Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-02-27
FIGHTING THE RESERVES.
People of the Northwest Protesting
Against Secretary Francis
Forestry Scheme.

Forestry Scheme.
Omaha, Neb.. Feb. 26-Strong resolutions
were adopted at a meeting of the executive
committee of the Omaha Commercial Club
to-day, protesting against the action of
President Cleveland in setting aside q ,0O0,-
for forestry reservations. The resolutions
set forth that 5000, 900 acres of this land is
in Wyoming and South Dakota country
Immediately tributary to Nebraska, and ex--
press the belief that the order will not have
the effect of protecting the forests, but will
increase the danger of destruction by fire.
and will drive out number of agricultur-
lists and miners. The resolutions call upon
Nebraska's senator's and representatives In
tHe orer he fegsature Is
also called upon to take action along the
Deadwood S. D., Feb. 26-The following
telegram has been sent to the president of
the United States, as the result of an en-
thusiastic mass meeting held here:
being held here, voicing the feeling of 3o
Dakota. to respectfully ask you to suspend
reservation in the Black hills of South
Dakota until the people can be heard pro-
testing against it. YOU have evidently
been deceived by persons without knowl-
edge of the conditions or reckless of the
consequences. This reserve. IL maintained.
dependent industries of this region and
largely compel its depopulation."
When plans were considered few
years ago for the preservation of the for
ests of the Adirondacks In Northern New
YORK. which-as II WIS then stated-were
being ''sinfully and wastefulIy cut down
and destroyed. violent opposition arose
II ON people of that section of the state.
But the discussion that was then excited
had much to do to create an interest in
forest preservation. especially in the thick
ly populated sections when the timber has
been cut away to make farms. The over
fow of the Ohio river. which. within the
past few days as in many preceding years,
has caused such great loss of property
and business. is cited by friends of forest
preservation as an example of the evil of
they assert, retained the moisture and pre-
vented the rush of the water over the
land into the streams. Old settlers say
that such foods were, in the earlier his
tory of the country, unknown.
Forest preservation has, in many of the
European countries. been reduced to a sys-
ers are men who have given the matter
in their university course special attention
and have later added to their knowledge
by practical work in the woods. One of
| the most striking examples of the result
| Is to be seen in the Black forest. vast
| tracts of wooded land in Baden. The out
| the control of one company. One of their
notices is to never cut down tree with
| outplanting another in its stead, and in
! this way the forests have been preserved
| and u wealth. greater than could be OBJ
tanned from farming or grazing, has ac-
crued.
| The most interesting example of the per-
| suance of the contrary policy is in the
| Karst hills of Southern Austria and Herze-
| gcvina. From much of this high land the
| forests were years ago cleared away. The
| heavy rain in the spring and autumn
| washed away the soil; the hot sun baked
| what remained. and the frightful bora
| almost entirely a desolate, barren rocky,
unproductive land The Austrian forestry
| commission has for years been endeavoring
| to make forests grow at several places
| but only with Indifferent success; the
| Goods. heat and north winds have proved
! too areat enemies. One OF the commits
| sionerks graphically put the case by say
| ing that .'it is harder to start a forest
| than 10 destroy It.