The Washington herald., 1908-01-28

Tomorrow there will convene in Wash
ington one of the most important associa-
Vons that has to do with the economic
and industrial development Of the nation,
and the energies of the meeting viii be
greatly directed toward one Of the most
important bills that will occupy the at
tention Of Congress at the present session.
This organization is the American For
estry Association, and the bin is that
creating a new national forest ia the
White and Appalachian mountains About
5o0 delegates VIII be present, and the pres
ident. Secretary Wilson, Of the Depart
ment OF Agriculture. will preside. II is
expected that the governors Of the nine
Southern States affected by the bin vii!
be present, and thar representatives from
each Of these and the New England
States. as well as representatives from
the leading chambers OF commerce
throughout the country. viii come 10 offer
their encouragement and 10 inspire conf
dence in the good work. The day follow
ing this annual meeting the House Com
mittee on Agriculture viii grant hearing
on this bin.
This Is not the first great work Of ma
uoual Importance in which the American
Forestry Association has been Interested
The pioneer organization IN forestry Work
in this country it has been responsible IN
a large measure for the transfer Of the
Forest Service from the Department oi
the Interior TO the Department Of Agri-
culture. for the creation Of forestry asso-
Citations In many States, for the intelli-
gent direction OF many private and local
associations and for the calling Of the
forest congress Of 1865, when go delegates
came to represent all the states. From
q humble beginning in Cincinnati in lse-
il has grown TO q position CT national lm-
pOrtance and influence. The $500 mem
bers, scattered throughout ali the states
of the Union through Canada, and for
cent OF the virgin timber is left Lum-
bers. Just as the law OF 1891 for creating
national forests shows the association s
growth in power.
From the bill OF March ,. 1891, there
has grown up a group Of national forests
aggregatipg 100000 acres and equal
in size 20 all that part Of the United
States which lies east Of Ohio and north
OF North Carolina The tact that causes
not only the members Of the association,
but all other philosophical people, great
mental unrest IS that al these great ma
tionaI forests lie west of the Mississippi,
and that the Appalachians. source Of in
Vulnerable streams and rich in native
timber. are left unguarded. For years
the American Forestry Association has
been an ardent advocate Of the creation
of a system Of national forests that viii
embrace the White Mountains Of New
England and the various ranges that are
embraced in the Appalaehians of the
South. and should the bill finally be al
lowed TO come to vote in the House, much
Of the credit for its passage-for its ad-
vocates are sure il VIII pass-will be due
to this association.
Affiliated with the American Forestry
Association in this particular work are
the American Civic Association, the Ap-
palaChian Forest Association, the Ap-
palachian Mountain Club, the Society foI
the Protection of New Hampshire For
ests, the Massachusetts, Forest AssOcia-
ton, the Carriage Builders National AS
sociatiOn, the Association for the Ad-
vancement OF Science, the Association OF
University Presidents. the General Fed
EEdEfGN OF " omen > ALAB%r AtiG Af4lEI1JaL
Institute of Electrical Engineers. and
other organizations Of widely diversified
interests. but with this one common need
and ambition-tO save the forests of tbs
East.
There are 100000 acres Of tinberet
lands in the Appalachian mountains
lands on which must grow the hardwood
supply of the future. The bin for the
preservation of these forests provides fol
the establishment OF national forests oI
100000 acres running from Maryland
through Virginia, West Virginia, Nortf
and South Carolina, Georgia, AID Ten
nessee. The waste already allowed ii
these mountain forests is deplorable. II
the Southern Appalaehians the forests
have been so cut over that only Is pei
| cent of the virgin timber is left. Lum-
bermen are said to be going over the
lands for the third time They took wal
nut, cherry, and poplar first; then white
oak and chestnut and now are getting
out the remaining chestnut and inferior
oaks-anything thst Is merchantable. Ont
OF the largest tanneries in the world is
near Asheville. n. c.. and in that ses
tion-untiI the Toxaway Company bough
up 60, 600 acres, and, forming a private pre-
serve, put a stop to such things, on theil
lands at Ieast-the natives would Gu
down great hemlocIs trees merely for th'
/ bark. They sold this bark at about 8
a load, leaving the rest Of the tree Il
decay or offer food for forest fires Chest
nut, the prevailing tree at present, il
being cut clean for manufacture OF tannii
acid extract.
There are 6i7 tanneTies to be kept busy
| In the United States, tanning $3.50 600 Co
worth of leather. Last year they useC