658 CONSERVATION 



of many harvests of trees from these government : namely, that of securing 



lands which are fitted only for timber for every citizen all his rights and privi- 



culture. I have very vivid memories leges. There is nothing new in this 



of the cut-over lands of Michigan, and idea, but its manifestation has not yet 



that is a state where a faulty policy become common enough, and the 



of heavy taxation led the landowners Roosevelt idea of stirring up public 



to strip their lands of the valuable officials might well go beyond federal 



pine and then abandon the barren hills circles. 



and plains to the state. The most As a fellow servant of the people 



practical precaution against over-cut- then, 1 would urge the state officials to 



ting on private lands would seem to be meet the present emergency with the 



the automatic restriction which is be- sole purpose of protectng the public 



ing advocated here in Maine: namely, interest at stake. Both executive and 



the method of taxing what is cut rather legislative branches must approach this 



than what is left. The other part of forest problem not from the standpoint 



the problem, however, presents a more of the railroad companies, nor that of 



urgent need than any scheme of pro- timberland proprietors, nor that of the 



tection of these timber lands from the pulp or lumber-mill owners, though we 



greed of private owners and that is the may agree that all these classes deserve 



necessity of safeguarding these land- much consideration, nor from that of 



from utter devastation by fire. Here am other special interests, but from the 



lies the opportunity of the executive viewpoint of the whole people, whom 



officials of the state for I deem it their alone \o U represent. I'.urn off the for- 



duty to be as progressive and far- ests of the state', dry up its rivers, lay 



sighted a^ the state judges. This is no waste its land, and it will be not the 



time to fall back behind precedent. timberland owners or the great manu- 



nor to stand pat upon past procedure. factnring corporations, but the people 



There are exigencies that en-ate and at large who will suffer most and, as I 



justify new methods of protecting the understand it. that is the principle set 



public interest. ( )ur supreme bench forth in the supreme court opinion that 



is quoted by trade and commercial jo'ur- we do well to quote, to consider, and 



nals as far as the Pacific coast do we to act upon. 



wish it said that our judiciary consti- I am not satisfied that the idea no\* 

 tute our only guardians of the public current as to the status of the wild 

 interest? Is there or is there not a law lands of the state as regards trespass 

 requiring efficient spark arrestors on is correct. The right of the public to 

 locomotives? If such a law is on the hunt over the lan-ls in private owner- 

 statute books, why is it not enforced by ship is a question I will leave to the 

 those appointed to execute .the laws of students of the law. but 1 would chal- 

 the state: Or are they awaiting resub- lenge the right of the public to build 

 mission of this statute also? fires upon these lands. I cannot be- 

 lt will be written ('own to the credit lieve that the common law grants to a 

 of the Roosevelt administration that landowner the right to make any use 

 the federal officials have been aroused of his <,\vn land that will endanger the 

 to a new appreciation of their obliga- property of his neighbor, and the gen- 

 tions, not to this or that great interest, eral public S] I()II M hardly expect any 

 but to the public at large. The bureau privileges that do not belong to the 

 officer at the center of government no owner himself. Those who have in 

 longer complacently takes the Vander- charge the execution of our state laws 

 biltian view of public service; he in protection of these wild lands may 

 gets busy in the performance of his well at a time of exigency like the 

 whole duty as a servant of the people, present prohibit the building of fires by 

 This reform has been accomplished by those who wish to traverse the timber 

 placing before the whole departmental lands. Should such a prohibition inter- 

 service the true aim and purpose of fere with their hunting, their loss con- 



