PRESERVATION OF FORESTS AS A MEASURE OF PUBLIC SAFETY Address Delivered Before the Seventeenth National Irrigation Congress HELD AT SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, U. S. A. AUGUST, 1909. BY THE BRAZILIAN DELEGATE L. BAETA-NEVES, Mining and Civil Engineer. THE PRESERVATION OF FORESTS AS A MEASURE OF PUBLIC SAFETY. Address before the 17th National Irrigation Congress, Spokane, Wash., August, 1909. by L. BAETA-NEVES Mining and Civil Engineer; Graduate of the Ouro Prete Mining School, Brazil; Chief of the Technical Department of the Directory of Railway and Public Works in Minas Geraes, Brazil; Member of the Historic and Geographic Institute of the same state; Member of the National Geographic Society of Washington; Knight of Columbus; Honorary Member of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles, Cal.; Representative of the Brazilian Government before the Scientific Congresses 16th Irrigation and 3rd Dry Farming in America, and Vice-President and Corresponding Secretary of this Congress; Special Delegate of Brazil before the 17th National Irrigation Congress at Spokane, Wash., where, by selection, he addressed the meeting on behalf of the Foreign Representatives. I really feel glad and exceedingly honored in coming again before this Congress and my pleasure is great in telling you once more how much I appreciate the warm welcome of the North American people, and how much I have enjoyed the pleasant stay in this most hospitable city.