THE OREGON-, SUNDAY, JOURNAIi. PORTLAND, , SUNDAY MORNING. DECEMBER : ,13,- 1908.
7
CONSERVE V RESOURCES
FOR MAN OF FUTURE
Governor ; Chamberlain's Address , to
Commission at Washington Praised by
Press and President-Suggests Stronger
Federal Control of Streams andForests
Governor . ,. Chamberlain' on Tuesday
last delivered the address on behaLt of
tha governuls bof Ore the national con
vention tot' tho , conservation, of the
nattiral ..fesourcea ot J the nation. The
address was spoken of in terms of high
praise by President Roosevelt,. and Ay
the .eastern press, and was ah effort
dealing; In a clear and comprehensive
manner with the auest on under discus
slon. -After reviewing briefly, the his
tory of trie movement ror tne conserva
tion of reeourcas, Governor Chamberlain
Satd in nart:
We are probably all agreed upon one
point. Conservation of the natural re
sources Is necessary to the well being
of our country, the protection of gener
ations yet unborn, the perpetuation of
our Institutions and cooperation of
state and federal authorities to accom
plish beneficial results.
It was undoubtedly timely that the
forestry and reclamation branches of
the federal government first sounded
a warning as to the wanton destruction
of the forests and the resultant conse
quences, fuel famine, noil erosion, flood
waters at certain seasons and at others
en insufficient supply for domestic. In
dustrial, irrigation and even naviga
tion purposes. It Is questionable, in
deed, if thin warning, unsupported in
other directions, would have been suf
ficient to arouse the people to vigor
ous action. But the distinguished presi
dent of the United Btates, with the en
ergy which has characterlied his whole
official Hie. early took up the subject
and on the fourteenth day of March,
1907. appointed the Inland waterways
commission, not only to prepare and
report upon a comprehensive plan for
the improvement and control of the
river systems of the United Statea, but
upon the corelated subjects of forests
and their conservation, soil erosion,
snd generally upon the control and uses
of the navignble and other waters of the
country for navigation and Industrial
purposes.
Forests' Preservation Vital.
The conclusion reached by the forest
ry and reclamation departments were
sustained and strengthened by the In
vestigations of the Inl":i1 waterways
commission. All were pxactlcally agreed
that the avlgabllity of our waterways
and the maintenance of uniformity of
depth and flow, depended upon the
tributary supply streams, and these In
turn upon the protection of the forests
along the watersheds and upper reaches
of such tributary streams. In other
words that the preservation of the for
ests, the distribution of water for Irri
gation, domestic and Industrial pur
poses, its uses for the generation of
power, light, heat and mining, and the
navigability of the rivers were core
lated and Interdependent that the con
sideration of means for the preservation
of one, meant the consideration- of
means forthe preservation and protec
tion of all. ,
" From the earliest days of the republic
the public funds, agricultural and min
eral, arid and seml-arld. the waters on
and under the earth and all the re
sources of sea and land have been given
away with a most wanton and reckless
prodigality, until much that Is motft
valuable and essential to national
strength has gone into individual or
corporate ownership.
The raw Are Enriched.
As a result magnificent resources
that should have remained under gov
ernment control for the use and enjoy
ment of the whole people have been
dissipated and uneconomlcally admin
istered to the enrichment of the few
kiiu inc impoverienmeni or ine many.
The forests of the country, on the
mountains at the headwaters of many
of the navigable streams, as well as In
the valleys, have Teen denuded, until
now the date can almost be named
when. If present methods be pursued
without reforestation, there must Inev
itably be a lumber famine with all that
such a condition entails: the coal mines
are being exhausted, with an ever in
creasing fuel demand; natural oils and
gastes are being used extravagantly
and wasted wantonly as though the
supply were Inexhaustible; soil erosion
Is taking place so rapidly by the de
nudation of the forests that vast areas
of agricultural - lands are being washed
Into the navigable waterways, impair
ing the navigability of these Important
avenues of commerce; the increased and
Increasing demands for iron and stoel
seriously threatens the exhaustion of
the mines; and until now no step has
been taken to call a halt to wasteful
extravagance or to safeguard to present
and future generations the little of
these resources that remain, I do not
underestimate the creative and inven
tive genius of our people, but it is no
excuse to the charge of wasteful ex
travagance in the use of our magnifi
cent resources to say that substitutes
for them all may be found whenever
the necessity arises. That is not the
history of other countries, and of other
peoples who have ruthlessly squandered
the gifts of a beneficent providence.
