The Green Forest tribune., 1910-02-11
tES NEED IF \ SAVING FORESTS resident Taft Is in Favor of
 Forming Two Great @ Reserves
0INT OF LEGALITY RAISED
traneIe Over the Question of Federal ! or State urisdiction-Need of
 Leaders to Push Admin sE stration Measures.

Washington Taft Is giv- sg his support to the most recent bill
 Produced into congress to provide r creating a great forest reservation
 the Southern Appalachians, and an
 her smaller reservation in the White Sountains of New Hampshire. The tesident thinks that there is nothing N the constitution of the United hates which forbids the federal gov
 enment from taking over the owner
 lip of forests which lie within the
 rders of sovereign states"
 The president apparently bases his
 lief in the constitutionality of fed
 al ownership of state forests in the
 w which gives the general govern
 ent supervision over navigable
 reams. The presidents belief is, and
 } Is said to have the support of his
 wyer cabinet in the contention, that se government has right to control lOse things which keep a stream nav able, and among them the experts " the forests stand first and fore Eost When a heavy rainfall comes [ forest covered land, the roots of le trees and the trees themselves leck the distribution of the water so tat it comes down the sides of the fountain shed slowly, and as re- lit the streams are kept at a nor al depth. If the forests are cleared way the water runs off all at once nd flood conditions ensue, to be fol- wed by periods of drought
 Representative Weeks of Massachu- stts introduced the bill which pro- ldes for forest reservation in Vir- mia. North and South Carolina and L New Hampshire. President Roose- plt tried in every way that mental nd physical energy suggested to get ppgress to sanction these forest res sNations, but MT. Roosevelt failed sl the present president is willing D attempt something that his prede- essor confessed he could not do, and e has hopes to succeed where an- ther could not succeed.
 Either Feast or Famine,
 There are thousands of acres of lrglnioreSts left in the Southern Ap- alachian country. Timber cutting, Owever, in places, it is charged, has cen so reckless that the mills situat- d along the streams fed by the wa ITS of the mountains are compelled ts times to shut down because of al srnate flood and drought conditions. fssis a case of water feast or a wa lsr famine for large part of the me
 The friends of the Weeks bill are laintaining that streams now navi- able will be useless for purposes of ommerce unless there is a stop put D the work of denuding the forests. The representatives in congress from he states affected by the forest pres rvation bill are practically united in the measure Nearly all of ncse representatives from the states xFirginia, North and South Carolina Ere Democrats, and they are with the Administration in it's wish to create a -)rest preserve. A few of the south Tn Democrats are in opposition, and hey give as reason that the federal ovcrnme1t will be invading the tghts Of the states if it takes over le forests.
 Both sentimental and business con- lderations are to be found in the at sTpt to save the forests on the White mountains of New Hampshire. the scenery of the great New Eng md summer resort is said to be lreatened with destruction More
 yer, the water flow in the streams
 hich provides many New England 1ius wich power, the friends of the Weeks bill maintain, is endangered. eminent and business seems to have one together in partnership to pre- srve the forests. President Taft eems to approve of the partnership. Want Men to Push Bills.
 President Taft is having hard fork to find individual leaders in ongless who are willing to stand s sponsors and champions for oreat legislative measures which he las introduced The leaders, it is said. ave promised party support for the but what the president wants is some man of force in the arty counsels to stand forth as a !hteftain on the floor to direct the ,estinies of the bills which he wants 'o have passed.
 kTake the measure for amendments b the interstate commerce law, for nstance. In the house of representa- Ives MT Townsend of Michigan is he sponsor for this bill. He has been aponsor for other bills along, similar mes in the past. MT. Townsend is 'n able man, but he is a subordinate lember of the committee on inter- tate and foreign commerce, to which Ae bill has been sent for considera- &0n The representative, who by srecedent and custom ought to intro &ice the measure and stand as it's bonsor through the trials and tribu- &tions of debate, is Representative lanes R. Mann of Illinois, who is the
 iairman of the committee on inter-
 ate and foreign commerce and. as