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ground, impeding percolation. A large amount of what would be carried off by underground 

 drainage is thus rimmed into surface-drainage waters. At the same time, by this compacting of 

 tin- soil, capillary action is increased and evaporation thereby accelerated. These surface waters 

 also loosen rocks and soil, carrying these in their descent into the river courses and valleys, thus 

 increasing 'landers of high floods and destroying favorable cultural conditions. 



I Ic-re it is that water management and, in connection with it or as part of it, forest manage- 

 ment should be studied ; for without Jorest management no rational ivater management is possible. 



(7) Experience in the United States has shown that under private owner- 

 p, forest conditions are almost invariably destroyed or deteriorated, Jor the 

 simple reason that the timber for present use is the only interest which private 

 enterprize recognizes in the forest, not being concerned in tin future or in the 

 consequences of mismanagement to adjoiners, who have to suffer. 



It is therefore undesirable to transfer the ownership of the public timber 

 lands to individual owners in the expectation of having them managed with a 

 view to the broader interests of the community. 



If there were need of other demonstration of this point beyond the history 

 of the eastern forest lands, which have been for many years in the hands of 

 private owners, we need only refer back to the working of the law in the Pacific 

 Coast States, where such disposal to private holders has utterly failed in accom- 

 plishing its object. There is neither the interest nor even the knowledge to be 

 found among the many to let us anticipate forest management by small holders. 

 Besides foresty thrives best on large consolidated areas, from financial as well as 

 technical considerations. 



It will be necessary, in order to promote rational forest management, to do 

 the same that all other nations have found necessary to do, namely, for the 

 government to set the example and furnish the object lesson and opportunity for 

 the others to follow. 



The fact that a tree crop takes from fifty to one hundred years and more to 

 grow to usefulness requires a patience and stability of ownership which our 

 people have not yet attained, and hence the government must furnish the con- 

 servative elements where needed, as in our forest policy. 



(#) The cession of the public timber domain to the individual States with 

 a view of having the States devise methods of conservative management, would 

 fail in accomplishing the object for various reasons. Experience in the past 

 with such cessions has not proved it practicable to place restrictions or conditions 

 upon such cessions or to enforce them. 



Even if a cession, upon condition that the State provide efficient manage- 

 ment, could be practically effected, lack of unity in the various systems and 

 clashing of interests where watersheds are situated in more than one State, make 

 retention of these lands in the general government desirable, or at least more 

 promising of conservative results. 



Other reasons of expediency make such a wholesale cession of timber lands 

 impracticable. Among these may be mentioned the difficulty of segregating the 

 timber lands from public lands of other description or transferring obligations 

 of the general government toward railroad companies, resting upon such lands. 



Nevertheless, co-operation with the State authorities in inaugurating a 

 sound forest policy is most desirable, and should be made a prominent feature in 

 whatever measures the general government may devise. 



(9) The present proposed legislation keeps in view the following principles : 

 (a) That the retention of the public timber lands in the general government, 

 and their administration as such, is the only proper policy for all wooded areas 

 of the public domain ivhich do not stock on agricultural land. 



