Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-03-10
High Honor For Senator Smith

From the Baltimore Sun.
Senator John Walter Smith. of Maryland.
was paid a signal compliment on the End
instant when he was chosen as the one
Democratic member of the National Forest
Reserve Commission, created under the APP
palachian Forest bill passed by the Senate
two weeks ago. The appointment. which
was made by Vice-President Sherman is
all the more flattering to Senator Smith in
that he was not an aspirant for the place
and there were number of candidates on
the Democratic side for the honor.
The commission will handle millions of
dollars and has been charged with work
of vast importance to the country. The
bill under which it is created has been
pending in Congress for years and has been
advocated by progressive Democrats and
Republicans alike for a long time. II is
regarded as the most vital piece of cOnser-
walton legislation enacted by Congress in
years. The commission is composed of
the Secretary of War. the Secretary of
| Agriculture and the Secretary Of Interior,
two members of the Senate and two mem
| by the Vice President and the Speaker.
Senator Smiths colleague in the Senate is
Senator Gallinger. of New Hampshire. The
| House members have not been named
The bill appropriates $25,000 as imme-
diately available for the expenses Of the
commission. II appropriates Sl,OOO000
from the Treasury for the year ending
June 80 1912, and a sum not exceeding
two million dollars for every year there
after until June 80, 1915. II is estimated
that the total appropriations made under
the bill to be disposed of by the commission
will be $ll,000,000. The money is to be
used to examine, survey and acquire lands
situated on the headwaters of navigable
streams or rivers, or on streams or rivers
that are being developed or may become
navi9able. These lands are to be perma-
nently held. reserved and administered as
national forest lands and the Secretary of
Agriculture may. from time to time. in his
judgment and with the consent of the
commission, divide these lands into separ-
ate national forests, giving each a name.
The commission fixes the prices at which
the lands are to be purchased and reports
each year to Congress its operations and
expenditures. The Secretary of Agricul-
ture is given authority to recommend the
/
the purpose of the law, which is to protect
the navigable rivers Of the Appalachian
and White mountain RANGES and to preserve
the forest lands Of those sections Of the
country.
The law also gives the consent Of Con-
gress to the several States to cooperate
with each other in the preservation Of for
est lands and the protection of navigable
rivers, and appTopriates an additional
$4,000 for the sole purpose OF enabling
the Secretary Of Agriculture to cooperate
with the States in protecting the national
| forests and the State forests from fire. II
is provided that the timber on the lands
acquired by the commission may be sold
and that per cent Of the proceeds Of such
sales shall 90 TO the State in which are
situated the lands sold. The money thus
received is 10 be used by the States for the
building Of public schools and the con-
struction Of public roads in the counties
where the forests are situated.
The law is distinctly conservation mea-
sure. II has been approved and urged by
conservation advocates the country over,
and regarded as one Of the real progressive
laws enacted by the Sixty-hrst Congress-
Senator Smith was greatly surprised
when asked by Vice-President Sherman
whether he would accept appointment on
the commission. When the bill was up in
the Senate he had voted for II and done
what he could to secure its passage, be-
lieving that the principle upon which il
was founded was good one. He was
warmly congratulated by his Democratic
colleagues, who look upon il as an impor-
tant post and high honor.
! The commission, 1t is understood, will
organize in Washington shortly. The Geo
logical Survey is to examine the lands to
be purchased before they are bought, and
the whole business is to be conducted along
scientific lines