We voters of America are the bankers of the nation's resources. 

 Infinitely more valuable is our trust than that of money, stocks or 

 bonds, because once dissipated, it may not be replaced. If we are to 

 preserve for our children the heritage we receive from our fathers, we 

 must alarm the people out of their thoughtless indifference. Public 

 thieves must be punished, fires must be checked, individual rights 

 must be purchased when demanded for the public good. Wantonness 

 of waste by careless owners and destructive greed for immediate gain 

 by selfish owners must be controlled. This is a mighty task, more 

 difficult than some of the greatest our ancestors performed in the old 

 days. But if it be not accomplished, the shame of defeat will rest on 

 this generation, for this is pre-eminently our battle. We may not 

 throw its burden backward to our fathers, or forward to our children. 

 The former could not see its swift coming, the latter will have little 

 to fight for if Ave fail in preserving for ourselves and them the re- 

 sources by which only we or they can win continued prosperity. 



NATIONAL FORESTS AND NATIONAL PARKS 



The forest policy of the IT. S. Government is of interest to every citizen. 

 Henry S. Graves, the present forester, has this to say in his report for 

 1913. 



The fundamental aim in administering the National Forests is to 

 develop their resources for the permanent upbuilding of the country. 

 The whole object of their administration would be defeated by closing 

 the forests to development and maintaining them as a wilderness. The 

 aim of administration is essentially different from that of a national 

 park, in which economic use of material resources comes second to the 

 preservation of natural conditions on aesthetic grounds. When Nation- 

 al Forest land occurs which is chiefly valuable for agriculture, its free 

 homesteading not only aids local development and advances the 

 general public welfare, but also directly helps in the administration 

 and development of the forests themselves. The upbuilding of agri- 

 culture in the forests where agricultural land occurs is on a par with 

 the building up of industries through the use of timber, forage, and 

 other resources of the forests. The National Forests can not be 

 developed properly without people. The usefulness of the forests is 

 in direct ratio to the number of people who use their resources. The 

 presence of developed farms within the forests aids in fire protection. 

 Every cleared strip is a fire line ; every ranch is a vantage point for 

 fire fighting; every rancher may be made a forest protector. It is, 

 therefore, the aim to further the agricultural development of all land 

 which may be better used for growing field crops than for growing 

 trees. Further, it is the aim and duty of every forest officer to aid 

 settlers in the forests in the development of their farms by allowing 

 free use of timber for domestic purposes, and in other ways. 



The aims of the forest policy are : 



To prevent losses of this public property by fire. 



To utilize the ripe timber which can be marketed. 



44 



