The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1915-03-19
Conservation Of Our Resources.
BY CORA BENEDICT.

BY CORA BENEDICT.
J In its most comprehensive sense, con.
servation begins with the safety OF life
and of health. 1t demands the Federal
Government, the States and municipal
tiles, SHOULD ALL combine to stay the
ravages OF disease and prevent the spread
OF contagious maladies. 1t takes in &C
count all measures to preserve and pro-
long human life. 1t has regard for the
child at school, the waif in the thickly-
settled slums Of the city, the workman
in the factory or in the mine or in the
lumber camp. 1t requires the adoption
of such policies that the resources Of
this country shall not be wasted or per-
mitted to fall under monopolistic control.
Conservation not only recognizes that
the supply OF useful commodities, such
as timber and coal, have been wasteiully
depleted-which is especially true OF the
former In Kentucky-but that later and
greater utilities can be developed from
agencies which for long time have
been in use on limited scale but which
are NOW capable OF an immense increase
in creative power = especially water,
since it is the only great national asset
which is not wasted or dimished by use,
and because it is bound to assume almost
universal importance in our national life.
A wonderful instance OF this is marked
by the bridling, rs it we're, of the mighty
waters OF the Mississippi at Keokuk,
Iowa, the creative power of this great
dam being sufficient to electrify the
towns and cities within radius of one
hundred miles. Us not man smart
/ fellow?)
We know that forests aid in condens-
ing the vapors Of the sky and the clouds
into rainfall. They also aid in regulat-
ing the flow OF the water in our streams
and rivera, and in lessening the volume
and frequency OF floods which carry off
the soil, thereby diminishing the fer
tility OF the land; therefore conserva-
ton OF water, conservation of forests
conservation OF soil are jointly and far
reaching in importance, ALL depending
largely upon tree planting everywhere,
but more particularly in Kentucky,
since from the time the State was
marked out OF wilderness there has
been a reckless disregard of the timber.
In the last twenty years our forests
have so dimished that the supreme OBJ
iect OF conservation in Kentucky is to
reforest vacant places, burnt out dis
tricts and non forested districts. To Sc
cure sympathetic procedure the Gov
ernor OF the State prepared and pre-
sented bill asking for the creation OF
the Office Of State Forester, which was
passed by the General Assembly OF the
Commonwealth OF Kentucky in March,
1912.
This act crystallized into law strong
and growing sentiment in the Common
wealth, that the time was ripe for a
definite forest policy, in line with the
same character of policies in other
States, and the Federal Government,
and a State Board of Forestry was APP
proved with prescribed duties for con-
serving the forests and waters OF the
State and appropriated money therefor.
Upon the passage OF this act the real
work in forestry in Kentucky was ready
to begin, and on September / Mr.. J. E.
Barton, q graduated forester, was APP
pointed State Forester and assumed the
duties OF the Office,
Quoting from a communication from
Mr.. Barton with reference to the mat
ter, he says: I'm view Of the fact that
the last seven years had been spent IN
the Federal forest service in the north
west, found it hard at first to realize
the changes that had taken place even
in so short period in the hardwood
producing region, of which Kentucky
is the center, since within that brief
span Of years the production Of hard
wood by Kentucky had climbed to its
zenith and was passing to its decline"
The condition then is truly alarming,
since it means not only the depletion
and destruction of the States forests