- At to federal Control.
One of two policies must be adopted
in order to succeed, and it must, be
either national or state. As to the au
thority and Jurisdiction of the federal
government over the undisposed por
tions of the public domain, there can
be no question. There the power of
Congress Is unquestionably supreme
with respect to the soil, the mine. tha
forest and the streams tributary to the
navlimhle waterways and their uho
certainly in so far as such use might
Interfere with navigation.
Again, the federal government under
the interstate commerce clause of the
constitution has Jurisdiction over the
navigable . waterways of the country.
About this. too. there can be no Ques
tion In the exercise of Jurisdiction over
the navigable waterways, how far car,
congress or the courts go In the mat
ter of the certain control of streams
which, though non-navigable, are nev
ertheless tributary -to the sources of
supply of and so affect the uniformity
of the flow of waters in the navigable
highways? '
Here Governor Chamberlain discusses
the case of the United States vs. Rio
Grande Dam 4 Irlgatlon company 174
IT 8. 90. dealing with the point raised.
This decision holds that the govern
ment can, within just limits, regulate
tributary waters for the conservation of
natural resources. Continuing the gov
ernor said:
Uniform Cods Proposed, ...
If this power and Jurisdiction be rec
ognized, mav it not be Insisted that it
Is within the powers of congress to
enact a uniform code, not only to safe
guard the waters tributary to the navl
gbale waterways against such division
or obstruction as may destroy, -navigation,
but also to provide for the. distri
bution of such waters for beneficial use
In4 the reclamation of the arid and semi
arid lands of the country? 1 - ,
If the position sumed Is correct
congress has Jurisdiction over many of
the most valuable- resources of , the
. country, and why may - not a law be
passed creatine an Interstate conserva
tion commission.- authorising them , to
work in .connection with the depart
ments of government now having ju
risdiction f over the public lands, f the
forests, navigation; reclamation end
kindred ' subjects: making spproprla
vtlons for the purchase of,, deforested
lands in the Appalachian range and
elsewhere, with authority .to reforest
them, empowering; them to exercise the
right of eminent domain in such cases
as might be necessary: authorizing the
adoption of rules for the distribution of
the waters of all streams tributary to
the : navigable waterways and particu
larly those which are Interstate?
Such an act would vest In the national-
government Jurisdiction 'over by
far -the larger part of the work of re
source ..conservation and would create
a central administration system - which
would result In great and listing good
and be more effective than any other
system. ' ' "
But it may be asked, why may not
the states exercise the powers herein
suggested as likely to be better per
formed by-the national government? ,
Why' State Control Insufficient.
First Theatates as a rule do not
seem disposed, to act for the preserva
tion of their natural resources either
with respect to. the land owned by them
or by the exercise of their police power.
There are, however, some notable ex
ceptions to this. rule.
: Second -Eveo In : cases where the
states have legislated with reference
to the subject of the distribution of
waters, whether from Interstate or in-,
trastate streams,' there is such a lark of
uniformity in legislation as well as in Ju
dicial . interpretation, that It Is diffi
cult, If not imposible, to determine the
rights of Individual citizens.
