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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1909)
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 1900. mm NEED TO SAVE RESOURCES President Approves Report of Conservation Commission. Urges Congress to Act. DUTY TO OUR CHILDREN nMc of IVatrr, Soli and Minerals MnM Cease In Order That Our Heritage Mar Go Down to Future Generations. VASH1NGTON. Jan. The .Presl dent's message on the conservation of natural resources was read before both houses of Congress today. The reading ff the document was at the close of proceedings In each house, and there was 1'iit a smattering attendance of Senators nil Representatives. Call to Action. The President, In transmitting the re port of the National Conservation Com mission, speaks of that body as "In a peculiar sense representative of the whole Nation and all Its parts." He continues In part: The facts set forth In this report consti tute in lmperatUe call to action. The sit istlon they disclose demands thst we. nejr- for a time. If need be. the smaller m ad less vital questions, shall concentrate n effective part of our attention upon i h great material foundations of National existence, progress and nrosperity. This first Inventory of natural resources prepared by the National Conservation Com mission Is undoubtedly but the beginning of a. series which will be Indispensable for deal Ins; Intelligently with what we have. As It stands It la an Irrefutable proof that t ne conservation of our resources Is the fundamental question before this Nation, and that our first and greatest task Is to our house In order and begin to live nithla our means. The first of a:i considerations la the per manent welfare of our people. In this re spect rnr situation Is far from satisfac tory. The people thovld and will rightly demand that the great fundamental ques t ns shall be given attention by their rep resentatives. 1 do not advl?e hasty or Ill considered action oij disputed points, but I do urge, where the facts are known, where t! public Interest is clear, that neither in difference and Inertia, nor adverse pri v;. te Interests, shall be allowed to stand in the way of the public good. Great BmIo Facta. The great basic facta are already well known. We know that our population is now adding about one-fifth to Its numbers !c 10 years, and that by the middle of the present century perhaps one hundred and ff'ty million Americans, and by Its end very many millions more, must be fed and -!othed from the products of our soil. With the steady growth In population and the sritl more rapid Increase In consumption our people will hereafter make greater and not less demands per capita upon all the natural resources for their livelihood, com fort and convenience. It la high time to realize that our responsibility to the com ing millions Is like that of parents to their children, and that in wasting our resources we are wronging our descendants. We know now that our rivers can and should be made to serve our people ef fectively In transportation, but that the vat expenditures for our waterways have not resulted in maintaining, much less lu promoting. Inland navigation. Therefore, let us take Immediate steps to ascertain the re aeons and to prepare and adopt a comprehensive plan for Inland-waterway navigation that will result In giving the people the benefits for which they have ten paid but which they have not yet re ceted. We know now that our forests are fst disappearing, that less than one-fifth of them are being conserved, and that no good purpose can be met by failing to pro vide the relatively small sums needed for the protection, use and Improvement of all forests still owned by the Government, and to enact laws to check the wasteful destruction of the forests In private hands. There are differences of opinion as to many public questions: but the American people s and nearly as a unit fur waterway de velopment and for forest protection. We know now that out mineral resource I once exhausted are gone forever, and that the needless waste of them cots us hun dreds of human Uvea and nearly $:;00.