The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-05
President Roosevelt Addresses
the Forestry Congress.
Preservation of Timber vitality
Important to Nation.
HE FEELS ENCOURAGED
Since the Movement Has Taken
on a Business Aspect.
All Glasses of People Should Be
Equally Interested.

Washington, Jan. 5.-The American
Forest congress today held the most
important of its five days sessions.
The morning meeting was devoted to
discussions of the relation of railroads
and the forest. The afternoon pro-
ceedings consisted of a special session
marked by addresses by President
Roosevelt, the French ambassador,
President Hill of the Great Northern
railway, members of both houses of
congress and representatives of edu-
cationaI Institutions. lumber and live
stock interests.
President Howard Elliott Of the
Northern Pacific presided at the
morning session. The board of direc-
tors reported action looking to the
creation of an advisory board of the
forest congress to consist of repre-
sentatives of various industrial bodies
and to meet annually in Washington
Charles F. Henderson, general so
licitor of the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy and former United States SEN
ator from Nebraska, characterized the
preservation of the timber industry
of the country as 1.-The paramount is
sue" and urged the planting and hus-
banding of timber wherever trees can
be grown. He spoke of the enormous
demands for ties.
"Of the ties now on the railroad
per cent have to be replaced annually;
their average cost is so cents, making
an annual expenditure for this purpose
of $45, 000,0 600, which is exclusive OF
the labor employed and the cost of
local transportation. No feasible sub
stitute has been found for the wooden
tie.'' He urged the subjugation of
private rights to public necessity, the
study of means for eliminating waste
and mismanagement and the repeal of
the timber and stone land sale act.
Other addresses were made by J. 7.
Richards, chief engineer, maintenance
of way, Pennsylvania railroad, PreSf
dent L. E. johnson of the Norfolk &
Western; and Herman Won Schrenk,
of the bureau of forestry The latter
detailed the good results already an
nounced in the preservative treatment
of railroad timbers to prolong their
durability.
Mr.. Won Shrenk also gave some
facts adduced in recent experiments
by the government showing that con-
trary to many reports the injection of
creosote into wood brings about no
brittle or weakened condition of the
wood.
expected to make an address on 1.-THE
Dependence of the Railroads on For
est Preservation but was unable to
President Roosevelt spoke as fol-
lows:
The Presidents Address.
TT is a pleasure to greet the mem
bers Of the American Forest congress.
You have made, by your coming,
meeting which is without parallel in
the history of forestry. For the first
time the great business and the forest
interests of the nation have Joined to-
gether, through delegates altogether
worthy of the organizations they rep
resent to consider their individual and
their common interests in the forest.
This meeting may well be called a con-
gress of forest users, for that you are
users of the forest, come together to
consider how best to combine use with
conservation, is to me, full of the most
hopeful possible promise for our for
ests
1.-The producers, the manufacturers
and the great common carriers of the
nation had long failed to realize their
true and vital relation to the great for
ests of the United States and forests
and industries both suffered from that
failure. But the time of indifference