Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1907-11-21

large tracts of important noun
tain lands provisions should he
made for re selling or otherwise
utilizing theseagricultural lands
Farther the Secretary''says. Lis
ten to his words of wisdom spea-
king from experiente:
To farming and fruit-grewing
the reserve would be a greatstim
ulus. They would take out of use
no land that could properly en-
ployed for these purposes and the
protection OF the higher noun
tain slopes would greatly add to
the safety of farming and fruit
growing in the valleys below.
Neither would they stop the use
OF the mountains for grazing pur
poses where they are properfood
for stock. The high mountain
tops or balds' which might he
included in the reserves, and
good grass lands could be graz
ed without interfering with the
purpose of the reserves.
Again as TO the reduction OF
the population which my friend
figured in so extensively:
"The many other uses which
can he made Of the mountains,
would be facilitated rather than
hindered. Such uses as power de-
velopment, hotels, residence sites,
rights of way, saw mills, and any
legitimate purpose whatever that
does not endanger the forests.
AS to the free advertising spo.
ken OF by Mr.. Cone. This is a well
known fact that every thinking
man knows to be true. The mere
fact that the Congress of theUni-
ted States should set apart some
of this region would proclaim to
the world that we have a conn
try beautiful beyond the knowl-
edge OF lthe general public. We
would haye acountry that would
vie with the mountains of Swift
zerland. whose fame is worl d.
wide-Switzerland, where thegov
ernment controls the forests and
receives $500 annually per acre
therefor. This region in
question is within "a hours ride
of G0,0O0,000 people and it
would become one of the great
vacation grounds OF the nation.
The gentleman from Elk Park re-
fers to the Presidents letter of
transmittal to Congress. This
only embodies the Presidents
views OF the matter and is of no
practical value as to cost a n d
the number of acpes to he inclu-
ded in the proposed forest re-
serves. Why, l will give you the
words OF the Secretary OF Agri-
culture:
"The last Congress appropria-
ted $25, 900 to provide foran au-
thoritive report on the necessity
of establishing forest reserves in
the Appalachian mountains. Ii
the reserves must be established
Congress wants to know where
they are located, how large thev
must be and what will lie the ul-
innate cost. The Forest Service
is now working on these prob
lens.
at will first determine h 0 "
much land the Government will
have to buy in order to protect
the Appalachian water and tim
Der resources. Next it will decide
where first reserves should be To-
Gated, and finally information as
to what the lands will cost. How
extensive the reserves should be
nobody knows at present.
"This is one OF the most i'm
portant things to be covered by
the Forest Service in its report
to Congress next winter Con-
gress will certainly want to know
before starting on this problem
where the stopping point will be-
Now. what have We to lear
from this? Wherein need we be
uneasy? When and where has the
Government worked a hardship