The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-09-06
CONSERVATION Theme


as nm integral part OF inland water
way development. 1t affords n most
promising field for cooperation be-
tween the states and the Nation.
The National Forcsts
THE people OF the United states
believe in the complete and round.
I'd development OF inland waterways
'or all the useful purposes they eau
he made to serve. They believe also
in forest protection and forest ex-
ension
III any proof were needed that for
est protection Is a National duty. the
recent destruction of forests In the
West by fire would supply ii. Even
with the aid OF the army ad&ad 10
that of the Forest service the lrgs
has been severe without either IL
would have been vastly greater.
but the Forest service does more
than protect the National forests
against fire. II makes them practic.
ally and increasingly useful ais well.
During the last year for which | have
the figures the National forests We're
used by $4,000 cattlemen with their
herds, 5000 sheepmen with their
flocks, 5000 tmbermen withJ their
,rews, and 5000 miners. More than
1000 persons used them for other
pecial industries. Nearly $4,000 set
.lers had the free use OF wood. The
.otal resident population OF the Ma.
Aional forests Is about a quarter OF n
Million, which is larger than the pop
ilation OF certain states. More than
100000 acres OF agricultural land have
been patented or listed for patent
within the forests. and the reports OF
he forest officers snow that more
than 100000 people a year use the
'orests for recreation, camping, hunt
ing, fishing, and similar purposes.
All this Is done, of course, without
injury to the timber, which has a val
le of at least thousand million dol
ars.
Moreover, the National forests pro
ect the water supply OF thousand
tiles and towns. about 500 irrigation
Projects, and more than 800 power
projects, not counting the use OF wa
er for these and other purposes by
Individual settlers. think that here
after we may safely disregard ans
statements that the National forests
IRE Withdrawn from settlement and
lee.
a Country Life Institute
THE investigations of the Country
life commission have led the farmers
,f this country to realize that they
rave not been getting t1eir fair share
Of progress and all that ii brings
Some OF our farming communities mi
he mississippi valley and in the Mid
tle West have made marvellous pro-
gress, yet even tie best OF them, like
communities OF every other kind, are
rot beyond Improvement. while much
needs to be done in some other sec
ions to improve country life As yet
we know comparatively little of the
1asic facts OF rural civilization. TheI
means for better farming we have
studied with care, but to better liy-
'ng on The farm and to better Dusi-
1ess on the farm the farmers them
ielyes have given scant attenNon.
)ne OF the most urgent needs of our
utilization Is that the farmers them
elves should undertake to get for
themselves better knowledge along
.hese lines, and then TO apply II.
Human efficiency
'As a people We have not yet learn.
81 TO economic. One of the virtues
We Americans most need is thrift. II |
is mere truism to say that luxury
and extravaganza are not good for 4
nation. So far as they affect char
acter, the loss they cause may be be-
yOnd computation. But in the materialI
sense there is a loss greater than Is
caused by both extravaganza and lux
ury put together. ] mean the need
less, useless, and excessive loss TO
our people from premature death and
avoidable diseases. Wholly apart
from the grief. the suffering, and the
which they cause, the
loss each year has been cal
cnlated at nearly twice what it costs
TO run the Federal government In
addition to the state and city health
officers and organizations. there Is
urgently needed Federal bureau OF
health. to act, so far as the National
government properly nay, TO relieve
our people from this dreadful burden.
The National Conservation Commits,
sion
zone OF the most important meet.
Ings In our recent history was that
of the governors in the White House
IN Nav, 1908, to consider the conser-
yation question BY the advice OF thel
governors the meeting was followed
Continued on Pare 81