It is well known how unpopular was
the policy of national forest reserve
creation In its inception in all t he
states. The range user as well as the
small settler along the edges of the
forests had come to feel that he had a
right by prescription to use as he saw
fit the unsold portion of the public do
main. I myself was of the number to
oppose the policy, but that opposition
was the result of the lack of Informa
tion as to the co-relation of water con
servation, soil erosion, flood and drouth,
and the uniform distribution of waters
for reclamation of the seml-arld re
gions of the West. The movement, I
asure you, .now meets my hearty ap
proval. Seserres Vow Approved.
The unpopularity of the forest re
serve is gradually giving way to ac
quiescence and approval, and all oppo
sition, I am sure, will vanish when the
rules for their administration can as
sume the order and method of a code,
and people come to understand better
the objects and purposes -underlying
it all.
Who doubts for a moment that state
fort of Gifford Plnchot, who deserves a
tirelv failed, and that but for the per
sistent, indomitable and intelligent ef
fort of Cliord Plnchot, who deserves a
very warm place In the hearts of his
countrymen, even national effort would
have come to naught?
States Lack Uniformity.
'While it Is true that some of the
states have adopted fairly good laws
governing the distribution of water for
irrigation and other purposes, yet even
DOWAGER EMPEESS
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ministration and control would be more
effective, and yet ' I ' realise ' that Jeal
ousies between- the states ..themselyes.
and. fear" of federal encroachment-upon
the rights of the' states,' will' make lt
difficult to' agree upon a -proper course
of legislation. The work in hand is so
Important not only to us of the present,
but to future generations, that- we ought
to be able to lay aside all jealeuetes and
endeavor in a spirit of the loftiest pa
triotism to reason-together and. formu
late if possible a policy of administra
tion that is best for all.
If a national administrative system
does not meet with approval, then let
it be state. The conflicting interests of
the fltAtAfl- th Aiffrfni onfirilttnna
I which prevail in the humid and seml-
aria regions, in sou. In climate, 'in to
pography and finally in laws and ju
dicial interpretation will render the im
portation of a uniform code a task ef
great difficulty. It cannot be done here
and now, but the initial steps may be
taken for the appointment of commis
sioners from the different states to con
fer together and agree if possible upon
a code for submission to the different
state legislatures.
But whether the policy for the con
servation of our resources be national
or state, there should be hearty cooper
ation on the part of both the national
and state governments, for without it,
all effort must fall. '
To you gentlemen of the east, the
north and the south, to you, gentlemen
from every section of our country in
control of the federal government, we
of the west promise our best efforts In
the work of conserving all the natural
resources of all these states for the
benefit of all the people.
The
plot
dowager emprejss of Russia,
against who3e life was re
cently discovered.
In these there is a lack of uniformity
and a conflict of judicial Interpretation.
There are many cases where a stream
has Jts source In one state and its wa
ters are used for irrigation and power
purposes in another; the latter state has
no power or authority, if the necessity
should arise, to go into the former and
construct storage reservoirs, no mat
ter how valuable they might be.
T would not for a moment be under
stood as claiming that congress has
nv nnwer. turlsdlctlon or authority, to
disturb rights to water which have been
vested through national or state laws.
On the contrary, I insist that such
rights should be protected and will be
promoted by the course here suggested
for national control and administration.
It Is In the interest of these rights, as
well as for those yet to accrue, that
radical and immediate action should be
taken. Who could have foreseen when
the constitution was adopted, or even
a quarter of a century ago, the change
tnat has taken place in the seml-arld
regions through the distribution of wa
ter? The beginning has onlv been made,
and the prediction may safely he haz
arded, that by the construction of dams
and storage reservoirs and the enact
ment of laws for the proper distribu
tion of ; water for reasonable and bene
ficial use, hundreds of - thousands of
acres of land which today are consid
ered worthless, will in the next quarter
of a century be reclaimed and will fur
nish homes for thousands of sturdy
men and women.
Safeguarding the Future.
