The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-13
THE TIME TO ACT.


 Without doubt every public spir ited citizen shpull he thoroughly in accord with those far-sighted men who are now putting forth their every ee fort to get cong 'sy to pass some ap- propriate legislation ia regard 10 for estry reservation. New England is especially interested In the White mountains and Appalachian system But the time has come for action on the part Of all If anything is to he done in the matter al this session of congress. 1t must he done at once The house committee, to which the matter has been referred, has held ex- haustive hearings Within the week the committee has gone into executive session to determine upon its future action Judging from the flood of testimony which came before the committee in January from a great number of representative men, there can be little doubt hut that it will re- port favorahly when it gets 10 it But the fear Is that the committee may decide to hold further hearings. in which case its report would not get to congress until it would be too late for action upon it this session The taking of further testimony ls need less. Scarcely a dissenting voice has been heard upon the subject; there is perfect unanimity. That being the case. let 1t be urged upon every cit izen to take the matter to heart, to write to Hon. Charles F Scott, chair man of the agricultural committee of the house, urging him to get his re- port for the committee to congress at once without further delay, and 10 Hon. Joseph Cannon. speaker of the house appealing to him to use his n- fluence in getting legislation through that body at once Letters of this character can accomplish much; we'll timed, they can accomplish the max mum. Right now Is the psychologist al time.
 Perhaps the necessity of forestry legislation has been no better sum marized than in the recently adopted resolutions of the National Associa- ton of Manufacturers Gin which the following facts of imperative import ance. ascribed to by the best scientific and practical experts In the country. are set forth That with present methods of use and rates of lncreas- ing consumption our resources of coal, iron, natural gas, oil, and for ests are being exhausted, or burdened with an increasing cost of produe- ton; that the fertility of the soil is decreasing because of ignorant culti- vation and because of the washing away of lands through floods caused by forest destruction; that there is a growing damage to our inland water ways and resources of water power, also due to forest destruction by wasteful methods of numbering; and that from the same cause our remain ing supplies of timber cannot last over thirty-three years more at the present rate of consumption, involv- ing the early destruction of the entire industry and the hurt of the whole system of manufacturing and indus trial production throughout the coun- try"
 Whether one or another of the bills now before congress upon the question is the better Is not so material. There are three of these: The Poland, the Weeks and the Lever bills Of these the latter two have met with the broader endorsement by the lumber men of the country Neither of them may be just exactly what Is wanted The Weeks bill provides for the ac. quirement of only such forest re-  serves as can be got by the govern. ment with the revenue obtained from existing forest reserves in the fal west This revenue is not large and the benefCiaY results of the action o congress would be postponed possi bly, to a time when 1t would be toe late. The Lever bill provides for a commission of five, appointed by tho president, to investigate, designate and value such southern Appalachian and White mountain areas as are the sources of navigable streams, ana these designated areas will then be purchased by the government under the direction of the secretary of agri culture, with the consent of the state or states having such lands in theil l jurisdiction at prices not greater thar l those placed upon them by the com.