Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-03
Teach Lessons Of
Forests, ArbOr Day,
Says COm'r. Thomas

Directing the attention of school
authorities of the State to the desira-
bility of teaching the lessons of our
forests in the schools on Arbor day,
May T. DR.. Augustus o. Thomas, state
commissioner of education, has sent
out letters in which he points out that
this year, 1926, marks the 50th ami
versary of the movement to conserve
our national forests.
Fifty years ago we became con-
scious that this natural resource was
becoming rapidly depleted" Commits
sioner Thomas says in the letter.
Both as a check to this and as a
means of identifying school grounds
and homes, j. Sterling Morton. the
sage of Arbor Lodge, introduced into
Congress. many eyars ago. a bill
designating April % of each year as
Arbor day to be celebrated by tree
planting.
I'm Maine we have not found so
much need of planting trees about our
schoolhouses and our homes because
trees grow here abundantIy and have
had to be cleared away in order to
build, but on the treeless areas where
Mr.. Morton lived it was extremely
desirable to grow trees and shrubs
premises as means of protection
from the harsh winds of winter and
from the heat of summer.
Our forests are one of our great
est natural resources. We cannot af-
ford to destroy or deplete them. We
need them for our industries. We need
them as a means of conserving our
water powers When our forests are
gone our descendants will have a more
difficult task to get along than we
have had in subduing the primitive.
When our hills and valleys are cleared
OF forests our streams will grow
smaller and may disappear entirely in
many instances We have no moral
right to rob those who come after us
by wanton waste or neglect. If our
forests are properly conserved we
should have an abundance of this
great natural wealth as a perpetu:
supply.
when a tree Is cut our people
should be taught to plant another and
to care for it. Large areas of valua-
BILE lands have been burned over be-
cause of some careless act and much
thoughtless cutting has been done.
Ihe children In our schools today will
sometime be the workers in these for
ests and their owners also. They will
be manufacturers of pulp, paper, lum-
Der. furniture. They will be the
builders of homes. They will be en-
gagged in the transportation of these
great commodities. These industries
will be their livelihood. They have
equity in the unearned increment of
the natural wealth of the State, They
should begin now to be interested in
the preservation of this branch of our
wealth.
Teachers should not neglect to lead
the children in their charge into an
understanding and an appreciation of
our States resources and give them
knowledge of how they may not alone
be conserved but increased. A tree is
mans great friend. 1t provides him
shelter in the storm and shade for the
summer. From it he builds the house
in which he lives. his place of BUSH
ness, his furniture. 1t sends out its
fruit and its flowers. 1t provides his
newspapers and his books and under
the new processes it is providing
clothing from it's fiber. Therefore
food. shelter and clothing, mans
three greatest physical needs, are be-
ing supplied in some important part
by the trees which we see about us
so little.
May 9TH of this year is designated
by the Governor and Council for Ar
Dor day. Owing to the lateness of our
seasons we cannot successfully cele-
brate the day which is more generally
used throughout the country. We must
MT the time to our necessities. I trust
that this year our teachers may give
some lessons on our forests their
area. their wealth, the purposes they
serve, reforestation, fire prevention
and the protection and growth of
trees, flowers and shrubs. This day is
not holiday unless it be used for the
purpose designated. No teacher of the
State should let the occasion go by un
noticed and without the lessons it
should teach.
Maine beautiful is an important
part of our development program.
This day should be the occasion for
putting our houses in order" Rub
bish should be cleared away. flowers.
shrubs and trees planted, and the
premises tidied UP in general. In a