800
power projects not counting the use
of water for these and other pur-
poses by individual settlers. I think
that hereafter we may safely disre-
gard any statements that the nation
al forests are withdrawn from settle
ment and use.
A Country Life Institute.
The Investigations Of the Country
Life commission have led the farm
ers of this country to realize that
they have not been getting their fair
share of progress and all that it
brings. Some of our farming COM
munities in the Mississippi valley and
in the middle west have made mar
velous progress, yet even the best Of
them, like communities of every
other kind are not beyond improve
ment, while much needs to be done
in some other sections to improve
country life. AS yet we know COM
paratively little of the basic of rural
civilization. The means for better
farming we have studied with care,
but to better living on the farm and
to better business on the farm the
farmers themselves have given scant
needs of our civilization is that the
farmers them selves should undertake
to get for themselves a better know
ledge along these lines, and then to
apply it. Sir Horace Plunkett, for
many years a Wyoming cattleman
and now devoting himself in Ireland
to the country life problem there
has suggested in his recent book on
the Country Life Problem in Am
erica" the creation of a Country Life
institute as center where the work
and knowledge of the whole world
concerning country life may be
brought together for the Use of
every nation. l am strongly in SYM
pathy with this idea, and l hope to
see it carried out with the coopera-
ton and assistance of our own people.
Last spring, while visiting the capital
of Hungary. Budapest, I was i'm
, mensely impressed by the Museum OF
, Country Life, containing an extraor-
binary series of studies in agriculture
in stock raising, in forestry, in min
ing; the exhibits were of the utmost
practical importance and were also
intensely interesting and instructive
, I greatly wish we had such a museum
in Washington: and some of your
farmer congressman ought to get :
full and detailed report of this Buda
, pest museum to be printed for dis
tribution in public document.
Human Efficiency.
e AS a people we have not yet learn
S ed to economize. One of the virtues
i we Americans most need is thrift. I
is a mere truism you say that luXur!
e and extravaganza are not good for {
+ nation. So far as they affect char
acter, the loss they cause may be be