Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-07-14
New Weeks Bill.

Much adverse - ticism has been be-
slowed on Director Smith of the Geo
logical Survey, for, it is alleged, delay
ing the purchase of any land in the
White Mountain tract until too late to
use the 1911 appropriation of $4,000
GOO, unless by special action Of Con.
gress. Congressman Weeks, author OF
the forest reservation bll", and
summer resident Of Lancaster, has in
troduced a joint resolution into the
house amending the original act SO
that all appropriations made Hereunder,
will he available until 1918. Thi,
resolution has been reported back to the
house, with the unanimous approval of
the committee to which it was referred.
aud there is good chance for it to pass
Congress at this session. Secretary Of
| War Stimson, chairman Of the forestry
commission, created by the original
Weeks bill'' has given out statement
regarding the work OF the commission.
the principle under which it operates
aud what has already been accom-
/ plished, which may be taken as an
answer to the criticism referred to
above. 1t is III part as follows:
The National Forest Reservation
Commission has authorized the pur-
chase of tract of about 81 900 acres Of
land lying in the state of Georgia.
located on the watershed of the Toccoa
River which, after uniting with the
/ lliwassee River, flows into the Ten
nessee. This is mountainous tract
ranging IN elevation from 1000 to 5000
feet above sea level, in the heart of the
Southern Appalachian mountains. The
Commission is unanimous in consider
ing that it is a tract which is admirably
suited to fulfill the purpose for which
the law was enacted.
The National Forest Reservation
Commission consists of the Secretaries
of War, Interior and Agriculture, Seua.
tors Gallinger of New Hampshire aud
Smith of Maryland and Representatives
llawley of Oregon and Lee of Georgia.
The board has been proceeding with
extreme care in making selection of the
tracts of forest to be first purchased
realizing the importance which such
purchases will serve as fixing the policy
of the Commission for the future. II is
therefore selecting only such lands as
from their location and character viii
directly tend to conserve the avigabjity
of navigable rivers and which may also
serve as the nucleus of further purchases
1t does not propose to enter into hal"
hazard or improvident selections, but
will proceed with extreme care to Law
the foundation of what is intended tc
create a series of forest reserves in such
locations aud of such character as viii
carry out the clear intentions of Con.
gress.
The act under which the board is
proceeding was not passed until March
|, 1911 and the board has been actino
with the utmost diligence upon all the
tracts which have been presented tc
them, according TO the statute, bv fine
Bureau of Forestry and the GeoIogicaI
| Survey.
Besides the Georgia tract mentioned
above many other tracts, both in the
southern and northern Appaachians
including certain tracts in the White
Mountains, are now under Investigation
Ivy the Forestry Bureau aud the Geo.
logical Survey, and as soon as reporIs
are made by those bodies the Forest
Commission will proceed to their con.
sideraton.
In view of the magnitude of the en-