Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-08
DEFENDS FORESTRY RESERVE.
Senator Depew Speaks At Length In
Favor Of Reforestization.

Washington. May TN reply to Sena-
tor Hevburn's attack upon the forestry
policy of the administration. Senator
Depew of New York spoke in the Senate
today at length in defence of forestry
reserve and the demonstration of denud
ed lands.
The damage done nv cutting off the
forests in the Adirondacks WAS enormous.
he said, and every spring tho ncwsra-
pers reported disa strous floods in six
states, the streams of which are fed from
the watershed.
Mr. Teller said that the work of New
York state i'm forestiZation was the kind
he approved. He objected to having the
federal government go into that business.
Ii was for the states to do such work
within their own borders. He objected to
the voting of a lump sum of $4,000 for
the forestry division and declared that
forestry reservations were an unmitisat-
ed curse and not a blessing"
Reading from a memorandum of ex-
penditures of the division. he said $50. Na
was snent in lump sum and Congress.
q he said. had nothing to do with fixing
the salaries Included in that amount. Mr..
Money Interrupted to say In connection
2 Nth the forest reservations that they
cover an area as large as Maine. New
Hampshire Vermont. Massachusetts
Connecticut. Rhcdc Island. New York.
Pennsylvania. New jersey. Delaware and
Maryland. West Virginia and Virginia.
1T is larger" he said. by $4,000 square
miles than any empire in Europe
Prefacinc his statement with the re-
mark that he was responsible for what he
N hp
the forestry division spends thousands
and thousands of dollars in Il propaganda
in the interest of reservations
.''rhey employ people in the colleges"
he said. land | cau see no service they
can render except To influence opinion
in favor of the forestry service
Ibid. the senator say. inquired Cu-
berson. they pay professors and school
teachers for their influence
II said that was my inference" re-
sponded Teller ''rhc department had
propagania-racn all over the country
advocating forest reservations-a in my
Judgment they were on the pay roll for
that purpose
Teller spoke of receiving letters ia
voring forest reserves and added that he
believed these letters We're prepared by
someone connected with the department.
Referring to the law of last year. pro-
hibfting the President from including any
land in Colorado Montana. Idaho. Wash
ington. Oregon and Wyoming in forest
reserves. Teller said:
Before the President signed the law
and after it had passed Congress, he did
make some additions to these reserva-
TONS
Hepburn fnterposed to. say the amount
Of such additions was 2O.0O0.O00 acres.
"Does the senator mean to say that was
done after Congress acted?" inquired
Bayou.
1T was DONE" Teller replied. latter
the bill left the House and Senate and
pending the Presidents signature to the
bill"
Discussion of the expenditures, of the
forestry bureau for publicity ELECTED al
vigorous denial by Smoot that a forester
had attended a convention and charged
his expenses to the HAY and grain ac-
count"
Asked hr Foraker w'i1t he proposed to
do akont the bill. Teller saio he hoped to
aefsat the lump appropriation Of $5Oa.G0o