The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-26
SAVE THE WHITE MOUNTAINS.

SAVE THE WHITE MOUNTAINS.
 The following from the Boston Tran script is a timely article on subject of much importance:
 Senator Burnham's bill, which is ia yored by the report of the committee on forest reservations for the establish ment of a White Mountain forest re- serve. is one that ought to receive SUD- port from every Massachusetts member of congress. The state of New Hamp- shire is not able financially to provide
 the large sum which is necessary for the preservation of the White Noun tain forests, and the report of the com
 mtttee on forest reservations shows that the economic question involved is one which affects Massachusetts as
 much as it does New Hampshire. Pri-
 narily the matter is one of stream reg
 ulation, the Merrimac river tributaries
 rising in the White Mountain region, and it has been concluslvely demonstra
 ted that rainfall and water storage de-
 pend very largely upon the wooded
 areas at the headwaters of streams
 The mill cities of the Merrimack are
 deeply interested in the conservation of
 the water supply and the Merrimack
 river. carries more spindles than any other stream in the world. Surely from this economic point of view the matter
 is one deserving the hearty support of
 those who are interested in preserving our industries.
 The amount required for the preser- yation Of the forests is large, but denu- dation of the mountains is proceeding more rapidly in the White Mountain section than in any other part of the
 United States to-day, and It is high time for the government to act. Large sums have been expended by the gov ernment in regulating water supply of streams. In this instance this regula- tion Is accompanied by measure of forest preservation which is deserving
 of support on it's own account. Unless there IS Federal intervention, irrepara-
 ble damage will be done to the forests of New Hampshire at the present rate | of cutting, and in spite of all that has been done in the way of intelligent for Iestry, there Is still so much waste in cutting off the woods of New Hamp- shire that the supply of raw material is constantly diminishing, when 1t might
 be made endless. The lumber, pulp and paper industries in New Hampshire
 have increased greatly within the last fifteen years, and are growing rapidly.
 This means an increasing demand for
 raw material, and unless there is some measure of regulation, this demand will bring about the stripping of the hills land mountains of one of the most beau- 1 tiful sections of the country.
 If the White Mountains are ts be pre- senved to the people of this country as l a health and pleasure resort, the gov ernment must do something, and do it soon. The pending bill provides for an appropriation of five million dollars and for the establishment of a forest re serve of not more than a million acres 1 in the White Mountain region. Such a Preservation would regulate the water supply of the Merrimack, with it's man | fold industries, would perpetuate val uable timber found in the reserved area, and would preserve to the people I of this country forever the grand crown of New England the heaven-kissirls hills which are visited annually by
 thousands of people who come to see
 not the process of destruction by SEW
 mills, but the grandeur and the beauty ! of the eternal mountains k.