The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-06-06
HARRISBURG LETTER
Auxiliary Forest Reserve Bills are
Passed by Both the Senate and
House.

House.
FTarrfspurg, Pa, June 5.-As the
result of a statewide educational
campaign undertaken more than
year ago by the Pennsylvania Con-
seryation Association, the Pennsylva-
MIA Forestry Association, Leh1gh
University, and the Commercial Mu-
scum of Philadelphia, and vigorous
ly pursued by these organizations IN
the Legislature, it has been possible
to pass laws which, If approved by
Governor Tener, will do much to-
ward the practical reclamation OF
many thousand square miles OF waste
land, which on account of fires ana
excessive taxation, are now worth
less and non-productive. No doubt
is felt in regard to the Governor s
signature on these bills, as they
were recommended by him in his
message and supported by him dur
ing the critical periods which they
experienced in their progress
through the House of Representa-
tives and the Senate.
The bills provide that any per-
son, firm or corporation that owns
land suitable for agricultural pur-
poses and desires to grow trees
and wishes to be relieved of the or
dinary method Of assessing timber
land for taxes may apply to the
Pennsylvania Forestry Reservation
Commission at Harrisburg to have
his, her or it's land examined and
placed in the auxiliary forest re-
serves.
1t is thoroughly believed by those
who have worked out this legislation
that not only will Pennsylvania S
timber supply be greatly conserved
by the reforestation that is expected
to follow but it will have much to
do with conserving our water re-
sources and the prevention of floods.
Bills introduced by Senator Walter
McNichols, of Scranton, and passed
by the Senate and now pending in
the House, known as Senate bills
1879, 1880 and 1891, relate more
specifically to the conservation of the
state water resources and were pre-
pared under the direction Of the
State Water Supply Commission in
accordance with the suggestions
made by Governor Tener in his mes
sage.
The Pennsylvania Conservation
Association has taken an active part
|
BILE for killing some vicious bills in
troduced at this session that had
the backing of private water power
interests.
The McNichols bills provide that
an inventory of the water resources
of the state shall first be taken with
view of developing for all the
people the one remaining resource
in Pennsylvania not now owned by
private interests. The Pennsylvania
Conservation Association, an organi-
zation of public-spirited citizens,
with general offices at Harrisburg,
has endorsed Senate bills 1879, 1880
and 1891, and is now urging their
passage in the House.
General food legislation will not
be enacted by the Pennsylvania Leg
islature of 1913. The Senate last
Tuesday took action which made
this plain.
For the second time, the Senate
on that day defeated Senate Bill No.
5, the Gerberich general food act
which went to its death because Of
sinister provisions which it contain
ed and questionable methods used in
lobbying for it.
The principal opposition to the
the use of benzoate of soda as a food
preservative, but other opposition
was awakened by the guarantee
clause" which was not exactly what
some parties thought it should be.
In the State Senate.
The Senate will devote the week
to endeavoring to find excuses for
further delay in final action on the
election measures and the bills reg
ulating woman and child labor
The senate no longer attempts to dis
guise the fact that it is deliberately
playing for delay, and has been for
weeks, in the hope of firing out the
house and forcing compromise on
these measures, and it would not be
surprising if none of them were TO
be reached on final passage this
week. Although the house has vir-
tually finished its work and the SEN
ate could do likewise in a week S
time, prominent senator's are pri-
vately predicting the postponement
of final adjournment to the end of
June.
Following Governor Tener's public
denunciation of the amendment of
the workmen's compensation bill by
the senate committee so as to give
the employer an option to accept the
law or not, the bill is likely to go
back into committee for further
amendment this week, and it may
be slow in reappearing, as the SEN
ate is reluctant to pass it in any
shape and will not do so except under
the most vigorous prodding from the
executive.
The bill placing tax of 21a per
cent. on anthracite coal is said to be
slated for passage in the senate, hav-
ing already passed the house. The
appropriations are running ahead
of the revenues in sight, and some
thing will have to be heavily cut or
additional sources Of income provid-
ed. Coal will produce five millions
or more, and this would provide
funds for carrying on the state high
way building program for the next