The Washington times., 1905-01-03
VIII SON
WELCOMES FOREST
CONGRESS TODAY
In Opening Address He
Pleads for Tree
Planting.
INTERESTS THE NATION
Distinguished Men Gather
and Discuss Wood
| Problem.
THE NATION

AT the opening session of the Ameri-
can Forest Congress at National Rifles
Armory this morning all the elements
were present which go to make up a
great national movement, well organ
lied and certain of deserved results.
This national meeting, the first of its
kind, under the auspices of the Ameri-
can Forestry Association. has brought
together more than a thousand delegates
from all corners of the United States.
representing all the varied interests
which look to the forests Of the country
for raw materials, means of conserving
water for irrigation and reclamation of
arid and semi-arid lands
Distinguished Men Present.
Among the 300 delegates are the pres
tdents of the powerful lumber compan-
les of the East, Northwest. Far West.
and Gulf States. railroad men interested
in the lumber traffic. and the sources
Of cross-tie supply. trade journal editors.
forestry school professors, representa-
tives of the forestry division of the De-
partment of Agriculture, anli United
States Senators and Representatives
whose States are noted for forest and
numbering industries.
At an early hour this morning the
delegates began to arrive and register.
Secretary Hall was in his office with a
dozen or more assistants from the Bu-
reau of Forestry by $50 o'clock, and
everything was in readiness for the del
egates when they arrived.
Forest Scenes.
In each of the six windows on both
sides of the hall were transparent pict-
ures OF forest scenes "A portion of the
exhibit ofthe Bureau of Forestry at st
Louis was shipped here to help decorate
the hall.
One of the most interesting pictures
was that of the Booker T. Washington
tree This giant redwood, which was
named for the negro educator, is seven
teen and half feet in diameter, and is
monster tree in appearance.
The congress was called to order
promptly at 10 o'clock by Secretary VII
son, who proceeded at once with his ad-
dress.
Address of Secretary Wilson.
Secretary Wilson, in welcoming the
delegates, spoke in part as follows:
i make you welcome to the Federal
seat of government. to consider the
state of our forests and of our lands
that cry aloud for want of trees. 1t is
aot a local question; Il is not a Class
question; it affects everybody. The use
of wood, notwithstanding the substitI1.
ION of steel in building and for otba,
purposes, increases every year, and ouI
forests vanish steadily before the AK
man. There are but few large reserves
left from which to draw supplies.
; he nation is awakening to the ne.
cessity OF planting trees and making
/ the most OF those that are mature The
| future requires planting in the uplands
| at the sources of all our streams thai
should never be denuded, to make tht
nils store water against times of droutf
| ana 10 mod1fy the flooding of the low.
| lands. Millions of acres of bare hill
| sides that produce nothing profitabl1
should be growing trees.
National in Significance.
I'VE are beginning a meeting which
is national in its significance Youl
presence here is the best possible proo
| that forestry is rapidly taking it's an
propriate place as an active and indis
pensable factor in the national economy
The forest problem, as President Roose
| welt has described it, is recognized n.
the most vital internal problem in tn
United States, and we are ut Wort
upon it. Unless you, who represent tn
business interests of the country. tax
hold and help, forestry can be nothin;
but an exotic. a purely Government en-
terprise. outside our Industrial life. an,
insignificant in Its influence upon tn
life OF the nation.
Il am glad to see the irrigation in
/ terests so strongly represented here
because forestry and irrigation go ham
in hand in the agricultural development
of the West Without forestry, nationa
irrigation will be merely a nationa
| mistake We can maintain the preseu
water supply of the West only by tn
protection of the existing forests an
we can increase this supply only by tn
foresting Of denuded watersheds.
Congress Has the Power.
THE vast area of the timberlands @
the United States is mainly in you
hands You have II in your power, b
, putting forestry into effect upon tn
! | lands you own and control, to make tn
: lumber industry permanent, and yo
+. VIII lose nothing by it. II you do no
: then the lumber industry viii go tn
2 way of the buffalo and the placer mine
l of the Sierra Nevada
The Secretary then called the particl
lar attention of the congress to tn
necessities OF the railroads and tn
mining industry with reference to 70,
estry, and in closing expressed in
! sented In the gathering might find tn
> most effective means of working to
Z gether for the common good.
Report of Progress.
I Following Secretary Wilson's address
5 the annual report Of the board of direc
I tors of the American Forestry Associs
ton. OH the progress and condition {
forestry in the United States, was rea
Q and impromptu speeches were made b
q prominent delegates.
AT the afternoon session paper
win be read by officers of the re
tryic St1rU nd hu