Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-16
TO Be TOPIC
Of CONSERvAT|ON|STS
Delegates to National Con-
gress to Assemble Here for
Fifth Meeting Tuesday.


Fair play for the forests" is to be the
principal theme OF the delegates to the
fifth National Conservation Congress.
which will convene here Tuesday. 1t is
announced that after having taken up
previously the question of the conserva-
ton of waterways, soil fertility and hui
man life, the congress proposed to return
to its principal subject, the protection of
the woodlands OF the United States.
In the opinion of President Charles
Lathrop Pack and other officers of the
congress- the formal announcement
states. the proper solution of the prob
lens now at hand involves the cost of
wood, without which civilization would
be seriously handicapped Other important
FACTORS are the part played by forests
In the regulation Of stream flow for the
development Of the hydro-electric power.
the availability of water irrigation and
the preservation of forest areas for health
and recreation. Perpetuation of the ma
tons timber supply is regarded as the
one solution to all these problems. 1t is
to this that the conservation congress
will devote its principal attention.
Houston to Open Congress.
Secretary Houston will open the con-
gress and it is expected also that Score
tar1es Garrison and Lane will address
the delegates. Chief Forester Henry S.
Graves will be one of the principal
speakers.
Forest taxation will be an important
question presented by subcommittee of
which Clifford Pinchot is chairman. This
is regarded as important in its relation
to preventing denudation of forests 1t
Is claimed that the tax laws in most
states do not recognize forests as crop
to be perpetuated, but act to destroy the
timber resources for the enrichment of
the present to the poverty of the future.
Prevention of forest fires will be treat
ed In an analytical report. Forest fires
continue to destroy lives by hundreds,
and tangible assets averaging upwards
of $0O.0OO.OOO annually and do incalcu
able damage to soil, water and young
growth.
Floods Follow Denudation.
Floods follow forest denudation, and
the disasters Of this year. 1t is said, can
be traced. In part, at least, to nom
forested watersheds. 1t also is declared
that the country is using three times as
much timber as grows each year, and
utilizing only 40 to 20 per cent of each
tree cut down: while fire destroys the
equivalent of each years new growth.
1nese and kindred questions will be fur
ther treated in reports on numbering, for
est Planting and forest utilization.
Federal forest policies will be the sub
ject of another exhaustive report. The
federal government controls, on the ma
tional forests about one-fifth of the
standing timber, and it Is claimed that
by proper utilization and protection the
forest service is making it a present
asset and a perpetual resource.
The water power committees report
will be presented by George f. Swain,
professor OF civil enginee. ing at Har-
ward. and president of the American So
ciety of Civil Engineers. The commit
tee includes in its membership former
Secretary Of War Henry L. Stimson.
To Hold One-Day Session.
The National Association of Conserva-
ton Commissioners will hold a one-day
session at the New Willard. beginning
at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. N con-
nect.on with the national conservation
congress. The morning session will be
given over to discussion of the CO.
operation of state and federal agencies,
Those on the program to speak are Sec
rotary Lane of the Interior Department,
DR.. c. r. Van Hises, president I-nver-
s.ty of Wisconsin; DR.. George Otis Smith,
director United States geological sur
vey: President II. ]. Waters. Kansas
Marbut, United States bureau of soils,
and C. B Waldron. department of agri-
culture and forestry, North Dakota Agri-
cultural College. Following these ad-
dresses the matter will be thrown open
to general discussion by the delegates.
The committees VIII be named at the
morning session.
The Legislative Reference Burau
Factor in State Development and Blue
Sky in State Development, will form the
two subjects for discussion at the after
noon session. The speakers scheduled to
deal with the first subject are DR.. a z.
Sheldon. director. Nebraska legislative
reference bureau. Charles S. Tying, Com
merciaI Club. Salt Lake City, Utah; John
A. Lapp, director legislative reference bu-
reau. Indiana: Henry s. Green state his
torian. West Virginia. ]. S. Darst. wee
president of the National Blue Sky Law
Protective Association, will read a paper
on the second subject.
J. E. Beal, president of the Michigan
conservation and public welfare commits
sion. will read a paper on state publicity
at the evening session. There also will
be series of moving picture films Illus
trating state development, following
which committee reports will be heard.