Norwich bulletin., 1910-06-28
THE FORESTRY BILL.
Senator Brandegee's Address Upon the
 Measure.
Especial to The Bulletin. }


 Special to The Bulletin.)
 Washington June 27=Senator l Brandegee made strong fight in the l senate yesterday to get the forestry 1 bill through, but he went up against l a very healthy fIibustering crowd led 1 by Senators Burton, Bailey and New l lands and of course they could talk l for a month. if they set out to- It l was useless to keep up the farce. as there is no way to compel g, vote in 1 the senate, and a man can talk just 1 as long 'as he holds out. Hence, Sen 1 ator Brandegee reluctantly yielded to | the wishes of his colleagues, and let the bill go over until next session. The house in the meantime late Friday night passed the bill, by a much larger majority than was ex- pected. Representative Scott of Kan sas, as was expected, led the Opposi- tof Massachusetts, was one of it's principal supporters and made the opening statement. The bill was not opposed as much this time as last year. in the house.
 There was no objection in the sen ate to the request of Senator Brande-
 gee to substitute the house bill for the
 senate bill, as they were identical.
 Neither was there opposition to an
 agreement that a vote should be had
 upon the bill on February Is. 1911
 when it is expected that the bill will
 pass.
 Senator Brandegee's opening speech
 was clear statement of the aims and
 purposes of the bill. It was, in part,
 as follows:
 "Mr. President: Legislation along
 these lines has been recomrnended by the last three administrations by num- berless bodies representing the com
 merciaI interests of the country
 chambers of commerce, and boards of
 trade. It has been almost unanimously
 endorsed by the press of the country.
 haPn zYfx
 yentions and conventions of scientific
 and professional men through the
 length and breadth of the land A
 large majority of the state 1egisla-
 ed this body to pass legislation of
 this character. and the senate has
 passed a similar bill six or seven
 times The particulars of these bills
 are described in the report which 1
 have previously sent to the desk
 At the last congress the senate
 passed similar bill. but that bill ap-
 propriated in a lump sum, $5.0O0, 900 to be expended in the, execution of
 this policy, whereas the pending bill appropriateg a very meagre sum, au- thorizing the secretary of agriculture to confer with those states which have from fires and to cooperate with them.
 This bill also appropriates s1,00o,- 900 for the next fiscal year and S2,- 100000 each year for the next five fiscal years to be expended by the forest reservation commission which the bill creates, in the purchase of such lands as shall be found necessary for the protection of the watersheds of the naviga ble streams by a com mission composed of two mem bers of the house. to be appointed by it's speaker; two members of the senate, to be appointed by the vice president: the secretary of war, the secretary of TaI9 a of ri1rII ture, and the director of the geologi- cal survey.
 T say not a penny of this money will be spent until that commission has found, as a fact, upon such inves- and evidence as is sufficient to convince it. that the taking of these lands by the government, to the ex- tent of the money appropriated, is ac- tually for the protection of water sheds of navigable streams.
 There are many other benefits that will flow from this legislation other than the preservation Of navigation. ure seem to think that because other good would be accomplished to the country which we would have no strict constitutional authority to leg islate in behalf of. therefore this bill is unconstitutional, because it does not sufficiently protect nativation. in their opinion. to make it 8 legitimate means to the end I think, however Mir. President. anybody who will read l the report of the secretary of agricul- 1 ture to the congress which was in l serted in this mornings Record, which | report was made in response to- l direction of congress to him to inves- tigate the bearing which the protec- l ton of forests in the White noun | tainS and the Southe>A Appalac chians | has upon the regulation of stream i flow and the preservation of the nav igability of the navigable rivers, can | not be otherwise than convinced that ! 1t has a material effect If that is | SO and no money can be spent under | the bill unless the commiss ion is sat- | sfed it is so-then I think it is as | proposed in this or any other Iegis- | ative body.
 "If it is constitutional. is it wise? | This is the sole remaining question, in | my opinion. I think it isl I, of | course do not know personally, and | 10 man can know personally. exactly now much effect the destruction Of a | 'orest at the source of a navigable | .iver is going to produce upon the | stream flow of that river; that is you cannot in advance of your own knowl- ,f civil engineers, electrical engineers. | waterway conventions forestry con- -entions. professors of colleges and | men. both in this country and Il the old country, have concurred that 1 II their opinion it does have a con- rolling effect No senator can be the udge of that kind, empirically and n advance. No one of us can buy ange of mountains at the source of lavigabIe river and then proceed to ut the trees down and see what ef- AAk 4ae|R ft,e e%x< er