Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-12-05

ests either to preserve or utlllZe' buC III
there be any feasible plan or system
whereby the State might at once secure
the reasonable use of the mature timber
by the people, and the preservation and
growth of the younger trees, thereby
keeping the mountain forests intact for
perpetual lumber supply. that system
merits the deepest consideration; and the
legislature would not be wise to take
steps that would tend to prevent its in
PRODUCTION. This matter is of deep inter-
est to every citizen of Vermont, and 1t
would be well if full expression of an
aroused and intelligent public opinion
thereon could be had before your COM
mittee, to aid you in arriving at a wise
and just decision in the matter before
you.
The conviction that something should
be done for the preservation of the re-
naming forests of Vermont is rapidly
growing upon her people. and of late
years has found various ways of express
sion. The newspapers have sounded the
alarm, the attention of our legislature at
different sessions has been called to the
subject and at a recent session commits
sion was appointed to inquire into the
matter and report thereon.
The great obstacle to progress in the
direction of preservation has lain in
the fact that no middle course has been
suggested. The forest owners have
wanted the proceeds of them and have
either cut them over themselves or
sold them to others for that purpose,
1t is only recently that our more re-
mote mountain supplies have been called
for, but now the increased demand and
the exhaustion of more accessible sour
ces have given them all market. \
large proportion was owned by peo-
pie in narrow circumstances, who had
an immediate need of all that could be
realized from them. Most of our noun
tain forests have now passed into the
hands of parties better able to hole
them and apply the conservative method
and it would now be no hardship to any
one if the State were by law to make
that method compulsory. 1t is almos
universally conceded that it would be {
public calamity for the large owners O.
mountain forests to proceed to cut then
over. On the other hand, 1t is felt to be
grievance to community relying for it
ordinary supply upon contiguous noun
tain forests for anybody to buy them VI
and stop all cutting thereon. On tn
whole, it is evident that the only way t,
supply the proper demands of the pres
ent and to insure supply for the futur
is to adopt the middle course, allow tn
cutting of mature trees and spare tn
young and growing timber. In this wa,
only can we insure the permanency o
those noble mantles of the mountain
from which our State derived her name
and warrant to our people an endurin
supply of those products of the fores
which their necessities will always re
qure. And in this way only can we pre-
serve to Vermont the glory of her hill;
> wherein her children, returned fror
9 many wanderings, rejoice, and which fl
the first time in their noble presence
with wonder and delight.
MIR. Chairman, we oppose this bill b'
ID cause it is a Icing step in the wrong dire
y ton. This great corporation now OWL
on the eastern slope of the Green Moul
t tains, about the head waters of the Whit
: river and its tributaries, many Thousand
I of acres of forest lends. From thes
Z lands and from others which, or who:
! timber, they may purchase they avo
i their intention of taking annually, if tn
" franchise is granted, not less than ii,
II million feet. Without the use of the:
Il water ways, to be granted them b
II this bill, they tell us they cam,
II afford to remove that lumber at al
The bill does not contain a sing
i stipulation to restrain them from dom
what has invariably been done by liz
81 companies in our northeastern countie
Is that is, stripping the spruce lumber clea
u from all the lands accessible to the;
+ newly opened waterways. 1t is tru
&c they tell us, by their president, that it
=" not their intention to cut spruce trees le
~ than foot in diameter; but when "
u suggest that this wholesome proyiso
, Incorporated into the bill, we are m
J. with an indignant refusal that does n
Is speak loudly for the genuneness of the
III expressed intention. We claim, NJ
J. Chairman, that this bill, if it ought
10 pass at all, certainly ought not to pa
y without proviso that this company sha
e not cut upon their lands in Vermont al
L timber less than twelve inches in diam
ter at the base. With this proyiso, Il
at conservative principle of utilizing Il
IN mature and preserving the growing til
We Der would be put into immediate practic
es Without this prOvisO, this bill is itse
We the agent that may put in a very fe
.