630 CONSERVATION 



to provide thoroughly adequate fire pa- being used until they were notified of 

 trol and fire protection for half a dozen the fact by Government officials, 

 states the size of Minnesota. If our Now, the day for bald pilfering of 

 American legislators in reality pos- this sort has passed, and the big cor- 

 sessed the business instincts that they porations ought to have realized that 

 are so fond of boasting about, it would fact. No man and no corporation, no 

 not be five years until every state hav- matter how wealthy, great or powerful, 

 ing any amount of timber lands would can, in this day of grace, filch from the 

 provide for the safe-guarding against Nation any of its natural resources 

 fire of such timber lands. This is a without being made to pay the penalty, 

 simple business proposition — a propo- Whether it be timber, or grass lands, 

 sition to invest, say, forty or fifty thou- or water-powers, detection is sure to 

 sand dollars a year, to guard against come, and, following detection, punish- 

 losses that may run far into the millions, ment swift and stern. The plea still 

 How long will it be until American goes up that to take from such a "de- 

 business sense will recognize the busi- veloping agent" the resources so pill- 

 ness necessity of taking hold of ques- aged means to retard the "development" 

 tions like this in a businesslike man- of the particular region affected. Well, 

 ner, and take steps to provide the same if that region can only be developed 

 measure of protection for our increas- through the agency of theft or grand 

 ingly valuable timber lands that they larceny, then it were better that the re- 

 have already provided for towns and gion remain undeveloped till the crack 

 cities? of doom. 



^ 'H "^ Conservation of natural resources 



means the saving from needless waste 



The Hydro.electricpower Interests ^nd destruction of the natural riches 



A PHASE of the development of which we have, and the exploitation, 

 the West that has occupied rather through proper use and proper develop- 

 a prominent place in the attention of "^ent, of all of our resources of land, 

 the public during recent years, is that water, timber, ores, minerals, water- 

 of the exploitation and development of powers, etc. It does not, however, 

 water-powers for the generation of "^^^n their exploitation by improper use 

 electric power; and friction between or improper development, or improper 

 the Government, as represented by the means, and theft of any of- these re- 

 Forest Service, and the electric power sources is certainly improper. Like- 

 concerns has been more or less fre- wise, it is expensive and unsafe, nowa- 

 quent. There are now pending sev- *^'^ys> "o matter what it may have been 

 eral cases of alleged fraudulent entries ^ dozen years ago. A business, no mat- 

 covering valuable water-powers, and ^er what it may be, and no matter who 

 one of the largest of the electric power may be the men in control of it, that 

 concerns is charged with being di- cannot exist without resorting to theft 

 rectly responsible for a large number — ^ bald-faced pillaging, piracy and 

 of these fraudulent claims. It is robbery— should not be permitted to 

 charged that this company, which is ^^^^t at all. And along this line we 

 said to be an auxiliary of' the largest reproduce in full an editorial article that 

 electric power and manufacturing con- appeared in the issue of October 3 of 

 cern in the country, has secured pos- the Journal of Electricity, Power and 

 session of water-powers by the expe- Gas. It is as fair and logical a present- 

 dient of having stenographers in the ment of the case as we recall having 

 employ of the company make dummy seen in a long while, 

 entries ; and the statement is also made 



that in at least two or three instances For some time the Journal has 



the consent of such dummy entrymen been giving careful thought to the 



has not even been secured, and they hydro-electric companies, and to 



have not known that their names were the problems that grow out of their 



