i
The Conservative * 11
aggregate of 558,720 acres with but
0110 per cent held under private claim.
Two of them in the past were par
tially covered by natural timber , and
all are of typical sandhill formation ,
worthless for farming and of incon
siderable value for grazing.
Extreme Need of Timber.
Wo recognize the extreme need of
timber throughout the semi-arid west ,
and believe that all reasonable efforts
should be put forth by the government
toward the encourage ment of forestry
among private land owners and to
ward the development and preserva
tion of forests on those government
lands in that region which are more
valuable for forest than for other uses.
The forestation of the sandhills of
Nebraska , if that can be successfully
accomplished , would reclaim the laud
so treated and be of great direct good
to that region through the protection
against disastrous wind and other cli
matic disadvantages.
We therefore recommend that the
lands described bo withdrawn from
private entry and set aside by your
proclamation as permanent forest re
serves.
THE SHIP SUBSIDY BILL.
The supporters of the Frye Ship Sub
sidy bill urge as one reason why it
should be passed that it has been strip
ped of some of the provisions which
were obnoxious to many members of
the last Congress. This is insufficient ,
however , to give a certificate of char
acter to the new bill. The new bill is
drawn on broader lines than the old
one , but the principle remains the
same. The argument advanced in
its behalf is specious. The claim
is made that by the voting of subsidy
to vessels of American build our
foreign commerce will be carried
more extensively in American ships and
that Americans will be enabled to con
tend successfully with European com
petition. This is based on the absurd as
sumption that foreign nations will per
mit their vessels to lose business because
the subsidized American ships can
cheapen freight rates. If the British
Kingdom , Germany and France , for ex
ample , find , as a matter of fact , that
their ships are unable to compete with
the Americans , what is more likely than
thai ; these European countries will
amend their own laws to meet the new
conditions.
Thepresent Frye bill marks the thin
edge of a wedge to be inserted for the
purpose of giving the money of the
Treasury to a special class. Once the
system is inaugurated , it is certain that
on-one pretext or another constant de
mands will be made upon Congress to
"give , give. " It will be claimed that
by the passnge of new laws in foreigi
countries the American subsidy has been
countervailed , and that there is neces
sity for an increase in bounties , that
certain steamship lines find their volume
of business too small , and can not be
operated without additional bounty
from the government , and that in other
ines competition among American
ships has become so keen that freight
rates have fallen so low that disaster
will overcome the shipping industry
unless Congress helps to foot the expen
ses. Any one intelligently conversant
with the operation of the American
customs tariffs since 1883 knows that
ihe recipients of benefits are always re
sisting any reduction of duties , and are ,
to a great extent , favorable to still
higher rates of duty. So it will bo with
ship subsidies , should Congress initiate
such a policy. Philadelphia Ledger ,
Republican. )
THE NEBRASKA FARMER.
The Nebraska Farmer of January 28 ,
1903 , gives an extended and interesting
account of the last session of the State
Horticultural Society , at Lincoln.
The following may be of interest to
friends and patrons of this periodical :
At the afternoon session J. Sterling
Morton , ' ' the Sage of Arbor Lodge , ' '
? ave an address on Arbor Day. Mr.
Morton narrated the incident of his
having introduced a resolution to the
state board of agriculture , at its meet
ing on January 4 , 1872 , which resulted
in establishing this holiday in Ne
braska , and which is now celebrated
in every state and territory in the
union and several foreign countries.
Some discussion arose as to the nam
ing of the tree planters' holiday ,
many preferring "Sylvan" to
"Arbor" day. But inasmuch as
svlvan. technicallv used , meant forest
trees or the woods only , "arbor" day
was adopted as a more comprehensive
term. The first Arbor Day 8,000,000
trees were planted in Nebraska. In
thirty years twenty-five billion trees
had been planted. Mr. Morton read
a part of his address from a paper
prepared by him for an Arbor Day bul
letin issued by the superintendent of
public instruction of New Jersey.
The address abounded in poetic senti
ment , and the wisdom of one whose
perceptions are keenly awake to the
welfare of future generations.
' ' Continuous animal existence with
out plant life is impossible , " the
speaker said. "But continuous war
fare is made upon vegetation , even to
the destruction of trees which require
hundreds of years to grow. But man's
victory over trees is short-lived , and
in the near future the strongest of us
shall render up our bodies builded
from vegetable life to return to nat
ure , and the bloom on the cheek of
youth may reappear in the petal of a
rose or perchance in the trunk of an
oak. Nations of the orient have de
itroyed their forests and desolation
ms followed. Savages never plant ;
barbarians never conserve. It is the
function of the highly civilized to
ionservo and restore forests , and we
should persistently teach those who
ome after us to conserve such forests
as we have left and to plant and culti
vate and renew this vital element in
he nation's industrial life. "
Mr. Morton's address was an in
spiration to remarks and discussion by
various members of the society. This
discussion developed the fact that Mr.
Morton practices what he preaches ,
and has growing on "Arbor Lodge"
near Nebraska City , in addition to
many acres of hardwood trees , a single
plantation of 10,000 white pines , which
lave attained the height of 12 to 20
feet in nine years and show all the
characteristics of a forest.
Watikegan
Nurseries
Ornamental
Shade and
Forest Trees.
Evergreens , Shrubs , Etc.
RARE HARDY
BEAUTIFUL
Largest Stock in America , includ
ing . /Colorado Blue Spruce , and
Douglas Spruce of Colorado.
Wholesale and Retail
Price Lists on Application.
R. DOUGLAS' SONS.
WAUKEGAH , ILL.
