East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-09-08

Gs
"The protection of forests against
fires is the first duty OF forestry of
states and nation alike. The way to
stop fires is to get men to them as
soon as they begin. The maintenance
and extension OF forest fire control
by the nation, the states and their
subdivisions, and by associations of
private citizens who own timberland
Is absolutely necessary.
The protection Of existing forests
by wise use is the first step in forest
~. Reforestation is the second.
Land bearing forests should be
taxed annually on the land value alone
and the timber crop should be taxed
when 1t Is cut, so private forestry may
be encouraged.
Private Ownership Is Public Trust.
! THE private ownership of forest
land Is public trust. and the people
have both the right and the duty to
regulate the use Of such lands in the
general interest.
'As to lands, every acre of land
should be put to whatever use would
make it most useful to all the peo-
pie.
"The fundamental object OF our
land policy should be the making and
maintenance OF permanent prosper
Gus homes. Land monopoly and ex-
cessive holdings must not be tolerat-
ed.
Settlement must be encouraged
by every legitimate means on all the
land that will support homes. Thus
the tillable land in public ownership
within and without the national for
ests should be disposed of in fee sim
pie to actual homemakers but not to
spectators.
THE first and most needed thing
to do for our cultivated lands is to
preserve their fertility by preventing
erosion,
"The non-irrigable. arid public
grazing lands should be administered
by the government in the interest of
the small stockman and the home-
maker until they can pass directly
into the hands of actual settlers.
Would Repeal Timber and Stone Act.
Rights to the surface of the pub
lie land should be separated from
rights to the forests upon it and the
minerals beneath it and each should
be held subject to separate disposal.
The timber and stone act should be
repealed
"As to our minerals, those still re-
naming in government ownership
should not be sold but should be
, leased upon terms favorable to their
development up to the full require
ments of our people. Until legisla-
1T Aff A
temporary Withdrawals of land con.
tanning coal. oil. gas and phosphate
rock are required in order to proven,
speculation and monopoly.
t 1T is the clear duty OF the fedora
government as we'll as that Of the
S states to provide through investiga
r ton, legislation and regulation agains
e loss of life and waste of mineral re
t sources in mining. The recent ere
alton of a national bureau of mines
makes a real advance in the right di
rection.
70 with regard to national efficienc!
l. the maintenance of national and stat
Il conservation commissions l neces
s sary to ascertain and make public tn
J. facts as to our natural resources
ID Such commissions supply the funda
E, mental basis for cooperation between
a the nation and the states for tn
d development and protection of tn
foundation of our prosperity.
National Health Service.
"a national health service is need
Il ed to act in cooperation with simila
k agencies within the states for tn
t. purpose of lengthening life, decreas
at tha or
II and efficiency of our people.
d "In the effort to conserve our nat
,r ural resources, We must recogniz
a that combinations against the pub
r lie welfare which extend beyond tn
,e state lines can be met effectively onl
by agencies equally capable Of opera'
ing across such boundaries. 1t
clear that the control Of interstat
,r commercial power is possible only b
n the use Of interstate federal powe
A We are opposed to the extension
st state jurisdiction at the expense
40 real control by the people over me
as nopoly, as in the case OF waterpowe
ID while I do not believe that tn
% state alone can carry out the conse'
aa walton program in face Of intersta'
attacks upon It, I do not fail to re-
IN ognize the great and useful pa
-, which the states must play In tn
great movement for the public we
fare Of all our people. Also, I appr'
c,ate now as have always done th
il. much Of the work ahead co-oper'
,e tion between the states and the nj
u ton is an essential condition OF su
cess. But when I see the special II
az terests attempting to take refuge D
o. hind the doctrine Of state rights,
~ propose to speak out and say so.
ne "The principles enunciated In IN
Use short statement have all been repea
=" edlv presented to congress In the FOR
"" of concrete bills or embodied In a
VI ton taken by the executive for u
us public welfare. Some of them ma
ci- been enacted into law. Others r
ob main to be embodied In legislatio
ne both state and national. There
u much hard fighting ahead, but e
nus progress already made is encoura
'''' ing.
"Conec ~v1tion more and more ge
orally VS. out not only the bell
which ii has already, but the dete
,ss mined fighting support Of our pc
pie"