(Xo, 0 a ear. Therefore, let us undertake without delay the Investigations necessary 'before our people will be In position, through state action or otherwise, to put an end to this hu?e loss and waste, and t unserve both our mineral resources and tiie lives of the men who take them from the earth. In Line With Genera! Policies. The President goes on to show that the I policy of the conservation Is typical of his general policies of securing equal op portunity for all, limiting the freedom 0 the Individual "only by the present and future, rights. Interests and needs of the other individuals who make up the community." He them passes in rapid review the various Important measures of his Administration and the policies It has advocated as In harmony with this general principle. He quotes the Commission's statement that: The first requisite fr waterway Improve ment Is the control of the waters in such manner as to reduce floods and regulate the r vi me of the navmaMe rivers. The sec ond requisite Is development of terminals and connections In auch manner as to regu late commerce. He then says: Improve Waterways. Accordingly. T urge that the broad plan for the development of our waterways recom mended by the Inland Waterways Commis sion, be put in effect without delay. Merl t irioui prnjecis in known conformity with The general outlines of any comprehensive plan should proceed at once. The cost of the whole work should be met by direct ap propriation. If possible, but If necessary by the lenue of bonds In small denominations. It Is especially Important that the de velopment of water power should be guard ed with the utmost care both by the Na tional Government and bv the states in or der to protect the people against the up growth of monopoly and to Inaaro to them a fair share in the benefits winch will fol low the development of this great asset which belongs to the peopie and should be controlled by trem. Protect and Develop Forests. I urge that provision be m a' c for both vrottion and more rapid development of he National fores'.s. otherwise, either the Increasing use of these forests by the peo ple must be checked or their protection against fire must b dangerously weakened. I especially commend the facts present ed by the commission as to the relation be t ween forests and stream flow in Its bear ing upon the Importance of the forest lands tn National owii-rsh j. The time has fully arrived frr recognis ing In the law the reponslhili:y to the r.tmmunit). the stnte and the Nation which rests upon the private owners of private The ownership of forest land la a lubllc trust. The man who would ao handle his forest as to cause erorlon and to Injure stream flow must be not only educated but he mut be controlled. h(e recommends the organization of efficient fire patrols and enactment of good fire laws by the states for the protection of forests: also the enact ment of tax laws which will permit the perpetuation of existing forests ly use. Economic I'se of Land. Taking up the subject of lands, he says: With our Increasing population the time Is not far distant when the problem of sup- , plyirg our people with food will become pring. The possible additions tn our arable area are not great, and It will be- j come necessary to obtain ranch larger crops i from the land, as la njw done in more densely settled countries. To do this, we ned better farm practice and better strains of wheat, corn and other crop plants, with a reduction in losses from eoil erosion and from Insects, animals and other enemies of agriculture. The United titatos Department of Agriculture Is doing exceltent work In these directions and It should be liberally supported. The remaining public lands should be classified and the arable lands disposed of to homemakers. In their Interest the tim ber and stone act and the commutation clause of the homestead act should be re pealed, and the desert-land law should be modified In accordance with the recom mendations of the Public I -and Commis sion. The use of the public grazing lands should be regulated In such ways as to Im prove and conserve their value. Rights to the surface of the public land should be separated from rights to forests tipon it and to minerals beneath It. and these should be subject to separate dis posal. The coal. oil. gas and phosphate rights still remaining with the Government should b" withdrawn from entry and leaaed under condttions favorable for economic develop ment. Waste of Minerals. The accompanying reports show that tha consumption of nearly all of our mineral products Is Increasing more rapidly than our population. Our mineral waste Is about one-sixth of our product, or nearly 0O0.O00 for each working day in the year. The loss of structural materials through fire is about another million a day. The loss of life In the minea is appalling. The larger part of these losses of Ufa and prop erty can be avoided. Our mineral resources are limited In quantity and cannot be Increased or repro duced. With the rapidly Increasing rate of consumption the supply will be exhaust ed while yet the Nation Is in Its infancy, unless better methods are devised or sub stitutes are found. Further Investigation is urgently needed In order to Improve meth ods and to develop and apply substitutes. It Is of the utmost importance that a Bureau of Mines be established In accord once with the pending bill to reduce the loss of life in mines ana mo mineral resources