St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-12-18

road freights that it tends to encour-
age by low rates the cutting and
shipping of rough lumber rather than
its manufacture here"
This bill should not pass, but bill
should pass and pass at once, author
izing the state to purchase its best
lumber lands vet untouched, that
can be purchased low, and to place
the same under a proper manage
ment Before this or similar charters
are given away this can be
done so that the state will make
largely on all it's purchases.
The gentleman from New Hamp-
shire, Mr.. era wford, who has ap
peared before the committee in con
nection with this bill, is by far the
most intelligent forester that | have
ever met. Through a long and
laborious life he has been familiar
with the forests, especially of New
Hampshire, and he tells me that he
has himself purchased for different
parties between 100000 and 300
900 acres of forest land. Mr.. Craw-
ford has testified before this com
mittee something OF the management
of forestry in Europe, especially III
Germany. l understand from Mr.
Crawford that he has been requested
to appear soon before the committee
of forestry in New Hampshire to eX-
press his views about forest preserva-
ton, and he says that he shall say
to them, Il know of a tract of forest
in the heart of the White mountains,
as yet untouched, comprising some
100000 acres. This can or could
quite recently be bought for five dol
lars an acre. All of these spruce
lands yield on an average 500, 900
feet of marketable lumber to the 100
acres, and if New Hampshire would
buy this tract, then divide it up into
parcels of 5000 acres each, she could
by numbering one of these parcels
yearly, readily sell each year $50, 900
worth of lumber on the stump and
leave standing all trees under -
inches in diameter This would give
a sinking fund of $4,000 to apply
on the purchase money; 500, 900
more to pay interest at per cent OF
the whole amount borrowed, and
$4,000 to pay expenses of forest
supervision and necessary roads.
The interest each successive year
would be less and III 20 or % years
the whole amount, principal and in
terest, would be paid and New Hamp-
shire own forest as valuable and
perhaps more than when purchased. y
Wehave better opportunity than
this to buy lumber lands providing
this bill is not passed. They could
be bought all the way from 81 to 81
an acre. Pass this bill and that OPP
portunity of the state to save to it
self hundreds of thousands of dollars
of property and to the people of the
state for all time a supply of lumber
to be had at reasonable cost, will be
gone. 1t does not seem to me, Mr..
Chairman and gentlemen of this com
mittee, that you will wish thus or
that this Legislature will wish to sell
thus our heritage for a mess of pot
tage.
Mr. Battell then gave many facts
and figures from the article on for
ests in the 9th volume of the Ency-
clopedia Britannica, where it is
shown that the principle of preserva-
ton of the forests is enforced by
every considerable state in Europe
except Spain, and that by using the
mature and preserving the growing
timber the forests are made to yield
excellent financial results. He then
said in closing:
Il will touch upon one more sub
ject, that of summer hotels and sum-
mer visitors 1t is claimed that the
pulp company which seeks this
charter use 100000 feet of spruce
per year, and that the expense of
cutting and delivering this at Bel
lows Falls would be So per thou
SAND, or $25, 900.
One summer hotel with the capac-
ity of 2OOboarders should bring into
the state at least this amount every
year, and two-thirds to three-quar-
ters of this is paid out for supplies
and help, mostly in the immediate
vicinity where the hotel is situated.
Our state should be filled with sum-
mer hotels. There is no more beau
tiful region for summer travel and
none more accessible to the great
centres of population. | have seen it
stated and suppose it to be true that
each year between $2.OOO,OOO and
So, 100000 are left in New Hamp-
shire by summer visitors. Vermont
ought to have an equally large
amount And she can have if we
apply ourselves rightly to the getting
of it. This mighty rib of old forest
that runs through our state is by far
the most beautiful bit of scenery that
we have. Preserved, it would itself
attract yearly and for all time thou
sands of summer visitors. And this
is another reason, and a most sub
stantial one, why this bill should not
pass, for it aims directly and most
fatally at the destruction of this last
line of original forest and with it
largely the hope of summer travel.
Vermont has no school of forestry
If it had, we should hope to be re-
lieved from the apprehension that its
Legislature, now or ever, would
exercise its powers and lend its aid
to promote a gratuitous and whole
sale scheme for the destruction OF
what yet remains of her once grand
and noble forests.
RELIGIOUS NOTES.
Though it is but 8 wears since the