It Is to protect the men of the pres
ent dav and age and their descendants
in the "enjoyment of their vested rights
aeatnst tne men of the future and those
of the future against th unreasonable
demands or tne present inai leaerai
jurisdiction and legislation is here sug
gested. There is no question that federal ad-
Base Line Acres Is
Certain to Be the Popular
Suburban Residence
Section of Portland
Already people are flocking to the
delightful country just east of
Mount Tabor. Before many
months there will not be so much
as a 50-foot lot for sale in that
vicinity. Prices will advance ac
cordingly. At the present time
you have the opportunity of. pur-,
chasing an acre for less money
than you would have to pay for a
i lot 50 by 100 feet. You can buy
upon easier terms, be bound by
no restrictions and plant your
garden, keep a cow and a horse
and live in perfect independence
of the-city at your door. Upon
the completion of the Mount
Hood Railway, you will be able
to ride to the retail center in 35
minutes. Get - our folder, THE
MAN OF TOMORROW.
F. B. H0LBR00K CO.
Room 1 , Worcester Bldg;
Notes From the
Xabor World
The number of union laborers in Hol
land is estimated at 76,000.
The Trade Unionist, published in
Washington, D. C, has been taken out
of the receiver's hand.
The cloth hat and cap makers of 8t.
Louis have recently organized their first
local union in that city.
An
imposing
men's peace demonstration was
Anglo-German working-
i held at
Berlin. Germany, recently. More than
20,000 German workmen, representing
nearly every industry, gathered to Wel
come delegation representing the
British workmen in the interest of Inter
national arbitration, '
Engineers in Germany who have run
their-locomotives for 10 years without
accident are rewarded by the govern
ment. ' . - - . , .
A Compilation of trades union statis
tics In the principal countries places
the number of members In good stand
ing at 9,000,000.
The. International Brotherhood of
Maintenance of Ways employes .will
hold Its seventh biennial convention
In New Orleans, La., next Monday,
''
In Austria and France the provision
of rescue apparatus in mines is made,
compulsory. In Germany it is optional,
but has been voluntarily adopted. ;
' Farm laborers In the' south, paid oy
the month or year, and fed and sup
ported by the land owner, receive 35 to
40 cents a day during working season.
The Iron Molders' union of North,
America Is planning to celebrate' Its
fiftieth anniversary next year In an ap
propriate manner. The date has not
yet been -set.
A free course of instruction in steam
engineering for members has been ar
ranged recently by the Stationary Firer
men's union of Boston and it promises
to be well attended,
,'' v
A bill to provide for a state tax to be
used for1 the aid of the Injured miners
and families of men killed In the mines
of the state will be presented, to the
Pennsylvania state legislature.
Spinners and' cardroom workers In
Manchester, England, have adjusted
their differences with the manufactur
ers, agreeing, temporarily,- to accept
a 6 per-cent reduction.
The last available' : statistics show
that in one year in Germany the sum
of about 130.000.000 was paid to In
valid workmen to the number of 871,
000, in the form of old age pensions.
The Bakers' union of Memphis. Tenn.,
has started a label campaign which, the
members hope, will produce good renults.
The Idea Is to place a value upon bread
labels and thus encourage their use.
What Is said to have been the first
time in th history of the Westmoreland,
Pa., coal region, religious services were
conducted underground one day recent
ly. The miners listened eagerly to the
prayers and joined In the chorus of
revival hymns.
. The product of finished Iron and steel
In Pennsylvania in 1907 involved the
employment of 1J7.712 persons, who
earned 991,413,884 during the year. More
than one half of this product was manu
factured in the county of Allegheny.
President Charles W. Kliot of Har
vard, speaking at a meeting for the or
ganization of the Massachusetts state
child labor committee, declared that in
tils belief the rules of the labor unions
n apprentices are a drawback to the
workers against child labor.
; In both Rngland and Scotland Several
rescue stations have been organized in
Connection with experimental galleries
devised for the purpose of training col
liers in the methods of effective .res
cue work in the event of explosions, v't
fires and other underground accident.
