The Washington herald., 1914-01-25
ROOSEVELT WRITES OF CONSERVATION WORK
Colonel AIRS Details Of Censsvatisn Work, Investigation Of
Timber Lands BY Bureau Of Corporations and Herbert
Knox Smiths Views on Water Powa-The
Fine Arts and the Pork Barrel Reveals
Some Interesting SideEghts

The controlling value Of terminals and
the fact that out Of fifty of our leading
ports, over half the active water 'front.'
age In twenty-one ports was controlled
by the railroads, was also brought to the
Commissions attention. and reports of
great value were prepared both for the
Inland Waterways Commission and for
the National Conservation Commission.
In addition to developing the basic facts
about the available timber supply. about
waterways. water power. and iron ore.
Mr.. Smith helped to develop and drive
into the public conscience the idea that
the people ought to retain title to our
natural resources and handle them by
the leasing system.
Fine Arts and the Pork Barrel.
The things accomplished that have
been enumerated above were Of i'm
mediate consequence to the economic
well-being of our people. In addition
certain things were done Of which the
economic bearing was more remote. but
which bore directly upon our welfare.
because they add to the beauty Of living
and therefore to the Joy of life.
Securing a great artist, Saint-Gaudens,
to give US the most beautiful coinage
since the decay of Hellenistic Greece
was one such act In this case 1 had
power myself 10 QlItCt tne MIMI 70 CHI
ploy Saint-Gaudens. The first. and most
beautiful. Of his coins were issued in
thousands before Congress assembled or
could intervene: and a great and perman-
ent improvement was made in the beauty
Of the coinage.
In the same way, on the advice and
suggestion of Frank Millet. We got some
really capital medals by sculptors OF the
first rank Similarly, the new buildings
in Washington were erected and placed
in proper relation to one another. on
plans provided by the best architects and
landscape architects.
also appointed a fine arts council. an
unpaid body Of the best architects, paint
ers, and sculptors in the country, to ad-
wise the government as to the erection
and decoration of all new buildings. The
pork barrel Senators and Congressman
felt for this body an instructive, and per-
haps from their standpoint a natural.
hostility; and my successor a couple Of
months after taking ONCE revoked the
appointment and disbanded the council.
Protection OF Wild Life.
Even more important was the taking of
steps to preserve from destruction beau
tiful and wonderful wild creatures
whose existence was threatened by greed
8ilo DufluB INC scNcu anu
. half years closing on March 4, 1909.
more was accomplished for the protee-
ton OF wild life In the United States than
dcring all the previous years, except
Ing only the creation OF the Yellow
stone National Park. The record in
cludes the creation Of five national parks
Crater Lake, Oregon: Wind Cave,
South Dakota: Platt, Oklahoma; Sully
Hill, North Dakota, and Mesa Verde,
Colorado: four big game refugees in Okla
homa, Arizona. Montana and Washing
enactment Of laws for the protection Of
wild life in Alaska, the District OF CO.
lumbia, and on national bird reserves
These measures may be briefly enumer-
ated as follows:
The enactment OF the first game laws
for the Territory OF Alaska in 1902 and
1905 resulting in the regulation of the
export of heads and trophies OF big game
and putting an end TO the slaughter OF
deer for hides along the southern coast
OF the Territory.
The securing in 1902 of the first appro-
priation for the preservation of buffalo
and the establishment in the Yellowstone
National Park Of the first and now the
largest herd of buffalo belonging to the
government.
The passage of the act Of January -
1906, creating the Wichita game preserve,
the first of the national game preserves.
In 1907, 1900 acres OF this preserve were
inclosed with a woven wire fence for the