Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-01-20
,all be made completed and unoues-

Must Maintain Forests.
The forest reserves of the United
States, some 10000, 600 acres in OK.
tent. are under the control Of the do
partment Of agriculture. with author
ity adequate to preserve them and to
extend their growth so far as that
may be practicable. The Importance
Of the maintenance Of our forests can.
not be exaggerated. The possibility Of
a scientific treatment of forests so
that they shall he made to Weld a
large return In timber without really
reducing the supply has been demon.
strated in other countries, and we
should work toward the sta ndard set
by them as far as their methods are
applicable TO Il conditions.
Upward Of o 0.OOO.OW acres of for
est land In this country are In private
ownership, but only 3 per cent Of it
is being treated scientifically and with
a view TO the maintenance OF the for
csts. The part played by the forests
in the equalization of the supply Of
water OF watersheds is n matter Of
discussion and dispute, but the general
benefit to he derived by the public
from the extension of forest lands on
watersheds and the promotion Of the
growth OF trees In places that are now
denuded and that once had great.
flourishing forests goes without 81 ying.
The control to be exercised over pri-
vate owners in their treatment Of the
forests which they own is a matter
for state II not national regulation,
because there is nothing in the con-
stitution that authorizes the federal
government to exercise any control
owe forests within n state unless the
forests are owned in II proprietary
why by the federal government
1t has been proposed, and a bill for
the purpose passed the lower house
In the last congress-. thar the national
government appropriate a certain
amoUnt each @ out Of the receipts
from the forestry business Of the gov
eminent to institute reforestation at
the sources Of certain navlgabIe
streams to be selected by the geologic
al survey. with a view to determining
the practicability of thus improving
u protecting the streams for fed
eral purposes. I think a moderate ey-
penditure for each year for this purpose
for a period Of five or ten year, would
be of the utmost benefit In the devel-
opmetit of Il forestry system.
Improving Inland Waterways.
| one now TO the Improvement of
the inland waterways. lie would be
blind. indeed. who did not realize that
the peopl" OF the entire west. and espe-
ciaily those of the Mississippi valley.
have been aroused to the need there
is fer the improvement OF our inland
waterways. The Mississippi river.
with the Missouri Oil the one hand and
the Ohio on the other. would seem TO
offer a great natural means of inter.
state transportation and traffic. How
far. if properly improved. they would
relieve the railroads or supplement
them in respect TO the bulkier and
cheaper commodities is n matter of
conjecture. No enterprise ought to be
undertaken the cost of which is not
definitely ascertained and the benefit
and advantage of which are not known
and assured by competent engineers
and other authority. Whel. however.
a project of a definite character fer
the improvement of n waterway has
been DEVELOPED Sc that plans have
been dra wn. the cost definitely esti-
mated and the traffic which will be ac-
~commodated is reasonably probable. l
think ii Is the duty of congress to I'M
dertake the project and make provision
therefor in the proper appropriation
bill.
One of the projects which answer
the description | have given is that Of
introducing dams into the Ohio river
from rittsburg to Cairo. so as to main
tain at all seasons Of the year by
slack water a depth Of nine feet. Up
ward Of seven of these dams have al
ready been constructed and six are
under construction. while the total re-
CURED Is flfty-four. The remaining
COSY is known to be S63 .OUO,ON.
Ii seems to me that in the develop
ment OF our inland Waterways II
would be wise to begin with this par
ticular project and carry it through az
rapidly as may be. I assume from re.
liable information that ii can be con-
structed economically in ten years. |
recommend. therefore. that the present
congress in the river and harbor bill
make provision for continuing con
tracts TO complete this improvement,
and | shall recommend in the future,
II 1t be necessarY. that bonds be issued
to carry 1t through.
What has been said Of the Ohio river
Is true in a less complete way Of the
Improvement of the upper Mississippi,
from st. Paul to st. Louis to a con
slant depth of six feet, and Of the Mis-
souri, from Kansas City to st. Louis to
a constant depth Of six feet. and from
st. Louis TO Cairo Of Il depth of eight
feet. These projects have been pro-
nounced practical b. competent boards
of army engineers, their cost has been
estimated, and there is business which
will follow the Improvement.
Traffic Is Increasing.
As these improvements are being
made and the traffic encouraged by
them shows itself Of sufficient iippor-
lance the Improvement OF the Missis-
sippi beyond Cairo down to the gulf,
which Is now going on with the main
tenance Of a depth Of nine feet every
whore, may be changed to another and
greater depth if the necessity for 1t
shall appear to arise out of the traffic