Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-02
Recommended by the President.

president Roosevelt strongly recon-
mended the protection of the southern
range of water sheds in letter transmit
ting a report of the Secretary of Agricul-
ture last winter. He considered it an
economic need of prime Importance to the
welfare of the south, ,and hence to that Of
the nation whole. The soil, once de-
nuded Of it's forests and swept by torrenttal
rains rapidly loses first it's humus. then its
rich upper stratum and finally is wash ii
in enormous volume into the streams to
bury such of the fertile lowlands as not
eroded by the floods, to obstruct the rivers
and to fill up the harbors on the coast.
More good soil is now washed from these
cleared mountain-sde fields during single
heavy rain than during centuries under
mountain cover Along the streams are
agricultural, water power and navigation
interests whose preservation is absolutely
essential to the wel!-being of the nation.
These were the views of the President and
they will be conceded in by every one
familiar with the, conditions existing IN
these mountain ranges. | do not know OF
any opposition to a proposition to protect
these water sheds, and do not know why
there should be any. The President at the
same time Endorsed the statement that the
floods in these mountain-born streams, If
1.-The forest destruction continues, will in
crease in violence and frequency and in NE
extent of their damages. The extent of
these damages, like those of the washing
of the mountain fields and roads, cannot be
estimated with perfect accuracy he says,
but during the year the total easily approx
| mated 1000, sum sufficient to pur-
chase the entire area recommended for the
proposed reserve. The American Forestry
Association, in session here this week. has
approved of the Appalachian reserve in a
| resolution adopted by that body.
Protecting the Potomac's Sources.
These matters are of local interest in one
| way-they show that there is a general
recognition Of the necessity of such reserves
| and they show that the water sheds upon
| which Washington depends for it's water
| supply are not protected by any reserve or
proposed reserve 1 have a residence near
| Fairfax stone--the stone erected by Pres-
| dent Washington to mark the grant of land
made to Lord Fairfax 1t is on the highest
| stream of the many which feed the Poto-
| mac. Within stones throw of my house
| is Rhine creek the highest source of the
| Ohio river. A small ridge separates the
| head waters Of these two great streams.
| That country is not under any law protect
| ing these head waters, and the land is rap
| idly being denuded of it's timber When L
| went home to vote l talked with Mr.. Dag
! gett, who is interested in the postal-card
| contract, and he told me his company had
| placed one of its factories next to a pulp
| mill in this country and was turning out a
| million and a half of postal cards day.
| The sawdust and debris from the mills and
| the refuse of the pulp fill the streams and
| help to impair the water supply upon winch
| Washington depends But more particular
| ly the sudden rises in the Potomac in recent
years are due to the destruction of these
water sheds, and for the same reason in
| summer we have sluggish or stagnant poois
| the streams almost dry in place of Wig
| orous current which would to some extent
| keep the water pure. There is undoubtedly
| more mud in the water, and that is caused
| by the washing away of these mounta in
| tops where the earth was once held in place
| by the roots of shrubs and trees. The cut
| ting of this timber is. Of course, a legti-
mate business enterprise, and in all cases
| private property IN terGsts must be satisfied
| in the creation Ola reserve.
81 am OF speaking from the standpoint Of
complaint. All water sheds should un-
| doubtedly be projected, and l do not see
why the important t watersheds of the Po-
| tomac and Ohio should not receive consid-
Grafton This government has made several
reports on the POLLUTION of the Potomac
which has brought out many of these facts
in detail and while the subject is not en-
tirely new. it isres,ecially interesting to
Washington. ZI.F Il