586 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



conservation are few and simple. One 

 of the first is that the national resources 

 and the national advantages belong to 

 all the people and should be developed, 

 protected and perpetuated for all the 

 people and not for a few. Another is 

 that the natural resources still owned 

 by the people which are necessaries of 

 life, like coal and water power, should 

 remain in public ownership to be dis- 

 posed of only under leases for limited 

 periods. Every stream should be 

 made useful for every purpose for 

 which it can be made to serve the pub- 

 lic. A broad plan is needed without 

 delay for development of our water- 

 ways, for navigation, domestic supply, 

 irrigation, drainage and power. Every 

 power site now in state or federal con- 

 trol should be held so and disposed of 

 only under a lease for a limited time 

 with fair compensation to the public. 

 In the development of our waterways 

 the co-operation of the state and the 

 nation is essential for the general wel- 

 fare. In regard to forests Mr. Pin- 

 chot laid down these principles : 



"First All forests necesary for the public 

 welfare should be in the public ownership, 

 such as the national forests already in exist- 

 ence, the proposed Appalachian and White 

 Mountain national forests and the state for- 

 ests of New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin 

 and other states. 



"Second The protection of forests against 

 fires is the first duty of forestry of states 

 and nation alike. The way to stop fires is 

 to get men to them as soon as they begin. 

 The maintenance and extension of forest 

 fire control by the nation, the states, and their 

 subdivisions, and by associations of private 

 citiens who own timberland is absolutely 

 necessary. 



"Third The protection of existing forests 

 by wise_use is the first step in forestry. Re- 

 forestation is the second. 



"Fourth Land bearing forests should be 

 taxed annually on the land value alone, and 

 the timber crop should be taxed when it is 

 cut, so private forestry may be encouraged. 



"Fifth The _ private ownership of forest 

 land is a public trust, and the people have 

 both the rieht and the duty to regulate the 

 use of such lands in the general interest." 



Every acre of land should be put to 

 the best use and our land policy should 

 be directed to making of permanent, 

 prosperous homes. Stockmen must be 

 encouraged by every legitimate means. 

 Erosion must be prevented, the arid pub- 



lic grazing land should be administered 

 by the government in the interest of the 

 small stockman and the homemaker 

 until they can pass directly into the 

 hands of actual settlers. Rights to the 

 public land should be separated from 

 rights to the forests upon it and the 

 minerals beneath it and each should be 

 held subject to separate disposal. The 

 timber and stone act should be repealed. 

 The speaker applied the same principles 

 to our mineral resources, advocated the 

 maintenance of national and state con- 

 servation commissions for perpetuating 

 national efficiency, and urged a national 

 health service to act in co-operation 

 with the states. He urged the need of 

 state co-operation in carrying out the 

 whole conservation program. 



The evening session was enlivened 

 by the final efforts of a group from 

 "Washington, Montana and Idaho, led by 

 E. W. Ross, land commissioner of 

 Washington, who disturbed the pro- 

 ceedings by loud and insistent demands 

 for a hearing for his state, charged the 

 managers of the congress with having 

 shut off discussion and drew upon him- 

 self the fire of other delegates from 

 Washington who were not in sympathy 

 with those appointed by Governor Hay 

 and who protested against what they 

 called the misrepresentation of their 

 state. 



The Committee on Resolutions, 

 headed by Dr. Pardee, of California, 

 presented its report and this was adopt- 

 ed. The resolutions are printed in full 

 on another page. This committee is to 

 be congratulated upon the successful 

 outcome of its very difficult task, and it 

 is only fair to say that this outcome was 

 due in considerable measure to its effi- 

 cient chairman. 



The officers elected for the next 

 congress were : President, Henry Wal- 

 lace, Des Moines, Iowa ; Secretary, 

 Thomas R. Shipp, Washington, D. C. ; 

 Recording Secretary, James C. Gipe, 

 Washington, D. C. ; Treasurer, D. A. 

 Latchaw, Kansas City, Missouri. Vice 

 presidents were named by the different 

 state delegations. 



A resolution was offered by Mr. 

 Pinchot on the death of Samuel B. 



