The Washington herald., 1909-08-15

ment, was favorably reported in the
! House. but got no farther.
In the Fifty-eighth Congress. Repre-
/ sentative Brownlow again introduced the
Appalachian bill and on the same day
Senator HOar presented TO the Senate
/ resolutions in favor Of the protection OF
| the White Mountain area, thus Joining
the projects. and they have been so joined
ever since.
Make No Progress.
Then came the bills proposed by Sena-
tors Burton and Ganinger in the Senate
and Mr.. Currier in the House in the
Fifty-ninth Congress. They got no farth-
er than their introduction.
| In December. 1905, bills for the two re-
! serves were introduced by Mr. Currier
and Mr.. BrownlOw and IN the Senate by
! Senators Gallingcr and Overmau. and at
a hearing given on the union bill result
/ ing therefrom on April o and &c. 1896. by
the House Committee on Agriculture. the
merits OF the case were so effectively pre-
scented by patriotic men Of New England
ard the South that a hostile committee
was converted and later reported favor
ably the bin 20 the House. the House.
however, taking no action.
The only accomplishment IN the Fifty
ninth Congress was the obtaining OF an
appropriation Of $4,000 for a survey Of
the two regions TO be made by the De-
partmcnt OF Agriculture. the exhaustive
report resulting from such surrey being
made 20 the Sixtieth Congress.
New bills were introduced I'm the House
and Senate OF the SlXueth Congress, and
the real fighting for their passage began.
The TIofsCa hills urnra -cf.r-..T ., ,1fc-
tlnctly unfriendly committee. whose make
no was radically different from the COM
mittee which az the previous session had
dared 20 report the project fsvofably.
Voters Urge Prompt Action.
At a public hearing held in January,
1905, more than 30 men OF the South and
New England were again in attendance
urging prompt action.
Skillful and resourceful opposition sue
ceeded IN effectively blocking either re-
port or action by referreing the project
10 the Committee on judiciary O5nown as
the 'Morgue'D, bat sharp attention bv
advocates Of legislation resulted In a pub
lie hearing before this body where the
question OF "cOnsttutionality'' was ar
gued in a splendid manner. resulting late
in the session IN a report Of the judiciary
Committee that the proposition was IN
constitutional except as an aid 10 navi-
SabHity OF streams.
The net result was no action. although
the Senate had passed the Brandegee
bill. At the second session Of The SiSticth
Congress consideration Of the Brandcgee
bill was taken up by the House Commit
tee on Agriculture and a public hearing
given thereon early in December last.
This hearing was again attended by
large and important delegation from the
South and New England, headed by Gov.
Guild, OF Massachusetts. and toward the
close Of the session the Agricultural Com
mittee reported out the Weeks bill "a sub
sUtute for the Senate bill. and the best
measure yet proposed which succeeded
IN passing the House by a narrow mar
gin. but which. owing TO the lateness Of
the session, failed Of passage in the Sen
ate
The net result vas no action
New Bills introduced.
This brings US TO the present moment.
Bills were introduced at the special ses-
sion, but there was no prospect for &C
ton other than on tariff matters. so that
we can only look forward to the next
regular session and plan what shall be
done at that time.
Discouraged? Not bit, for the Aneri-
can people are not blind as a whole. and
this forest preserve fight has served 20
show the nation the nations vital concern
In Il