Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-09-06

fire would supply II. Even with the
aid Of the Army added to that of the
Forest Service the loss has been Sc
we're. Without either it would have
been vastly greater.
But the Forest Service does more
than protect the National Forests
against fire. 1t makes them practically
and increasingly useful as well. Qqr-
ing the last year for which I have the
figures the National Forests were used
by $4,000 cattlemen with their herds,
5000 sheepmen with their iocks, 5000
timbermen with their crews, and 49,
600 miners. More than 5000 persons
used them for other special industries.
Nearly $4,000 settlers had the free use
of wood. The total resident population
of the National Forests is about q
quarter of a million, which is larger
than the population of certain States.
More than zoe, 900 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 people a year use
the Forests for recreation, camping,
hunting, fishing and. similar purposes.
All this is done, of course, without in
jury to the timber, which has a value
of at least a thousand million dollars.
Moreover the National Forests protect
the water supply Of a thousand cities
and downs, about 800 irrigation pro
jects, not counting the use of water for
these and other purposes by individual
settlers. I think that hereafter W. may
safely disregard any statements that
the National Forests are withdrawn
from settlement and use.
Human Efficiency.
AS a people we have not yet learn
ed to economize. One of the virtpes
we Americans most need is thrift. 1T
is a mere truism to say that luxury and
extravaganza are not good for q Nation.
But in the material sense there is a
loss greater than is caused by both ex-
~travagance and luxury put together. ]
mean the needless, useless, and exces-
sive loss to our people from premature
death and avoidable diseases. Wholly
apart from the grief, the suffering, and
the w~retchedness. which they canse, the
material loss each year has been calcu-
lated at nearly twice what it costs to
run the Federal Government. In add
ton to the State and city health off
CSIb anu OlkdulDdIiOiipt bhC'S 40 "
gently needed a Federal Bureau of
Health, to act, so far as the National
Government properly may, TO relieve
our people from this dreadful burden.
The National Conservation Commission.
One of the most Important meetings
in our recent history was that of the
Governors In the White House in May,
1908, to consider the Conservation
question, the advice Of the Governors
at the meeting vas followed by the ap-
pointment Of a National Conservation
Commission. The meeting of the Gov
ernors directed the attention of the
country to Conservation as nothing else
could have done, while the work Of the
Commission gave, the movement def
~niteness and supplied it with a prac-
teal programme. But at the moment
when the Commission was ready to be-
gin the campaign for putting its pro-
into effect an amendment to
the Sundry Civil Service Bill was in
troduced by a Congressman from Min
nesota for the purpose of putting a
stop to the work so admirably begun.
Congress passed the amendment.
The National Conservation Commits
sion thereupon became dormant. The
suspension Of its work came at a most
unfortunate time, and there WAS serious
that the progress already made
would be lost. AT this critical moment
the National Conservation Association
was organized. It took up the work
which otherwise would not have been
done, and it exercised a most useful
influence in preventing bad legislation,
in securing the introduction of better
measures at the past SEES
sion Of Congress, and in promoting the
passage of wise laws. It deserves the
confidence and support of every citizen
Interested in the wise development and
preservation Of our natural resources,
md in preventing them from passing
INTO the hands of uncontrolled monopo-
les. 1t joins with the National Con
iervation Congress in holding this meet
ng. I am here by the joint Invitation
If both.
State and Federal Control.
One of the most important Conser-
yation questions of the moment relates
the control of water power monopoly
n the public interest,". There is, appar-
mt to the judicious observer a distinct
endency on the part Of our opponents
cloud the issue by raising the ques-
ion of State as against Federal juris-
I%ictions. The essential question is not
me of hairsplitting legal t~echnicahties.
t Is simply this: Who can best regu=
ate the special interests for the public
goods Most of the predatory. corpora
ions are interstate or have Interstate
affiliations. Therefore they are largely
Tut of reach of effective State control,
and fall of necessity within the Fed
sral jurisdiction. One of the prime OBJ
|ects of those among them that are
grasping and greedy is to avoid any
effective control either by State or Ma
ton; and they advocate at this time
State control simply because they be-
lieve it to be the least effective. In the
great fight Of the people to drive the
interests from the domination
Of our Government, the Nation is
and its jurisdiction is more eff
fective than that of any State. The
most effective weapon against these
great corporations. most of which are
financed and owned on the Atlantic
coast, will be Federal laws and the
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