Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-01

At OW that the campaign is
nj thing OF the past, with all its
! instrumentation, the position
which Pennsylvania has taken
and for many years held in the fore
front of conservation of natural re-
sources will he recognized throughout
the country. This commonwealth was
an early exponent of forest protection,
the Pennsylvania Forestry Association,
with one exception, being the oldest
in continual existence in the country
More than a million acres have been
reclaimed for the State forest reserves
and the administration of the Penn
sylvania forests is admitted to be in
advance of any other State in its busi-
ness and educational methods.
Governor Tener in his last message
to the Legislature recommended stlll
further appropriations for the care of
the forests. With view to the es-
tablishing of forest nurseries and the
increase of forest areas, he approved a
bill passed by the last session of the
Legislature creating an auxiliary for
est reserve which is conceded to be
decided step in advance of other Com
monwealths.
Nor has it been forgotten that nine
years ago Governor Pennypacker in
addressing the Legislature, called at
tention to the necessity of caring for
the water resources of the State,
which recommendations resulted in the
creation of the important Water Sup
1t ORC
Especially Governor John X. Tener,
the powers of this commission have
been greatly increased. In his mes
sage to the Legislature of 1918 the
present Governor discussed at some
length the necessity for conserving the
water power of the State. He es-
pecially uttered a caution against the
enactment of any law that would in
terfere with the great public health
program now being carried forward.
As a result of this recommendation
there was passed a law defining the
water resources of the Commonwealth
and providing for the taking of an in
ventory thereof. Under this act of
the Legislature the State Water Supply
consider and determine upon a public
policy with regard to the equitable
distribution of the water to be derived
from the water resources of the Com
monwealth. The results of this in
vestigation will be presented to the
next session of the Legislature.
Under the Tener administration re-
markable headway has been made in
the conservation of the water supply
and in the prevention of serious en-
croachment upon river channels.
Governor Tener's interest in the con-
servation of AL the material resources
of the Commonwealth has lso been
shown in the creation of the Public
Utilities Commission, the Industrial
Accident Commission and his interest
in the workingman's compensation
bill, the great constructive work
through the Department of Labor and
Industry, the famous Department of
Health, the widening of the State aid
in promoting scientific agriculture, his
strong accommodation for a State
fair, and his intelligent discussion of
the need of larger measure of home
rule for cities of the third class. which
includes all the cities of Pennsylvania
outside of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia
and Scranton.
These facts were not overlooked by
the voters in the recent election, and
while they were somewhat obscured
by cuttlefish methods, the people were
fair and willing to recognize the great
progress that has been made under
the Tener policies.
Governor Tener is manifestly of the
same opinion as the Governor-elect
with respect to useless laws and the
numbering of the statute books with un-
necessary legislation, for he concluded
his last message to the Legislature
with the earnest recommendation that
only such laws be enacted as would
promote the best interests of the Com
monwealth. Governor-elect Brum-
baugh has expressed himself in SINH
lar terms and Republican leaders are
also of one mind on this subject They
believe the time has come to repeal
rather than enact laws.