and to lnvestlsate the methods and jdibstitutes for prolonging the duration of our mineral supplies. Both the ned and the public demand for such a bureau are rapidly becoming more urgent. It should co-operate with the states In sup plying data to serve as a basis for state mine regulations. The establishment of this bureau will mean merely the transfer from other bureaus of work which It is sgreed should be transferred and slightly enlarged and reorganised for these purposes. He quotes and Indorses the commis sion's recommendation that a commit tee be appointed to prepare a plan for united action of all organizations con cerned with conservation. He asks Con gress to create a National commission empowered to co-operate with state commissions and asks for an appropria tion of at least ,.00t to pay the ex penses. Duty to Future Generations. The report of the commission begins with the following declaration of the basic principle of conservation: The duty of man to man, on which the integrity of nations must rest. Is no higher than the duty of each generation to the next: and the obligation of the nation to each actual citizen is no more sacred than the obligation to the citizen to be. who. in turn, must bear the nation's duties and re sponsibilities. After reviewing the progress from nloneer waste of resources to present conditions the report continues: Although the natural resources are inter related they are ualike. and each class re .... tr.atmnr Tho land Is a quires u i r 1 1 1 . . 11 fixed quantity which can not be materially increased, though its productivity ability for the uses of man may be reatj augmented: tne rorwu. l -quantity and may be destroyed by Are. waste and Improvident uee. or protected n d improved in inch way as to meet humaa necesaltiea. Together the lands and the for-pts are improvable resources. The minerals are inu' j J. " cannot be increased or iraproa oy thing which man may uo. pendable resources. The frsh waters are limited in quan tity, though the supply la permanent. They form a naturally renewable resource which .v Ar. nothlns to Increase, but may do much In the way of conservation and bet ter utilization The treatment applied to each claw should be adapted to its own fullest development and beet utilisation and to those of the other clasaea of resources. Most Reprehensible Waete. The waste which most urgently requires ,i,.i,in varies widely in cnnracipr amount. The mot reprehensible waste is that of destruction, as in wrrei un controlled How of gas and oil. soil wash end abandonment of coal In the mines. This la attributable, for the most part, to Ignorance, Indifference, or false notions of economy, to rectiry wmcn i uuo. of the people collectively Nearly as reprehensible Is the waste aris ing from misuse, as tn the consumption of fi n furpa-es and engines of. low effi ciency, the low ef water in floods, the em ployment of Hi-adapted structural materi als, the growing of Ill-chosen crops, and th neroetuation of inferior stocks of plants and animals, all of which may be remedied. Heprhrnsible in iesa ncjere is trie wa arising from nonuie. Since the utilisation rr mv one resource Is necessarily progres sive and dependent on social and industrial conditions and the concurrent development of other resources, ronuse la eometimee un avoidable. It becomes reprehensible when It affects tha common welfare and entails future Injury. Then, It should be rectified lnthe general Interest. Matter In People's Hands. For the prevention of waste the most ef fective means will be found in the increase and diffusion of knowledge from which is sure to result an aroused public sentiment demanding prevention. The people have the matter In their own hands. They may pre vent or limit the destruction of resources and restrain misuse through the enactment and enforcement of appropriate state and Federal laws. Waste, reduced and resources saved are the first but not the last object of conservation. The materlcJ resources have an additional value when their preservation adds to tha beauty and habltabillty of the land. Ours Is a pleasant land In which to dwell. To Increase Ha beauty and augment its fitness can not but multiply our pleasure in It and strengthen the bonds of our attachment. FLOOD REACHES MAXIMUM STAGE Willamette and Other Oregon and Washington Rivers Are Receding. TRAINS ARE AGAIN RUNNING Schedules .ire Still Demoralized. Telegraph and Telephone Iiines Crippled Xo More Damage Is Expected From Streams. Double-sole thoea keep your fet dry. Special sals prloea at Rosenthal's. Rosenthal's great shoa sals Is on. WATER BEGINS TO SUBSIDE. The Willamette River, at Port land reached Its maximum stage of 19.7 feet yesterday, and then began gradually to subside. Fore raster Seals says the water will now recede