Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-06
The Conservation
Congress.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

When the fifth annual congress OF the
conseryationists of the United States
meets in Washington November IL the
| questions uppermost in the minds of its
delegates will be those relating to for
estry. When conservation started as
| national movement it was mainly move
ment for protecting the timber supply
and for saving the hardwoods OF the
| country from commercial extinction
| Then the idea spread. Now it had to do
with the national domain, demanding
that the United States conserve Its pub
| lie lands. Now it took up the water
power question, insisting that the water
power of the national domain and OF the
navigable streams be saved to all the
people. Then soil fertility became the up
permost subject In its mind, and TIE
Kansas City congress dealt almost wholly
with the subject of conserving the SOIL
Then came the Indianapolis congress OF
last year. with vital resources as the up
permost subject for consideration-hoW to
cut down the death rate and to increase
the allotted sran Of human life.
While the conservation movement was
thus calling attention to one subject ana
then another. the originators of tie con-
seryation movement were somewhat I'M
easy They urged that there was con-
servation to be considered on every hand
but that if the conservation congress
scattered its efforts over every possible
field of conservation 1t might not sue
coed as well as If it took up one thing
and stuck to that. AS a concession to
this contention the fifth conservation
congress will come back to its first in
terest-the conservation of the timber
and power resources Of the country. For
estry in all it's Eases will be first and
foremost in the deliberations of the con-
gress.
x K
It is said that the conservationists are
the present
Are Well Pleased administration
With Wilson Policy. estry policy,
SO far as it has been disclosed. and at
least three members of the cabinet and
probably the President himself. will use
the congress as an occasion to announce
to the country just what has been done
and just what will be done in caring for
the timber interests of the country
It is the belief Of President Pack Of the
conservation congress that while the
congress has been discussing SOIL re-
sources and national vitality during the
past two years. the enemies OF IorestIy
the conservation wheat fields. The sug-
gestion has been made in some quarters
that the dispute concerning states rights |
with regard to forests and water power
was launched by the enemies of forestry
not because they cared anything for
states rights. but solely because they
wanted an issue upon which to split the
forces of conservation. That they have
found that issue is believed in many |
quarters, but the coming congress will |
attempt to remove the danger Of the split
that threatens.
The proposal has been made in some |
quarters that the best way to promote |
the interests Of forestry Will be to ex-
empt standing timber from taxation. 1t
is believed that trees ought to be treated
as growing crops and not as part OF
the real estate. Under the exemption
plan. so long as the timber stands on the |
land the land ought to be taxed at its
value without the standing timber. This, |
1t is urged. would keep many an acre in
timber that is now being gradually de-
nuded.
It is estimated that the damage done
by forest fires in the United States an