El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-07
carried upon a large enough scale tc
Ia comm r-l1i liv rnnSSihla

carried upon 4 large enough scale to
be commercially possible.
The iron deposits of Minnesota, the
most wonderful in the world, are today
not only furnishing industry in the Da-
ton with its raw material but are pill
ing up a school fund at home that is
the envy of other states and adding
more and more every year to the con-
tents of the states treasury. Minnesota
is considering the reduction of her gen
eral tax levy by one-half Would it be
better if these lands were today held
idle and unproductive by the federal
government, or worked only on leases
whose proceeds went into the federal
treasury and enabled congress TO
squander few more millions in annual
appropriations?
Raps Pinchot Policies
Against some forestry theories the
west enters an even stronger plea
What the United States needs is Meth
er reckless destruction nor an embargo
upon our splendid western common
wealths by locking up a considera bic
portion of their available area In Or
egon, more than half the area of this
great state has been withdrawn by &C
ton of the government in one way or
another from cultivation and the enjoy
ment and profit of the people Of tbs
state. Over one-third Of Idaho and %
percent of Washington are forest re-
serves. Colorado is almost as badly
off; and not more than 80 percent of its
forest reserves is covered with ner-
charitable timberLwhile about 40 per-
cent has no timber at all.
Water Power.
The attempted federal control of wa
ter powers is illegal, because the use
OF the waters within a state is the
property Of the state and cannot be
taken from II, and that the state may
and actually does, in the case OF Idaho.
for example, perfectly safeguard its wa
ter powers from monopoly and make
them useful without extortion. has Deen
shown conclusively.
There remains an opportunity and a
need Of conservation transcending in
value all others combined. The soil is
the ultimate employer of all industry
and the greatest source of all wealth
1t is the universal banker. Upon the
maintenance unimpaired in quantity
and quality of the tilIabIe area of the
country It's whole future is conditioned.
Capital and Credit
Any survey of practical conservation
would be imperfect if it omitted the al
most desperate necessity at this time
of conserving capital and credit. Con-
servation of cash and credit is impor-
tant to the farmer as it saves or wastes
results of his work and his work fur
nlsnes the greater part of the nations
wealth Our states, including cities and
minor civil subdivisions, have run in
oeot about three quarters of a billion
dollars in the last twelve years. Public
is increasing everywhere.
PUBLIC economy is a virtue either lost
or despised. Any conservation move
ment worthy of the name must place
high upon its program the saving of
capital and credit from the raDacjous
hands OF socialist as well as monono-
list
Tariff As An Enemy
The tariff in some respects is y
great enemy of conservation. Whatever
we may think Of it as a general indus
trial policy, every one can see that bv
excluding the raw products of other
Soutnries, 1t throws the entire burden
OI thelr consumption upon our own re-
and thus exhaUsts them un
necessarily. The tariff on forest pro
auctS cuts down our own forests. a tar
- on coal oepIetes our Mines a tariff |
On any raw material forbids the CON
serFatfon Of similar natural rasouroas |
here. ces /
Not Political Matter.
Conservation is wholly an aoo,,o,,:,
not IN any sense a political princin1a |
me nation has suffered and stilI snF-
Lers SO much from Transferring otbo- |
economic questions to politics that tho |
MISTAKE should not be repeated VIZ |
ever attempts to make CONSERVATION, A.
zone or personal controversy or A. |
oeaSt Of burden to carry any fac+ioo /
INTO power or popularity is IFS 1Forc, /