steadily. The river is clearing of logs and debris, and encouraging reports are coming In from numerous points In the Pacific Northwest. Train service Is being resumed, though come trouble Is experienced from slides at certain points. Telegraph and telephone companies advise that their lines are being cleared and that further trouble Is not anticipated. All trains are expected to be running on schedule time before many days elapse. Wireless telegraphy has been of value In receiving messages from points where ordinary tele graphic communication had been severed. Flood at all points heard from with rare exceptions has reached Its maximum, and is falling with no prospect of any subsequent rise. After romping about like so many rasing liquid hydraulic currents for the past few days, there Is comparative peace on the troubled waters. Tele grams and communications from many points determine that the worst is over, and that from now on there will be a cessation of damage by floods, and a resumption of general business by wa ter and rail. Individual Instances come in of recent damage, but the back of the flood is broken. The Willamette River at Portland Is falling. The official gauge of the Weather Bureau showed a drop of .1 of a foot between noon and 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Gauges estab lished by private people on the docks showed still greater fall. The rise In the Columbia has considerably lessened the current in the Willamette and drift has ceaseJ to come down. The only danger now is from log booms which may drift from moorings. This danger is decreasing. Ice and drift continue to delay ship ping between Portland and Astoria. Wooden vessels can navigate during daylight hours but after dark the risk is considered too great. About the mouth of the Willamette there is still a large amount of drifting Ice and It Is with difficulty that a boat can reach Vancouver. It will be several days be fore the river Is clear enough for steamers to reach the Cascades. Jam Broken In Columbia. N Advices from The Dalles say the jam at Big Eddy has broken and the Govern ment works at Celilo and Seufert Bros." cannery are tn no danger of further dam age. The river has gone down over four feet there in the tost , 24 hours, leaving ire piled 30 and 40 feet high on the levee. The Open River dock has been righted, and, barring accident, will be safely har bored tomorrow. The wrecking crew was sent west this morning on account of trouble down the road. The O. R. & Js. ran a double-header through there yes terday morning, combining trains Nos. 3 and 6. Train No. 8 was annulled and No. 7 was turned back at that point and sent east as No. S. Late last night the Information was given out that the line to Lewlston via Riparla was open for traffic and that re ports were received concerning the Walla Walla line, which made it possible to send out a sleeper last night for that place, with assurance that the train would go through wihtout difficulty. Pendleton is still cut off from trans portation to the north except by way of T'matilla. Walla Walla Is reached In this manner and passengers destined to points In Washington further north are transferred to the. North Bank at Wal lula. It will probably be two days be fore the Pendleton-Walla Walla branch Is open, while the Northern Pacific branch is so badly out of commission it Is impossible to. say when It will be open. S. P. & S. train, eastbound, left Van couver on time yesterday. Passengers were transferred at Butler, where there was a wash over five feet deep on the track and a train backed up there. Su perintendent Russell. Trainmaster Kiu caid and Roadmaster Whitfield, with a crew of 100 men. have been at work at Woodward Creek. Superintendent Rus sell said he expected to have th track clear last ifight. At Albany, the Willamette rose slow ly but gradually all day yesterday, and stood at 28.7 feet last night. Though the waterfront has been flooded four days, no damage has been caused. The thermometer dropped to 33 above last night, and a heavy snowfall is reported in the foothills.