Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-09

cheney that was the key to the indie
OF ss oar h aady rHsts
the key to foreign trade.
Forestry
Forestry has been and will con-
tinue to be one Of the great sources
servation must be a matter OF our
very intimate concern. Fifteen mil
lion acres Of our State. or nearly
three-fourths Of its area. is forest
land. These forests not only furnish
an ENORMOUS supply of forest prod
but what Is almost equally important
they protect our water power and add
greatly to the attractiveness OF our
State as a place in which to live.
Maine leads all the states of the
country in the production Of wood
The pulpwood cut Is two and half
times that OF the State Of New York
and the area OF spruce-fir forests in
the wild lands of the State is more
than four times that OF New York.
This means that Maine has been and
sition to support its present industry
Tor a long time to come. The total
stand Of spruce and FIR in Maine ap-
proximates 50,000,000 cords and this is
a little in excess OF 100000
cords a year for the mills of Maine.
bountiful supply of this valuable tim
Der land in the development Of indus
tries which are calculated greatly to
increase our wealth. Their prospect
ty means much to our State.
The most interesting and most i'm
future is likely to be in connection
with our hard woods. No reliable es-
innate is available as to their extent.
but we do know that upon large part
of our 15.000,O00 acres Of forest lands
hard wood is to be found. We also
the region of the Great Lakes and in
the Appalachian region is rapidly ap-
exhaustion, and that the
great hard wood industries must short
ly turn to Maine for some portion Of
their needs. With proper information
vantages 1t seems reasonable to sup
pose that some of these Industries may
be brought to our State. To this pos
sibility We may well direct our atten-
ton in the years that are just ahead.
Meanwhile Maine has done a great
Of our forests by the system in has
inaugurated to minimize the fire haz-
ard in our State. Its protective sys-
tenn is probably as fine as that Of any
state in the country land it Is being
improved with the aid of
the State tax assessed exclusively up
on these lands for their protection and
The insect pests Of re-
cent years are a grave cause of con-
Germ, and must receive the serious at
tention Of both our State and Federal
governments to make sure that their
danger Is met.
1t has been popular assumption
for generations that the wild lands
were open to the citizens of our State.
Recent developments have created
some question on this score. Reason
able restrictions upon the exercise of
to time by the State authorities in the
interests Of the conservation Of. our
forests and our game. 1t seems inn
perative that it be determined with
out further delay as to whether our
citizens generally have n right to so
tect only to such regulations as may
be made by the legislature in the eX-
ercise Of the police power or whether
the owners of the wild lands have alb
solute control.
If permit to use these lands must
be secured from the owners we have
practically created In this State a
great game preserve of far more vast
extent than ever existed in the coun-
tries of the Old World. Such a de-
cision would revolutionize the habits
and the thought Of Americans In this
regard. 1t has long since been estab-
lished that the game Is the property
of the State but such title is of little
value II the right to capture may be
denied.
This is a question of legal rights
and Of proper legislation and is not a
good cause will be served by condemn
ing any of the citizens OF our State for
holding opinions contrary to our own.
1t rather behooveS US to use every
power within our control to protect
our wild lands from any abuse by
suit of game or recreation in order
that we may show that We recognize
the very vital concern of the State in
our wild lands and in the welfare of
our citizens dependent upon them for a
livelihood.
Meanwhile it is of extreme impor-
lance that there be an early and ami
cable determination by competent
tribunal as to the rights of the State
and its citizens in visiting the wild
lands OF Maine.
Development Of Maine
Every citizen of our State is con-
cerned with our growth and prosperity.
In only two ways can our tax burden
be lightened. One is by a severe re-
trenchment Of our public expenditure
which might be we'll calculated to
cripple seemingly essential activities
of the State. The other way is by
bringing more persons and more prop
erty to share this burden with us and
thus tighten our own. Very many of
the objects Of public expenditure are
equally substantial whether the pop
ulation Of our State is seven hundred
thousand or a million. If we shall &C
cordingly increase. our population we
shall materially Tighten the burden
upon us all.
Is it possible to bring about such a
development? For half century we
have stood almost still as the tide of
immigration has flowed strongly to
the west. taking much of the best
blood OF Maine to carve out the en-
pires that have created there as that
great territory has DEVELOPED. There
is much to indicate that today that re-
gion is approaching the point of satu-
ration, at least in SO far as it's advan-
tages over us in development are con-
cerned.
Maine potatoes. Maine apples and
Maine sweet corn are a product that
is unique, and can command market
of their own If concerted action shall
insure their proper place. There is
vegetable products such rs peas our
soil and our climate produces a pro-
duct equally appealing to the discrim-
mating taste land even that we may
be able to raise beef to feed our east
ern market in competition with the
West.
A few years ago 1t seemed inevitable
that our industries must gradually de-
cline as a result of our location in a
far corner of the country. Railroad
strahgulation and cheap water tram
sportation seem literally to have
turned our country inside out. so that
Maine and the entire Atlantic seaboard
are now nearer to the Pacific coast
than all the great region drained by
the Mississippi, with which we
thought formerly it was hopeless for
us to compete. The State Pier seems
destined to play an important part as
an artery connecting us with the great
est transportation system the world
has ever known.