The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1905-11-08

variable situation. 20 ably presented
nv vice. President Hobs0n last year IN
Admission. by which 1t was evidenced
that there are I'm Central Alabama over
a million and a half acres Of surface
outcrop of lime rock suitable for max
,rg portland cement varying from sew
enty-five to 800 feet in depth. The Ala
bama River pierces solid walls Of SPLEEN
Ala lime stone formations on its way
to the Gulf, some Of them towering up
ward from les to 200 feet IN an almost
perpendicular bluff. The preliminary
estimates for the construction OF tne
Panama Canal by the United States
Government call for 100000 tons OF
Portland cement. Doubtless 100000
TO 10000, 900 tons will be used before
that work and other gigantic enter
prises connected Herewith are COM
pleted.
Is there a place in the known world so
fsvorably situated for the location Of port
land cement plants as along these solid
bluffs of Selma chalk. which for 70 miles
forms the banks Of the Alabama Riverf
Where in all the earth can you find sucn
another combination of limitless supplies.
cheap medium Of transportation and vaiua-
BILE markets. Here right at hand are ce-
ment materials sufficient to I'LL the needs
Of the world for centuries; noble river
the property OF the government. eager to
bear to their destination waiting line OF
heavily laden barges. and Government 1T
self requiring an immense and constant sup
ply Of cement for the next ten or fifteen
years. The utmost publicity should be
accorded this remarkable feature by the
committee in charge of advertising abroad
the States undeveloped resources n
Protection to Pine Forests.
Secondly. our forests are fast fading be-
fore the onslaught Of saw mills and turpen-
tine stills. America 10 on the eve of . for
est famine. In twenty-five years our for
ests will be virtually exterminated for COM
mercial uses. Not century ago Maine was
called the Pine Tree State. Today pine 10
being shipped across the continent from
California to Maine. Thirty years age It
Indiana could never be exhausted. Today
there are no forests in Indiana and the few
remaining factories procure their wood from
far distant States. Ohio and Kentucky
once covered with immense oak. hickory.
poplar and other trees have been cut over
and might now be called prairie States.
Thirty years ago white pine forests covered
Michigan and Wisconsin SO densey that It
was considered inexhaustible. Today 1t 10
gone and Grand Rapid manufacturers now
secure their lumber from small forest areas
1000 miles distant. The only remaining
timber which we now have in any CONNER
cial quantities is the yellow pine of the
Gulf States and the fir and pine Of the
North Pacific Coast States. In twenty
years the yellow pine will all be cut. Leg
isiation should be invoked to properly pro-
tecs the supply of timber still standing in
Alabama and measures recommended for
inaugurating a general plan of reforestra-
ton. Believing that this Association could
not do a more valuable work for the mate
rial welfare of the State than to direct
the attention of its citizens to this important
matter, we have invited Mr.. Alfred Gaskill
of the Bureau of Forestry at Washington
to come down to especially present this
cause to this meeting and his paper thereon
viii be discussed by the president of the
Alabama Lumber Manufacturers Associa-
ton They will tell us what we should do
but upon our own shoulders will rest the
doing itself.
We have a great State. one Of which ev-
cry citizen should be proud. OF the beau
~ of its climate. of the abundance of its
material resources, Of the wonders OF Its
increasing development. we are all cogni-
cant. Let us see to It that those who are
elected to office in Alabama are such as
will jealousy guard her present and watch
over her future and maintain full SYM
pathy at all times with those in the ranks
who are pushing forward its material well
fare.
Respectfully submitted.
L. L. Gilbert,
Secretary.