- Danger from flood at Hood River is over . at present. High water in the Columbia reached the high mark there last night, when it was up over 14 feet. A strong current and floating ice broke the Underwood fleet of ferry boats from their moorings and swept them away. The Willamette' at Salem had risen but a few Inches yesterday, and was at a standstill at 22 feet. Observer Baldwin, at that place, expects the ru-ar rt fall hefore morning. Snow and sleet fell at intervals in the after noon. The temperature at 7 P. M. was 36 above. Reports of traffic conditions on the Southern Pacific from Ashland are more encouraging. Last night it was reported that four belated passenger trains were moving northward over the Shasta division. They are expected to reach Asland early this morning. Transfer of mall and passengers was accomplished at tha washed-out bridge at Wyo. between Orland and Tehama, and the obstructions at Kennet. Situation on Xarth Bank. General 'Freight and Passenger Agent Adams, of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railroad,, was yesterday after noon In receipt of a telegram from Woodward Creek, between Butler and Cascades, on that line, saying: "Stream is running about 1J0 square feet less water now than last night, but is still a torrent. We will get over It this (Fri day) evening. We ;an now figure No. 2 on time. No. 1 may be delayed." No. 2 Is the train that letves Portland at 6:40 P. M. and was sent oat yesterday at that time. No. 1 lear9 Pasco at 9:30 A. M. Today will drclde whether ob structions in the vicinity of Cascades have been removed, though the general officers express no apprehension of fur ther delay In getting their trains run ning on schedule time within a few days. Service on the Astoria & Columbia River Railroad was in good shape yes terday and the morning train from Sea side arrived on time Near Aberdeen, Wash., the Chehalis river is out of its banks In the upper val i anA in in .j n v n st cps there are from six to eight feet of water over the fields. it lias been necessary toremove an to the hills and. although the river is a torrent, no damage is being done to property. The North and south raiouse mvers, near Colfax, are receding at a rapid oH tii hpaw ruins of Wednesday and Thursday night did no damage. The Chinook winds on tne ls-mcn snow wnu the rivers full of Ice, caused tne overnow nr tho Smith Kork of the Palonse River in Colfax, which did about $25,000 . I ..... r. era The O. R. & N. is open from Spokane I n t ....a... anH tha Can vnn hririire in western Whitman County, near Snake River, will be replaced by Saturday night. Their line to Portland will be open by Sunday. "W ires Down at Coos Bay. With the exception of fallen, wires caused by recent wind storms In the Coos Bay region, which cut off communication, the Western Union Telegraph Company reported last night that Its lines are all working In good shape. The Postal Company reported lines in working order in all directions, including Astoria, which service was slightly disabled earlier in the week. , The general office of the Pacific Tele phone & Telegraph Company reported last, night that since the recent storm there has been more than the usual number of complaints sent In, the In crease betng from an average of 200 a day to 600. Repairs are being made as rapidly as the Increased force can han dle the complaints. The Home Com pany reported its lines working satis factorily. It was reported from Tacoma last night that cool weather all along the. main line of the Northern Pacific west of the Rocky Mountains had caused the water to recede rapidly and trains that had been held up at Spokane are beginning to arrive in Tacoma. : Six passenger trains came in during tlie day and more were due last night. All breaks between Pasco and Spokane have been repaired and the only break on the main line Is one on the Rocky Mountain division near Missoula. The track near Olympia has been cleared and trains are moving on -time all along the line between Tacoma and Portland. At Seattle, the water in the lower part of the Duwamlsh Valley is cov ering the lowlands, but a few miles up the river the rise is not even threat ening. The Great Northern is still in trouble, and that road yesterday sent a train as far as Snohomish over the Northern Pacific tracks; From that point it- was routed over the Great Northern tracks. The tracks east of Trinidad have been washed out by the J irse of V ilson Creejv. A fall In temperature and frosty nights has checked the thaw In the Inland Em pire. Streams are again within banks and railroads, with the exception of the O. R. & N., are running near to schedule, says a Spokane report. South of Colfax a bridge is out and the Harrlman line waits for Its reconstruction. The ground is bare of snow in nearly all the prairie region and the lowlands and not a great deal ia left In the mountains. Snow began to fall In Spokane at 9 o'clock last night. At Eugene Thursday's rain was followed by a light snow early yesterday morn ing. The snow soon melted. The river has been falling rapidly and last night stood at 11 feet 5 Indies. SCENE ON ICEBOUND COLUMBIA RIVER OPPOSITE VANCOUVER : r i t if .w . . : i l - vw. o' l i i lit i f ; 1 s 4 -tjf -t.;. .... V 4. MAYOR J. F. KIGCIUS (FOREGROUND) AND PARTY OF FRIENDS AT MIDSTREAM 1 taking Powder Absolutely Ttzre Hie only baiting powder made from Hoyal Grape Cream of Tartar made from grapes Royal Baking Powder conveys to food the most healthful of fruit properties and renders