Clearwater Republican., 1922-04-21

put stump land of white pine tim
ber into cultivation. Whether a
man does his own labor or hires,
it makes no difference in the actual /
cost, and the average people who
settle on stump land will not be
financially able to clear land very /
fast. At present the timber land is
assessed at an average of $500 |
per acre. The average of farm and !
grazing land in this county is as
sessed at $500 per acre. This
means that the assessed valuation
will be one-half and therefore the
taxes one-half of the present re-
turn from timber lands.
Following this thought one step
| farther. If a fire is Intentionally
set to burn timber land to get
grazing land, the assessed valuation
of that area is cut in two and the
| taxes are only onehalf as much as
before. One-half of the value has
been wasted
/ think | have said enough to
show you where most of our public
money comes from and to show you
that timber will always be one of
Clearwater Countys chief assets ii
not its greatest asset, both for prof
it and pleasure. Now what do you
want to do with it?
l have book in my library that
says: Benjamin Franklin is noted
before all other great men of his
tory, for his practical, hard-headed
common sense" and in his fifth
rule of conduct Franklin says;
WASTE NOTHING"
If you do not care whether child
rem get the education they need:
If you do not care to travel on good
roads, then the next time you go
out on picnic or fishing, be care
less and burn the goose that lays
the golden eggs, but if you do like
good schools and good roads with
out paying any more for them than
you do now, observe the six rules
that have been read:
l. MATCHES. l will be sure my
match is out. 1 will pinch it be-
fore throwing it away.
2. Tobacco. I will warn smok-
ers to throw their pipe ashes and
cigar or cigarette stumps in the
dust of the road and stamp or
pinch out the fire before leaving
them. l will warn them not to
throw them into the brush, leaves
or needles.
3. MAKING CAMP I will build
only small campfire. I will build
1t in the open, not against tree
or log or near brush. l will scrape
away the trash from all around it.
4. LEAVING CAMP. I will nev-
er leave a campfire. even for a
sort time, without quenching 1t
: with water and then covering 1t
with earth.
S. BONFIRES. I will never
build bonfires in windy weather or
where there is the slightest danger
S of their escaping from control. I
l will not make them larger than
, necessary.
} 6. FIGHTING FIRES. If T find
r a fire, I will try and put it out.
If can't, 1 will get word of it to
t the nearest United States forest
, ranger or state fire warden at once
: And there is one more thing you
r can do. Be a booster for Forest
r protection. Do your share. 1t makes
no difference whose land it is on.
t There are public values at stake.
! l have little criticism to make OF
you people who travel the timbered
parts of this country. and think
r you are going to continue to do
, your part. But there are people
I who come here from the outside and
you should take the responsibility
) of helping to insure that they are
: careful with your resources by in
structing them in how to be care
) ful and reporting wilful careless
ness to the Forest Service or State
t Warden men so that legal action
may result
/ To show you that people are
4 careless l want to tell you that dur
, ing the past five years so per cent
T Of the 10000 fires in the United
I States were caused by human ageu-
cies and could have been prevented
by care. A large part of our forest
fires here are caused by lightning
/, We can not prevent them and we
are doing our best to put them out
$ as soon as they start. There is nc
' reason why we should have any
fires caused by carelessness. We
r ought to WASTE NOTHING" We
have as good a man as Benjamin
Z Franklin on our side and who car
r show better authority that dis
| agrees?