Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-11-17
MADISON HOLDS
JUBILEE OVER
NEW PARK GIFT
Richard Lieber Advises Hoo
siers to See Indiana and
Know Their Own State.
SAND DUNES COME NEXT
Special to The Times

assett-it is a natural resource" said
Richard Ideber, director Of conservation
IN Indiana, speaking before citizens Of
Madison and Jefferson Counties, in this
city last night.
The mass gathering was held under
the auspices of John Paul Chapter, D.
A. R. and was a celebration OF the gift
Of Clifty Falls and COO acres of land sur
rounding it, to the State by the people
OF the city of Madison and Jefferson
County, to be conserved as a State park.
With this gift Indiana now mas three
State parks. comprising Turkey Run, 2Ss
acres; McCOrmick's Greek Canyon, $50
acres, and Clifty Falls, 600 acres.
Indiana has a great future as a tour
1st State" declared Mr.. Lieber, because
1t has a greater variety OF scenery than
any other State. 1t has better roads
now and more are to be improved in
the future which will make all parts OF
the State easily accessible.
Comparing Indiana to q miniature Of
the United States, Mr.. Lieber said: You
find industry in the north, agriculture
IN the south. Coal and oil fields are
similarly situated. There are lakes N
the north, plains in the middle west
and a remnant OF forests in the south
It has a north and south population,
VIII uAfAEAUn -QOElQ ana south
speech. Our slogan should be See IN
diana first and know your own State"
Mr.. Lteber pointed out that a small
beginning was made in the centennial
year by the creation Of State parks. The
significance Of this enterprise will not
be fully understood In our time much
as the movement itself has found en-
thusiastic support from all Of the people,
he said. He predicted the time will
come, however, when the creation OF
State parks in our own time will be
considered a matter Of course and only
wonderment expressed that we did not
have the foresight to have set aside more
Of the still available scenery for such
purpose.
MORE LAND SHOULD
COME UNDER CONTROL.
THE State contains approximately
twenty-three million acres Of land and
water. AS State reservations, so far, we
have only the State forests in Clark
County Of 1900 acres; Turkey Run Park
Of 2SS acres; McCormick's Creek Canyon
Park Of $50 acres. AS leased property
we have the Game Experiment Station
near Waveland in Montgomery County Of
500 acres. That is pittance. We
should have half million acres at least
Of State forest lands for II has been
Ac4AuASAAdNEu HE. Uuu a uOUDA NAAL pr
vate ownership Of timberland is impOs-
sible on account of the long time re-
Quired for a timber crop to mature.
Besides this land, the State ought 70
have, for recreational purposes, absolute
control and preferably direct ownership
Of the Sand Dunes and Of a number Of
our beautiful lakes. Whenever these
items are mentioned, and whenever the
absolute need for at least this much has
IL II, Il 4
posed Of because It would cost millions OF
dollars. Of course it would. A program
Of this size may cost twenty or twenty
five million dollars. Some day It VIII be
carried out and most likely then, ten
times the price viii be paid.
Much has been said for the desirable
fly Of preserving the sand dunes In
some form or other. IL Is plainly the
duty Of the States 10 rescue this land Of
unsurpassed beauty and protect II for
all time TO come While teachers and
preachers. nature lovers and artists, so
cial welfare workers and others have
worked for the preservation OF the dune
land. eminently practical business men
have in the meantime been busily en-
gagged at removing whole htlsides OF
sand for the purpose Of track elevation
and for cash During this time the great
mass 81 people has indOlently looked on.
SHOULD SAVE
SAND DUNES.
There are many reasons Why the dunes
should be saved. According to scien-
lists our own Indiana sand dunes are
the finest in the world. They are the
most accessible dunes possess extremely
interesting fauna and fora; offer I'M
paralleled opportunities to observe the
action Of wind and it's influence on sand
and plant life. The Lake Michigan
beach is beautiful and offers bathing IA
cilities to multitude; recreational
uses are unlimited"
Mr.. Lieber said his department had
in mind a park Of eight miles Of shore
front by one and a half miles in depth
in the dunes. The frontage would be so
selected that industrial or municipal eX-
pansion would not be interfered with. He
commended that while industrial expan-
sion will not be interfered with in eK-
plotting the dunes as a State park, the
life Of industry, let alone expansion
thereof might suffer grievously without
the social safety value such as State
parks serve in our economic life.
Mr.. Lieber said the cost Of such 4
park enterprise should not be borne out
OF the general fund of the State. Rather
the Legislature should appropriate one
million dollars upon the contingency
like sum be raised and put at the dis
pOsal of the department OF conservation.
IF that object is accomplished the
sum total of human happiness and sat
isfaetion will have been greatly in
creased. Civilized governments are dis
tinguished by the degree Of interest they
take in problems Of this nature" he said.
STREAM POLLUTION
MENACE TO HEALTH
The speaker touched upon the sub
feet Of stream pollution as being a seri-
Gus menace to the health OF our people.
he showed that the streams OF Indiana
are rightfully the playground OF the
people Of small means Fifty years ago
he said Indiana streams abounded in
fish: today despite all efforts Of the state
TO the contrary, fish are scarce they
are prohibited from being caught for
safe. Pollution he claimed not only kills
the aquatic life, but assets the water
so as TO prevent further fish life.
1T has long since become unlawful
and unsanitary to use the public high
ways as a depository Of garbage and
filth, for 1t is unsanitary, crude and
wasteful Modern civilization does not
permit It, Yet we still continue to use
the streams and waterways as a run
OF a sewage and manufacturing ofral
to the detriment OF public health and
with q consequent loss Of much valu-
able material.
"The pollution Of streams has its
counterpart in the smoke nuisance. The
laws made against either are much of
the same kind and the enforcement is
generally directed In the helplessness of
e. T.