The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-17
URGES PROTECTION
OF FOREST AREA
CHIEF Forester Graves Says South
Is Only on Threshold OF Pos
sible Development.
BEGINNING TO MEET PROBLEM
Tri-Statc Water and Light .Asso-
ciat,on OF Carolinas and Georgia
i'll Convention.

Atlanta. Ga. April lG.-ScicntiAc and
practical business problems involved
!n The n1anae cmcnt Of water ans light
plants. were discussed at the opening
session here tC-ia; .: -" fourth an
Eual Convention of tbs hi state Water
ana Light Association Of the carUiinaH
ana Georgia. Scores Of members from
every section OF thrc. States were in
attendance. The meeting viii last
Until tomorrow night.
Inc annual address OF President y e.
!. Spro!cS was tn" principal feature of
The morning session Included in the
afternoon program were addresses by
~. ;. Graves, chief forester OF the
Federal Department oi Agriculture,
"iI NJ i. toun, OF Philadelphia.
Mr.. Graves appealed to !ucIuDcrs OF
me association ana 10 III" South 3cn-
rally to prevent serious injury 10
southern Industrial development o.: af-
iordinE bcttor projection Tor the farm
ana mineral resources. No praised
u" marked advance I'm rural enter
prlsr, "hiti IL said WAS cNidcnt ia the
Soutl, and declared conditions Of to-
DAY oui! approached tic threshold OF
possible Development
serious injury 10 tn. Industrial de-
Nciopincnl 81 the South can b. pre-
Vented " lIop,ins ilsht measures
now said Mir. Graves. The National
Forest Reservation Commission has
approved in' purchase OF l.0,fVC acres
Ut North caroline, at q total cost OF
ma. az cost Of Sl2s,iJT. and OF ~
y acres IN Georgia, al "A cost OF y622-
-. IhSSe government forests, how
,Yer. "iIl iorn OILY very small
portion OF the forest are. which must
-" Protected. = Considerable uiinl-
Ger "i states hav. iuud. Z. b. ginning
I" meet thus problem.
NIl GraNc- said tho engineer and tho
forester must WoTl. hand iu hand (
.Hr river system o. to hc converted
rom ID soHrcs 81 danEcr ana .Npcnac ~
one 81 inc lEsuC1t u--fu lu"Sy.'
Regulation Of nyod waters by chan
H"i Improvement h-ts hseu 80 lar III.
only method u~"d IN the attempt -
control our r.N"rs. and tho results 4p.;sk
FOR themselves" h" declared. ~ per
i,aNtnt Improvement H. TO he ..ccrM-
Pushed. work must begin up the stream,
not GOWN. Regulation must begin At
th. spGt'e Floods must hc presented.
not vurcd.
o. the southern mountains there Is
othvIs--tAc danger from erosion. lu-
lUdio.ous tiiuber cutting iu the luuuu-
Curs. forest rres, mud. above all. the
.ericul'ur,, followed ~ improper
methods Of cultiyattar- all tics" things
together have brought about erosion
81 thc mountains when air"ad! iias
produced eyii c"us.uuerc"e
'''ru, soil washed from tho mountain
fields goes iito tho streams. tn" dc
structiou OF farm lH.d ~ lhe VALLEYS iS
oIloiIu"us .Specnill DURING vet years.
Ia 1901 the estimated damage by floods
ia thc vel"ys ~ The rivers no"inS
I'm tho Caroluas ANA Georgia alone
,>,ev $4,000. QUO = Nuw invested IN cot
Ton p.lls. run hy water power directly
or bs electric power generated There
from ana this g. only the bare bcgiH-
ming ip electrical Development Tue
100000. o., az Some claim 3.1V0,p0C-
horsepower available "a the streams
that flow from tho .tpnalachians 10 tn:
Atlantic when developed would mean
.ut Investment iu hl dro-clcctric plauts
OF UPWARDS OF from $500, 00Ho 900 Ia $500
0VCoec. curiiiu. annually from S+".-
Cup.ouU to S6r.opopo0 az =, conservative
estimate. and saNiu- III" South on its
coal bill alone some tl5.o0c.0co 10 S-o,-
Grr. 500.
"'rhe south to-day is standing on tho
threshold OF q VAST Industrial Il. vclop-
mtut. The extent ~ this Development,
and vons.qucntly the advancement and
prosperity OF the South itscl. depend
S.ry largely on Two factors the pro-
duction of -nw materials from the
faru- forests and mines, and tho pro-
lection ana development of water re-
sources Tho South Is -cmiucHtiy
favored ia both these respects. IT is
not merely tho great amount OF HaVj-
gail" waters stretching lar back into
Tie different States. available Tor cheap
TRANSFORMATIONS but vast water powers.
which are rapidly transforming tie
South into 70 manufacturing as Wcll rs
an agricultural section