Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-05
Root and Burton Against
The ApportiOnment Bill.
Dr.. George Oils Smiths Defense
OF Forest Reservation Course.
Cotton Schedule Not Likely 10 Be-
Disturbed This Session.

Washington. d. c.. July 3.-(Spe-
ciaD-The fight against the Crum-
packer Burleigh bill, now before the
Senate providing for the apportion-
ment of Representatives in the House
during the next ten years. will be led
by Senators Elihu Root of New York,
and T. E. Burton of Ohio. As the
measure has been finally reported to
the Senate favorably its consideration
will probably begin before long. Read
ers of the Journal will recall that the
bill. which proposes to increase the
membership of the House to 433 and
which gives Maine four members, as
heretofore. was drawn last winter by
representatives crumpacker of In
diana. and Burleigh of Maine. and
passed in the House but held up in
tie Senate.
1t is stated that Senator LaFollette
of Wisconsin, chairman of the Senate
census committee. will take little or
no part in the opposition. Senator
Root promises to make a long speech,
voicing his opposition. which is based
on political motives almost altogether
because he does not want the New
York Democratic legislature to have
an opportunity for the present to dis
trict the state. Senator Burton. who
was long a member of the House, also
has political reasons for opposing the
bill but he is also against increasing
the House membership
The bill in the Senate will be in
charge of a Democrat Senator Shive-
ly of Indiana. He expects to press
soon for its consideration and will try
to have II taken up during the morn
ing hour" when the debate on Cana
dian reciprocity is not under way.
With the Senators from Ohio and New
York as mentioned fighting the meas
ure there will probably be some delay
IN betting 1t to a vote but Senator
Shively is determined to have a vote.
Ihere is very strong sentiment in
the Senate that the House should be
left TO regulate the matter of its own
membership and this sentiment will
undoubtedly carry the bill through
finally. although there may be con-
siderable delay yet An effort is un-
der way to delay the enactment of the
bill into law till after the Democratic
legislature at Albany has adjourned.
Director George Otis Smith. of the
Geological Survey who went to his
home at Skowhesan a few DAYS ago.
mas been standing up to a lively con-
troversy with the advocates of a forest
reservation in the White Mountains.
Many of these people. disappointed be-
cause the provisions of the Weeks law
enacted at the last session of Congress
made available during the fiscal wear
ending June 80. an appropriation of.
s2,0oo,0 600 nearly all of which must be
turned back into the Treasury. DIR
Smiths friends insist that he is not to
blame for the return of this money.
which, had there been more time
could have been used in purchasing
Wild lands in New Hampshire for this
forest reservation.
1t looks very much as though tbe
delay were due to other causes and
that some of the politicians were will
ing to make Director Smith the scane-
goat. If they could, because he would
not carry out the provisions of the
law, as FAR as these relate to his own
bureau. in perfunctory manner The
law requires that the Geological Sur
Vey investigate these lands before
they are purchased by the govern
inent and certify whether they are in
the watersheds of navlgable rivers.
A great hue and cry went up that
Director Smith was trying to defeat
the purposes of the law by falling to
certify the lands in time to have the
s2,ooe,oo0 used before July /. He de-
MED this stoutly and asserted that ON
the contrary. he was personally very
friendly to the idea OF conserving the
watersheds of these New England
rivers but added that he could not
think of allowing the Geological Sur
vey to be used as rubber stamp.
Subsequently Secretary of the Interior
Fisher issued a statement in which he
backed up Director Smith fully and
the controversy has quoted down.
1t is inevitable that most of the
$4,000 GOO available for this wear
should be turned back into the Treas
ury but DR.. Smith states that there
will be time for taking care of the
certifcation work for this new fiscal
year and that he win cooperate TO OBJ
tain the necessary data, as required by
the law. in good time. The White
Mountain Reserve Is calculated to be
of some, benefit to Maine but of more
beneft to Massachusetts.