The Carlisle independent., 1910-02-10
SEES NEED 0F
 SAVING FORESTS
President Taft Is in Favor of Forming Two Great
 Reserves
POINT OF LEGALITY RAISED
WranqIe Over the Question of Federal or State Jurisdiction-Need of Leaders to Push Admin
 istration Measures.

| Washington-Pre Taft is giv- | ing his support to the most recent bill | introduced into congress to provide for creating 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 ernment from taking over the owner ship of forests which lie within the borders of sovereign states"
 The president apparently bases his belief iu 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 a right to control those things which keep 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 it comes down the sides of the mountain shed slowly, and as re- suit the streams are kept at nor nal depth. If the forests are cleared away the water runs off all at once and flood conditions ensue, to be fol- lowed by periods of drought
 Representative Weeks of Massachu- setts 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 | ervationS, but Mir Roosevelt failed and the present president is willing to attempt something that his prede- cessoc 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 is charged, has been so reckless that the mills situat- ed along the streams fed by the wa ,ers of the mountains are compelled at times to shut down because of al terncte food and drought conditions. It Is case of water feast or a wa | fon tine.
 The friends of the Weeks bill are maintaining that streams now nayi- gable will be useless for purposes of commerce unless there is a 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 suppol ting 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 it's wish to create a forest preserve. A few of the south ern Democrats are In opposition, and they give as reason that the federal government will be invading the rights of the states if it takes over the forests.
 Both sentimental and business con. alterations 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 ore. 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, it is said have promised party support for the legislation, bar what the president wants is some man of force in the party coJnse!s to stand forth as z chjeftain on tho floor to direct the destinies of the bills which he wants to have passed.
 Take the measure for amendments to the interstate commerce law. fol instance. In the house of representa- tives MT. Townsend of Michigan is the sponsor for this bill He has beer sponsor for other bills along similar lines in the past. Mir Townsend is an able man, but he is a subordinate member of the committee on inter state and foreign commerce, to whicf the bill has been sent for considera ion. The representative, who by precedent and custom ought to intro luce the measure and stand as its sponsor through the trials and tribu ations of debate, is Representative lanes R. Mann of Illinois, who is the hartman of the committee on inter