Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-01-25
A Measure Of Great Importance to New
Enaland.

No bill before Congress is of such great
general interest i'm New England as that
CREATING the White Mountain and Appal-
achian forest reserves The measure was
passed by the Senate without dissenting
vote. was reported unanimously and fav-
orably by the agricultural committee of
the House. and its enactment has been
repeatedly urged by the President Last
Friday delegation from New England
and the Southern Atlantic states visited
Speaker Cannon to urge upon him the
passage Of the bill The delegation in
cluded Gov. Floyd Of New Hampshire,
Lieut. Gov. Prouty of Vermont, The
ophius Parsons of Boston and Secretary
Start of the Massachusetts state forestry
association The delegation was accom-
panied by Representatives Mccall and
Weeks of Massachusetts and Currier of
New Hampshire Gov. Glenn of North
Carolina made an argument for the re-
serves. Speaker Cannon lid not give
any definite assurance that the House
would pass the bill at this session. He
spoke OF the difficulty Of action with only
30 more legislative days left and "A mass
Of routine business TO be handled 1t
would seem that while the House is
rushing through private pension bills and
| other matters il might pause long enough
! to give little consideration to bill
! of such extreme importance as the one
| which would save the White Mountain
! forests. The cost Of the entire undertax-
| ing. which would be Of incalculable benr-
| fit not only to people today but TO genera
! tions yet Unborn. would not equal the
! outlay on a single big warship If the
Congressman from New England wish to
! do genuine service for their constiJu-
ents they have the opportunity offered
now, by joining unitedly in demanding
the passage OF the bill The New York
! Tribune has had something to say on
this subject. which is pregnant with
thought.
! New England is still the most i'm
| portant manufacturing region Of America.
and its manufacturing Industries are very
! largely dependent upon the water supplies
| Of rivers procee Sing from the White
! Mountains We may except Rhode Island
but to all the other five states the con-
| servation Of the White Mountain water
power is matter Of greatest importance
| Those five states contained in 1900 no
fewer than SO, 1852 factories. with an ag-
| gregate capital Of more than 81 400
900 600, a yearly output of goods worth
81. $50, 900 600 and a yearly payroll to en-
poyes amounting to about $3.50. 600. 600
Just how many OF those establishments
are dependent upon the water supply Of
the White Mountains it would be difficult
to say. But divide the numbers we have
cited by ten. or by 90. and still how
| enormously DO they dwarf the largest
! possible estimates OF the cost OF a forest
10 Jet such vast interests be imperilled
for lack Of so comparatively petty an ex-
pen6ture for their protection.
| Doubtless it would handsomely pay the
New England states themselves to create
the forest reserve. But they are unable
to do SO, FOR the reason that. while five
states enjoy the water power, the mount
aims and forests themselves are practic-
ally all in one state. Connecticut and
| Massachusetts are most Of all interested
in the preservation Of the forests yet
not single mountain or tree Of the pro-
posed and needed reserve is within their
boundaries or subject To their jurisdiction.
That is the feature Of the case which so
urgently prescribes federal action"
This question assumes immediate local
interest with our Connecticut river dam a
possibility of the near future. and the in
itial measures well in hand.