The Washington times., 1911-02-10
SENATE WILL PASS
WEEKS FOREST BILL
Canvass Shows Majority of
Members Favor Reserve
Measure.
FUND OF S11,OOO,OOO
TO LAST FIVE YEARS
States to Aid Nation In Guarding
Trees Against
Fire.
By JUDSoN C. wELLIvER.

'One of the most important steps to-
ward nationalizing conservation will be
taken on the day when the Weeks
forest reserve bill passes the Senate,
which we expect will happen next
week." declared Clifford Pinchot today.
Careful canvass of the Senate has been
made, which convinces advocates of the
measure that it will become law. There
has been fear of loading it down with
burdensome amendments which might
Kill it, but this danger has been lessened
as a result of appeals to Senators in
the last few days.
Senator Brandegee of Connecticut
made the demand for a vote on the BILL
naming February Is Sixteen Senators a
year ago voted against making the
measure unfinished business. They
were Bailey, Bankhead, Bourne, Bris-
tow, Brown, Burton. Crawford. Dick,
Gore, Hepburn, Hughes, Jones, New
lands, Paynter, Percy, and Shively.
This year there was unanimous consent
to the request for a vote. which is
taken to indicate a less determined op-
position. Some Senators who a year
ago opposed a vote are expected this
time to favor the measure.
Last Chance for Bill.
Unless this bill passes at the present
session, there Is thought to be small
chance of establishing forest reserves in
the East for years to come. The pres
cnt measure will die with this session;
new committees, a new deal generally,
will come in with the next session. The
Democrats are determined to restrict
expenses; the Republican Congress, in
IFS last u-eakS &c
erality most gratifying to people who
want things. even though it is not at all
pleasing to Democrats who see pros
poets Of paying the cost, some time in
future.
The Weeks bill involves spending
Sll,ooO,0OO in five years. This amount is
expected to buy from 100000 to 5000 900
acres of land, partly in the White noun
tains and partly in the southern Appa-
lachians. The land will be bought with
out its matured timber. This will be
left to the present owners. but they will
be required to cut it under the regula-
tions of the Forestry Commission that
will administer the reserves.
Switzerland Pioneer.
It is about 600 years since Switzerland
took the step in forest regulation which
this bill proposes for our Eastern re-
serves. Today nearly one-fourth the
area of Switzerland is in forests, care
fully controlled by the government and
forming one of the great sources of ma
tional wealth France was once covered
with some of the greatest forests in Eu-
rope. They were almost all destroyed,
and the country adopted a policy of res
toration which has resulted in great
benefits, both by controlling floods and
storms and by giving a timber supply.
Germany's great work in the same d.
rection is known: one may ride for
hours through state-owned pine forests,
over state-owned railroads.
The northern section of our Appalach-
lar region is fast approaching the con-
dition of forest denudation that France
and north Italy faced years ago when
they took up restoration measures. In
the south Appalachian section conditions
are not yet so bad, but they are fast
moving that way. To stop the waste
and begin restoration is the Weeks bills
purpose. How important such a policy
may become when a country faces ac-
tual fOrest-famine may be judged from
the recent action of the japanese EN-
pre in seiZing every forest area and
putting it under strictest government
control
States and nation are to cooperate in
protecting forests from fire il the Weeks
plan carries. Expenses will be equally
divided. A forestry commission will ad-
Secretaries of War, Agriculture, and In
terror, with two Senators and two Rep
resentatives.