" . ; ;i ''' - ' 1 '
The annual conference of the Winers'
Federation of Great Britain report"!
that the number of men employed in the
districts represented b the federation
was 787,800. and the number of men la
the union 693,444. There . was an in
crease In the number of employed com
pared with last ear of 158,000.
- ' , '
Public baths for miners and locker
for their working and street clothes,
so that they may " cleanse themselves
after their day's toil, and return to their
homes looking like office employes, if
they are so minded, la an Ideal to be
established at the new works of th
Pittsburg-Buffalo company, at Marltfha,
near Monongahela City. Pa. . ,
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HOLLADAY'S ADDITION
The one best place In Portland to buy. Geographical cej-ter and most d
slrable residence property of the city.
Seeing Is believing. Better go and see the many choice residences under
construction and the Improvements going on.
THE OREGON REAL ESTATE COMPANY
154 OBAIS ATX. ST. PORTRAITS. OXBCKW.
Pacific Iron WorEis
O. E. Heintz, Manager. Phone East 57; Home B-1157
Castings of All Kinds
Steel Buildings and Bridges
IN STOCK3 to 24-inch Beams, 4 to 15-inch Channels,
V2xiy2 to 8x8-inch Angles.
East End Burnside Street Bridge Portland, Oregon
A Pro
sressive Santa Clams
Did you ever stop to think what becomes of your Christmas presents year after year? Perhaps
you can show some of them today, but have any of them ever increased in value? Don't let this Christmas
pass without making the most valuable gift possible. Make a payment and get a contract for a lot at
SWINTON. Present this to some member of your family whom you are most interested in as to their
future; If they happen to be making their own living, have the mkeep up the payments of 2 per cent per
month". Almost any one can do it if they try and this obligation will be the making of them. The recip
ient of such a gift will look back to the Christms of 1908 as the brightest and most substantial of all.
Every man, woman and child should own some real estate in Portland these prosperous days, but
the best opportunities are now offered on the Peninsula. The richest men in America made most of their
money in real estate.
If you are not thoroughly convinced that Portland will be the New York City of the Pacific Coast
you will not deny that it will grow many times greater than it is, hence the .values of real estate will
increase step by step with its growth.
Only a few reasons why Portland should be the largest and best city in the West:
It is the only fresh water harbor on the Pacific Coast. Has five transcontinental railroads. Is the
healthiest city and has the lowest death rate of any city in the United States. It has an unlimited supply
of pure water. It is the first in lumber and wheat exports on the Pacific Coast, and above all is a city of
homes.
Hundreds of houses are contracted for in Swift & Co.'s townsite, Kenton, for their, employes.
Kenton is near SWINTON on the west and is one and a half miles south of the packing plant and stock
yards. A trestle, of. that 'length is already built and streetcar rails laid thereon. By early summer this
industry which is going to make a new Portland will be in operation. Part of SWINTOltf is only four
blocks from Piedmont and is but three miles directly north of the steel bridge. Two city railroads are
projected to run through SWINTON, as it is the center of the peninsula. SWINTON building restric
tions will make it first class residential property. Columbia Trust Company is now grading streets to
city engineer's stakes and putting in mains through each street for Bull Run water. While this improve
ment is going on we are making a reduction of 10 per cent on the price of our lots. We have made a new
record for the sale of subdivision lots in Portland. Over 850 lots have been sold since the middle of Sep
tember, which leaves less than 200 unsold. At this rate they will all be gone before Christmas. - Each
customer is a booster and most of. them intend to build. Already numerous contracts have been let for
substantial houses. Values will surely double in a year. r
We will continue to run our automobiles out to SWINTON to show our lots while they last. Any
day 'and any hour you elect, but by all means don't put it off. Get your choice while you can. Already
' some of our early purchasers have made good profits selling and reinvesting in this very property.
" , COLUMBIA TRUST COMPANY
SEVENTH FLOOR-COUCH BUILDING
FOURTH STREET lin.M: VAfTIK