Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-02-09
PRESIDENT PLANS
FOREST RESERVES
IS in Favor of Setting Aside large
Tracts in Different Parts of
the Country.
IDEA HAS SOME OPPOSITION
Senators from. the Northwest Oppose
the Pian-Atiitude OF Ex-Presi-
dent RooseveIt-New States
Practically Assured.


Washington.-In President Taft's
message Oh the conservation of the
natural resources OF the country b..
did not call specifically by name GER
tain projects for forest preservation
which 1t Is known that he advocates.
The president, however, said some
thing in what may be called a legal
way which showed cOnclusively that
he is in favor of setting aside a great
forest preserve in the southern Appa-
lachian mountains and another sim
liar preserve in the White mountains
Of New Hampshire.
Representative Weeks of Massachu-
sets has introduced a forest reserve
bill, and with presidential backing the
Republicans say that it will pass the
house, but there is a tremendous OPP
position to the measures in the north
west. Senators Carter of Montana
and Hepburn of Idaho are opposed to
the Appalachian forest reserve plan,
as they are opposed in a general way
to some other forest reservation meas
ures. 1t may be that If certain diff
culties can be cleared away and an
understanding reached as to the effect
Of the Appalachian bill upon existing
legislation that the northwest opposi-
ton VIII disappear
Taft FOR Forest Reserves.
In President Taft's message he said
IN effect that in his belief the federal
governments had t right to establish
forest reserves within state l3nes If
It could be shown that the saving of
the forest was necessary 70 maintain
q proper depth of water in navigable
streams. The federal government has
control of streams that are navigable,
and it is contended that the govern
ment has the right to see to it that
nothing is done which shall threaten
the continuance of proper navigation
conditions. If the forests are cut
away it is held there will be floods
part of the time and very likely
droughts the rest of the time. In
other words, the streams will be over
flowed and navigation thus threatened
for some moths, while for q part of
the remainder of the time there will
be not enough water to float ships.
The bill which Representative
Weeks has introduced provides for an
appropriation for the purchase of for
est reserves of 81 GOO, 900 for 1910,
and not exceeding 100000 for every
year thereafter until 1915. The
former chief forester, Clifford Pinchot,
has estimated that within three years
timber receipts from the reserves
from the reserves would be sufficient
to take care of the appropriation. 1t
must not be understood that the gov
eminent intends to stop numbering
when it gets control of the Appa-
lachian forest preserve. The idea is
to lease the numbering privilege and
to see that the business is so carried
on that in taking out one tree the 9TH
er trees shall not be injured and
the underground shall be preserved.
Question of States Rights.
Most of the representatives in con-
gress from the state which contain
the forests in the southern Appa-
lachian country are in favor of the
measure There are some Democrats
who think, despite Mr.. Taft's conten-
ton 10 the contrary, that the measure
will be one which directly will in
wade the domain of the rights of the
states. Last year a bill like the
Weeks bill passed the lower house of
congress, but the senate would have
nothing to do with 1t. For years
such a measure had been before the
house, bun the organization leaders
were against it. Finally the speaker
said that the bin ought to be voted
upon, and this was considered much
Of a concession from Mr.. Cannon The
bill was put to the house and passed.
In the White mountains the forests
are disappearing rapidly and the beauty
of the scenery of this great summer
resort section is being threatened
Moreover, the regulation of the water
supply OF many of the New England
streams which furnish power for all
kinds of mills is getting to be a mat
ter of great difficulty, because of the
periods Of alternate drought and flood
caused by the cutting down of trees
in the mountain section.
1t is said that some of the opposi-
ton in the northwest to the eastern
forest reserves plan is due to fear
that the Is per cent of the receipts
from sales of timber paid under the
laws Of the states and territories in
which national forest reserves lie may
be endangered. 1t is a difficult thing
to find out Why it is believed that this
law would be threatened by the es-
adjustment of an eastern reserve.
There is nothing in the Weeks bill
apparently which would make it seem
likely that the law as it now stands
would be in danger of change. The
feeling that danger threatens the fund
which the northwestern states now
get from the sale of timbers on gov
eminent reserves is manifest in the
senate, and the friends of the Weeks