Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-02-16
President Taft Is in Favor OF
Forming Two Great
Reserves
POINT OF LEGALITY RAISED
WrangIe Over the Question of Federal
or State Jurisdiction-Need of
Leaders to Push Admin
istration Measures.

: introduced into congress to provide
for creating q great forest reservation
in the Southern Appalachians, and an
other smaller reservation in the White
mountains of New Hampshire. The
president thinks that there is nothing
in the constitution of the United
States which forbids the federal gov
eminent from taking over the owner
ship of forests which lie within the
borders of sovereign states"
The president apparently bases his
belief in the constitutionality Of fed
eral ownership of state forests in the
law which gives the general govern
ment supervision over navigable
streams. The presidents belief is, and
he Is said to have the support of his
lawyer cabinet In the contention, that
the government has right to control
those things which keep a stream nav
igable, and among them the experts
say the forests stand first and fore
most When a heavy rainfall comes
in forest covered land, the roots OF
the trees and the trees themselves
check the distribution Of the water so
| that 1t comes down the sides of the
mountain shed slowly, and as a re-
suit the streams are kept at q nor
NAL depth. If the forests are cleared
away the water runs of all at once
and flood conditions ensue, to DO fol-
lowed by periods of drought.
Representative Weeks Of Massachu-
sets introduced the bill which pro-
vides for forest reservation In Vir-
ginia, North and South Carolina and
in New Hampshire. President Roose-
welt tried In every way that mental
and physical energy suggested to get
congress to sanction these forest res
creations, but Mr.. Roosevelt failed
and the present president is willing
to attempt something that his prede-
cessor confessed he could not do, and
he has hopes to succeed where an
other could not succeed.
Either Feast or Famine.
There are thousands Of acres Of
virgin forests left In the Southern Ap-
palachian country. Timber cutting,
however, in places, it il charged, has
been SO reckless that the mills situat-
ed along the streams fed by the wa
terS of the mountains are compelled
at times to shut down because of al
ternate food and drought conditions.
1t is a case of water feast or q wa
ter famine for a large part of the
time.
The friends of the Weeks bill are
maintaining that streams now navi-
gable will be useless for purposes of
commerce unless there is stop put
to the work of denuding the forests.
The representatives in congress from
the states affected by the forest pres
ervation bill are practically united in
supporting the measure. Nearly all of
these representatives from the states
of Virginia, North and South Carolina
are Democrats, and they are with the
administration in its wish to create a
forest preserve. A few of the south
ern Democrats are in opposition, and
they give as a reason that the federal
government will be invading the
rights of the states if it takes over
the forests.
Both sentimental and business con-
siderations are to be found in the at
tempt to save the forests on the
White mountains of New Hampshire.
The scenery Of the great New Eng
land summer resort is said to be
threatened with destruction. More
over, the water flow in the streams
which provides many New England
mills with power, the friends of the
Weeks bill maintain, is endangered.
Sentiment and business seems to have
come together In partnership to pre-
serve the forests. President Taft
seems to approve Of the partnership.
Want Men to Push Bills.
President Taft is having hard
work to find individual leaders in
congress who are willing to stand
as sponsors and champions for
great legislative measures which he
has introduced. The leaders, 1t Ia said.
have promised party support for the
legislation, but what the president
wants is some man OF force in the
! party counsels to stand forth as q
chieftain on the floor to direct the
deStinieS of the bills which he wants
to have passed.
Take the measure for amendments
to the interstate commerce law, for
instance. In the house Of representa-
tiVes Mr.. Townsend OF Michigan is
the sponsor for this bill. He has been
sponsor for other bills along similar
lines in the past. Mr.. Townsend is
an able man, but he is subordinate
member Of the committee on inter
state and foreign commerce, to which
the bill has been sent for considera-
ton. The representative, who by
precedent and custom ought to intro
duce the measure and stand as it's
sponsor through the trials and tribu-
lations of debate, is Representative
James r. Mann OF Illinois, who is the
III tho ~