it superior in flavor and wholesomeness. SLAYER SELF- Monroe Huber, Who Murdered Wm. Heltzell, Is Suicide. RESPITE IS , BUT BRIEF l'lres Bullet Into Heart When Sher iff's Posse Drives Him to Bay.' Mystery Surrounding Mo tive Xot Cleared Away. HIL.I59BORO, Or., Jan. 22. (Special.) Monroe Huber. aged 30 years, who shot and killed "William Heltzel. near Banks yesterday, committed suicide this morn ing by phooting. After he had committed murder yes terday Huber went to the home of Wil liam Thornburgh, for whom he frequent ly worked, and remained all night. He had been drinking. He hid his Win chester under the gate, where it was found by the Sheriff. When Sheriff Han cock telephoned the Thornburgh home, during the night, in the hope of getting trace of the fugitive, there was no ans wer. This confirmed him in the idea that Huber was there, and that Thorn burgh was fearful of his undesirous guest. The officer and his constable then went to the Thornburgh home, arriving there before daylight. Just at daybreak, and before a person could be distinguished, Huber came out of the house. Sheriff Hancock, thinking It was Thornburgh, called him by name. Huber quickly rounded the corner, went Into the house and left through a back door. Thornburgh then opened the door to the officers and he told them that Huber had arrived about 8 o'clock the evening before, and had told him that he had killed Heltzel and that he' feared to telephone the arrival. A posse soon ar rived to assist Hancock, and they soon heard a shot about 40 rods from the house, up In the timber. This was at 7:30 o'clock this morning, and an hour later they found the murderer In a re clining position, against a tree, shot through the heart. Huber had used a re volver to accomplish his own destruc tion. Before leaving the house he had told Thornburgli that he would n; be taken alive. At the Coronor's Inquest one witness swore that Huber. had said to him the day before, "Some one has been talking too much, and I am going to quiet him." This is supposed to Indicate that he re ferred to Heltzel. There was no evidence that there was a quarrel over wages, as at- first re ported, and that the double tragedy Is due to talebearing Is the general opinion. No blame Is attached to Heltzel's wife, and if there was a woman in tho case it was outside of the grief-stricken family. Coroner Brown Impanelled a jury in each case, the one body finding that Heltzel hHd come to his death bv a gunshot 'wound Inflicted by Monroe Huber, and the other finding that Huber had come to his death by suicide. Bank orfieers Elected. CHEHALIS. Wash., Jan. 12. Last night the Security State Bank of Chehalis elected P. H. Moss president. John W. neynolds and O. W. Long vice-presidents. . W. S. Short cashier, and J. U. .Reynolds assistant cashier. The newly-elected directors are T. H. Moss, C. W. Long. S. Hartman, Sidney Anderson and W. S. Short. Mr. Moss is vice-president of the First National Bank of Seattle, and was formerly en gaged In the banking business at Mount Vernon. Wash. The bank's sur plus has been Increased from t $10 000. Mr. Moss has purchased all the interests of W. D. Hays of Tenin who was the former president of the bank. THE POTTER eSa AMERICAN PLAN ONLY HAS ITS OWN SQUAB RANCH LIVESTOCK FARM POULTRY RANCHES RATES DOUBLE $5.00 se.oo ?T.OO $s.oo o.oo rates single: $3.00 $3.50 S4.00 SS.OO VT!ftT!T AUT.T. GARDENS SG.OO PR.TVATT noUTJTRY CLUB RACE TRACK AND POLO GROUNDS PRIVATE LIVERY, WIRELESS TELEGRAPH ART GALLERY AND PICTURESQUE GOLF LINKS GOOD TABLE, GOOD LIVING, CHEERFUL SERVICE RATES GRADUATED TO ALL REASONABLE REQUIREMENTS ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ONE 'THOUSAND GUESTS ARTESIAN WELL, AND REFRIGERATING PLANT CONSERVATORIES AND G R E E N H OUSES A WHOLE MILE OF GERANIUMS OPEN ALL THE YEAR ROUND 30,000 FINE ROSEBUSHES UK produce CHILDREN'S GROVE NO BETIER ALI, OF OCR Z O O, 6 0,0 0 0 TABLE OS OWN STAPLE PIGEONS THE WHOLE DELICACIES AND PACIFIC COAST WOULD BE PLEASED TO SEND YOU BOOKLET MILO M. POTTER, Manager Mm ill . Jr p I A Substi for Matrimony v' is really what a girl hopes to get out of business. Does she get it? If not, why doesn't she marry ? One store reports three marriages a year out of three thousand girls. Is it because most men can't afford to marry a business woman ? Is it because she makes so much and her men friends make so little? What is the matter with the young man of to-day? These questions and many others are answered by a business woman in the February Woman's Home Companion The Great Valentine Number The rest of the magazine is filled to the covers with good stories, eight of them, charming pictures, strong helpful articles, and forty pages of practical departments for women all and more in the February WOMAN S. H OME At All News-stands