Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1912-01-19
THE CONSERVATION MOVE.
MENT.
BY President John M. Thomas
Middiebury College.

BY President John M. Thomas,
Middiebury College.
This is the first Of series of articles
relating to the general subject of the
Conservation Of Natural Resources.
These articles are being prepared by diff
ferent citizens at the request of the Com
mission on Conservation appointed by
Governor Mead by direction of the Leg
islature of 1910. 1t is hoped that they will
prove educational, and helpful to the
industrial life of the State. For the
opinions expressed in the articles the
several authors are alone responsibility
Until about 25 years ago no one sup
posed that there was any particular need
of caution as to using up the natural
resources of the United States. The
forests seemed inexhaustible. The
pioneer had burned up vast tracts to
subdue the fields for cultivation, and peo-
pie did not realize that there was any
different duty. Uncle Sam was sup
posed to have a farm for everybody.
Most of us can remember hearing in our
childhood that the rich soil of the prairie s
was of inexhaustible fertility. Forty
years ago any one who suggested that
Americas mines of iron and coal might
some day be used up was laughed at.
The nation was engaged in coming
money from the natural wealth of a
virgin continent, and did not consider
that the spoliation could not always con-
tinue.
But few years ago practical, scien-
tific men began to suggest that we should
take stock of our resources, to see
whether they were not being used up
faster than they were being replenished.
The. examples OF China, Spain, and France
were cited, as nations which suffer from
cold and excessive prices of building
material through the destruction of their
forests. 1t was shown that half the pop
uation of the world has less than enough
to eat, because of wasteful and unscien-
tific treatment of the soil, and that Amer
ton from the same cause.
The awakening Of the people to the
need Of conservation came about princi-
pally through the rapid decrease Of our
forests. There is something about de-
nuded hillside which stirs resentment in
almost every one, and those who are
dead to sentiment respond to the stern
fact Of the rapid increase in the price of
lumber. To Clifford Pinchot most of the
credit is due for rousing the American
people to the danger of the exhaustion of
the forests. He secured the effective
cooperation of Theodore Roosevelt, then
president, and the conference of Cover
nors and the later National Conference
on Conservation of National Resources
are well known to all.
Through this conference it was adver-
tised to the nation that one-half of our
original forests of three million square
miles, the most valuable and extensive in
the world, had been destroyed in a cen
fury and quarter, a very short time in
the life of nation. Much of this forest
area has been numbered in such manner
that valuable timber will not grow upon
it again without expensive reforestation.
The annual loss by fire is enormous.
Germany is planting a tree for every
one that is cut, but we are wasting our
forests in profigate manner.
I,1 . h.
Sentiment sustained President Roosevelt
in setting apart nearly 100000 900 acres
of national domain as a national forest,
to be protected and administered for the
public good Conservation Commissions
were appointed in nearly every State.
Public forests have been secured, by
purchase and gift, in many States. A
bill for an Appalachian Forest Preserve,
after some opposition and delay, has at
length become law.
1t has been seen also that the principle
of conservation must be applied to other
natural sources of wealth than the
forests The protection of streams and
sources of public water supply is very
important, and is of necessity matter
of public rather than individual enter
prise. More important even than the
protection of the forests in the conserva-
ton of the fertility of the soil. Our
country is suffering enormous waste
every year through the carrying away of
good soil in floods and freshets, and
probably still more through wasteful
methods of tilling the soil. We are not
using our water powers as we might,