Evening star., 1912-10-10

Of permanent development ard MAIN
tenance of navigable waterways, and
which in time will bring about remark
able decrease in the annual expenditures
for dredging and other methods of tenn
porary waterway improvement on interior
rivers. with the exception of the Mssis-
sippi.
This policy is OF creating national
forests-first by retaining forest lands
al re Y in
Owns 160 Forests the posses
Besides Public Lands. oom.r
second. by purchasing forest lands on
the watersheds of navigable streams and
so regulating these lands as to improve
and maintain the naviSaDility of the
streams. This government long ago recog-
nized the advisability of retaining forest
lands which IL already owned. both as an
aid TO navigation and for other uses. 1t
has now in western and northwestern
states. and in Florida, 16U national
forests. covering total area of l6o, 52i.-
!iih acres. Besides these, pubic ianc-'
Rave been reserved in Porto Rico and
Alaska totaling NJ ri 1 $40 acres
But II was not until barely month ago
that the government, on September d.
i@i2 made its first purchase Of forest
land to be converted into national
forest. Acting under the authority given
him by the Weeks law. passed in March,
1911. the Secretary of Agriculture on that
date. with the approval of the national
forest reservation commission, signed
a check for $1,000 in payment for s.11a
acres of land i'll western North Carolina,
known the Mt. Mitchell tract This
tract is TO be the. beginning. of the Appa-
lachian national forests.
The Weeks law enacted THAT the con-
stnt of the Congress of the United States
is hereby given to
Eo1sent of Congress each of the sew
IL: c4A eral states of the
w Union to enter
into any agreement or compact. not in
conflict with the law of the United States,
with any other state or states for the
purpose of conserving the forests and the
water supply of the states entering into
such agreement compact. The law
appropriated for 1910 S1.U0O0O, and for
five years thereafter two millions annu-
ally. for use in the examination, survey
and requirement of lands located on the
mead waters of navigable streams or those
which are being or may be developed for
navlgable purposes"
The law created the national forest
observation commission, consisting of
the Secretary of War. the Secretary of
the Interior, the Secretary O. Agricuf-
ture. two members of the Senate. to be
appointed by the Vice President and two
members of the House of Representatives,
TO be selected by the Speaker. The con-
gressional members are: Senator Jacob
III. Gallinger. of New Hampshire chair
man. Senator John Walter Smith of
Maryland. Representative Willis c. HaW-
ley. of Oregon. and Representative Cor
don Lee. of Georgia. 1t is the duty of
the commission to pass upon and fix the
price of lands which are recommended
Tor purchase by the bureau of forestry
OF the Department of Agriculture. The
Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to
sign the checks.
Aside from providing that the appro-
pTiatfons be applied to the watersheds of
navisable streams within States whose
legislatures have consented to the ac-
Guisition of such lands by the Emitted
states, the law does not restrict pur-
chases to particular regions. The states
which have passed the necessary legis-
iatioD, and in which purchases are be- |
ne considered are: Maine. New Hamp-
shire, Maryland, Virginia. West Virginia. I
North Carolina. Tennessee South Caro- |
lima and GeorSia.
The source of streams having origin in
the Rocky mountains or mountains