The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-18
THE CONSERVATION MOVEMENT.
W ritten by President John M. Thomas,
Middlebury College.

relating to the general SUBJECT OF the
conservation of natural resources These
articles are being prepared by different
citizens at the request Of the commits
sion on conservation appointed by Gov
| ernor Mead by direction of the legisla
! ture 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 nat
ural resources of the United States. The
/ forests seemed inexhaustihle, The pho.
neer had burned up vast tracks to sub
due the fields for cultivation, and peo-
pie did not realize that there was any
| different duty. Uncle Sam was sup
| posed to have farm for everybody.
Most of us can remember hearing in
our childhood that the rich soil OF the
prairies was of inexhaustible fertility.
Forty years ago any one who suggest
ed 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 virgin continent. and did not CON
slider that the spoliation could not al
ways continue.
But few years ago practical. seien-
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 replen-
ished. The examples of China, Spain.
and France were cited, as nations which
,fo U,I1 al &c
building material through the destruc-
ton of their forests 1t was shown that
half the population of the world has less
than enough to eat, because of wasteful
and unscientific treatment of the soil
and that America is rapidly tending to
the same condition from the same cause.
The awakening Of the people to the
need of conservation came about prin-
eipally through the rapid decrease OF our
forests. There is something about
denuded 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 Amer
lean people to the danger of the ex-
haustion of the forests. He secured the
effective cooperation of Theodore Roose-
welt, then president and the conference
of governors and the later national con-
ference on conservation of national re-
sources 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
century and a quarter, a very short time
in the life of a nation. Much of this |
forest area has been numbered in such |
a manner that valuable timber will not |
The annual loss by fire is /
enormous. Germany is planting tree /
for every one that is cut, but we are /
wasting our forests in prodigate man
ner.
These facts startled the entire coun- /
try. Sentiment sustained President |
Roosevelt in setting apart nearly 1907 /
100000 acres of national domain as a /
ntional forest, to be protected and adj /
for the public good. Conser- /
walton commissions We're appointed in
nearly every state. Public forests have
been secured, by purchase and gift, in
many states. A bill for an Appalachian
forest reserve, after some opposition
and delay, has at length become law
1t has been seen also that the prin-
ciple 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 a
matter of public rather than individual
More important even than
the protection of the forests is the con-
servation of the fertility of the soil.
Dur 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.
nor securing the rights of the public in
5hem Wasteful methods still prevail
N mining coal and iron.
Thus the conservation movement has
1roadened from an agitation over waste
iul tree cutting to a realization of the
luty, in every industry using natural
products, 70 safeguard the interests of
he future as well as to provide for
he needs of the present. II is teach
ne a new and higher patriotism, call /,
ng men not only to fight "for the green ,
graves of their sires," but for the well
are and happiness of unnumbered gem
.rations to come. PROFESSIONALLY it
: necessary and important movement
or the present generation of American
itizens. The state which neglects TO
conserve its resources in forest and {
tream. farm and mine, is providing
or certain bankruptcy. Vermont should !
axe pains to apply conservation prin-
iples to her fields and forests, that her ]
uture NAV be not less prosperous than {
er past. Il is hoped that the articles
f this series sent out by the Vermont 5
commission on conservation may sug- i
est some methods by which this may