Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-19
Belongs to the People Of
The East and South
ToAsk Development Of Forests
OF Appa|achIans
As Belongs to Other People, Says
Gov. Curtis Guild, Jr.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1S.-"TPe East ana
South have right to ask the same al
tention to the development OF inc LOT
ests on the watersheds of the Appa-
| lachians at the hands of the national
government IS has been already gwen
to the rest" declared Former Governor
Curtis Guild. Jr. OF Massachusetts,
president of the American Forestry AS
scciatun, al its annual dinner tohisnt'
Former Chief Forester Clifford Pin
chot told of his views on conservation
| but made no reference TO the recent
| controversy Senator Burnham OF New
Hampshire spoke for the East, Sena-
| tor Smoot OF Utah for the west, ana
Representative Weeks OF Massachu-
sctts, exclaimed the efforts toward con-
servatiGn legislation now before Con-
gress.
Referring to the Ballinger- Pinchot
controversy, Mr.. Guild said:
"In view of the pending conSrcssioE-
Il investigation in regard to the con-
! seryation of national resources, COM
ment. euloyv or censure of the past
would he not only in bad taste, but
useless. It is extremely gratifying to
tote that all the officials connected
with forestry in the national admins
tration. in spite OF all differences, agree
IN the urgent need of the Immediate
passage by Congress OF remedial legls-
iation in the cause OF forestry and of
conservation.
OF Prof. H. S. Graves the new chief
aorcster, he voiced the associations APP
nroval of his appointment by saying:
I'VE are extremely fortunate in hay
ng at the head of forestry work in the
United states gentleman who is not
merely earnest energetic and unselfish,
)ut an acknowledged expert of inte1na-
lioral reputation on the subject of for
estry.''
Rebuking the sectional opposition
which he said had arisen in the West
against the creation of Appalachian
forest reserves, Curtis Guild, Jr., for
:ner governor Of Massachusetts and
president of the American Forestry
association, made a stirring appeal for
the establishment of forest reserves in
the east las a matter of common JUS
!ce."
After briefly refuting two arguments
IF the leaders in the opposition, name
~ that forest reserves do not promote
regular stream flow and that the ac
IuiSition of such reserves by the ma
.ional government is unconstitutional.
Mr. Guild turned TO his main theme,
he disposal of the oppCsitions final
argument, that the separate states in
which forest reserves are proposed
should pay for them out of their own
treasures.
The answer to this argument" said
The former Governor. lis that with the
exception OF New York and one or two
other states, the states separately can
not afford 1t.
One Of the most needed of these re-
serves is in the state of New Hamp-
shire" he continued, about the head
waters Of many of the great rivers of
Now England, already shrunken in
Volume, already damaged as a result
Of the neglect 81 national government
hat has beer lavish in its expenditures
10 save woods and water power and
water supply for the states beyond
he Mississippi. The little state of
New Hampshire cannot afford with
nor small population and rocky soil to
buy and manage such q reserve
THE nation, however, out of taxes
10 which New Hampshire contributes,
has raint9ined for the rich state of
-iailftrnia alone national forest re-
ierVes OF % million acres and last year
added nearly two and a half million
acres to the reserves in that state.
IF it can he said that these forests
re part of the national domain it
nay be answered. Was it net the
whole nation that paid for the nation
III domain:
There are now altogether 1914 sos, 900
acres of national forest reserve, locat-
I'd in 20 states of territories, only one
Of which, Florida, is in the east. Not
one state of the 10 that fought for the
revolution is benefited directly by
these rescrvcs--not one state that help
I'd to pay for the Louisiana Purchase
s Directly benefited by these reserves
not one state that fought the war of
NJ is benefited directly by these re-
serves-not one state taxed to
ray the bill! for the cession of Florida
ny Spain is benefited directly by these
reserves.
mo existing forest reserve has been
paid for or is exclusively maintained
by the people of the state directly ben
Gifted by it.
The forest reserves in Wyoming and
oregon are in the very strip of land
granted by the King of England to the
colonists of Massachusetts. The claim
Of England to them was drowned in
the blood of Lexington and Bunker
Hill.
This is one country. All parts of
the United States equally deserve ma
tlonal attention. The conservation OF
cur national resources, if it is to be
promoted in California, Colorado and
Alaska should be promoted also in the
Carolinas, in Virginia. in New Hamp-
shire and Massachusetts,
If the maintenance of national for
ests reserves is wise national policy
that policy should be indeed national
and no longer sectional in it's scope.
The first American army assembled
under the pine tree flag of New Eng
land.
we turn to our brothers beneath
the buttonwood the willow and the
redwood and ask protection for the
trpn that was fho G,-4 sc 49,.