The Washington times., 1902-06-08
Speaks for Estab ishment
4 of Appalachian
Park.
TO COST TEN MILLION DOLLARS
Conservation of Woodlands, Mr.. De-
pew Declares, an Evidence of Civiliz
ation-No Parks Yet Set Apart in
the East.

The Senate yesterday took up the bill
| providing for the purchase by the
United States of a national forest re-
Mountains. Mr.. Depew. member of the
Senate Committee on Forest Reserves,
made long address in its favor.
/ The bill provides that the sum of s10.-
100000 shall be appropriated and that
| / 900, 600 acres of land extending 200
miles along the Appalachian Mountains.
] through several Southern States. shall
be purchased.
The object of the park is to preserve
the gigantic hardwood forest of the re-
gion. one of the finest in the world,
not only for itself, but for the protec-
ton of the water supply of the South
ern States.
Unanimously Reported From Committee
The bill was reported favorably by a
unanimous vote of the Senate Commit
tee on Forest Reserves several months
ago end has been on the calendar since
that time.
Mr.. Hale compllmented Mr.. Depew on
his speech and said that he was hearth
ly in sympathy with the project. He
said that the bill should be passed dur
ing the present session.
Mr.. Pritchard announced that he
would call it up again next week.
Quotes the President.
MIR. Depew. after quoting President
Roosevelt's commendation of the plan in
his annual message, and referring to the
interest taken in it by Secretary Wilson,
said:
Nature has been so prodigal in her
gifts of forests to the United States that
the important question of their preser-
walton has been neglected too long. The
attacks of the settlers upon the woods
FOR clearings and a home have been in
discriminate and wasteful in the ex-
treme The settlers are not to blame,
nor are the lumbermen. The destruc-
tion which has been going on with such
frightfully increasing rapidty during the
last fifty years is due to a lack OF that
governmt ntal supervision in the inter-
est of the whole people which can only
come from education and experience.
High Evidences of Civilization.
Intelligent conservation of the for
ests OF country Is the highest evil
dence of its civilization. The climate,
the soil. the productive capacity OF the
farm, the equabiity of the rainfall and
the benefcent flow of the streams are all
We have wisely set apart already in the
West forty-one national forest reserves
about &C, 600 900 acres. One of them
is already paying expenses and yielding
Il slight revenue.
The experience of the older countries /
of the world is of great value in this I
Forestry has been prac-
ticed in Germany for hundreds of years /
Except for this wise and thoughtful /
care by the government, the Fatherland 4
population. Twenty-six per
cent of the land OF that country Is in
forests, of which the government owns
Two thirds. We have left in our own f.
country only 2G per cent of our terri
tory in woods. Germany has special
schools of forestry for the education of
her youth In this science
Cost But 81 an Acre.
The proposition before US is not 10
refcrest at $24 an acre, as in Italy. or
at $50 an acre. as in France, but at al
expense Of about 50 an acre TO preserve
he forests which have been forming
-or over thousand years in trees and
soil Scientific forestry in Germany,
France, and Italy gathers an annual
:rop from the trees which have reached
he point where they are commercially
and can be cut not only with
tut injury to, but. on the contrary, for
he benefit Of the whole forest, of from
4 to s. an acre per year net, after pay
ng all the expenses of their care
while Al, 600 600 acres of land have I
Continued on Third Page.) II