The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-01-29
SHOW NECESSITY
OF FOREST GRANT
Senator Weeks and Many Other New
Englanders Appear Before Con-
greSSional Committee.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-The appro-
prlatlon by congress of S10000,0 900 urged
as "a measure of economy" a feature
of a hearing before the house committee on
agriculture yesterday, at which the repre-
sentatives of nearly 200 forestry, conserva-
ton and trade bodies from all parts of the
East and South appeared on behalf OF a
provision in this years agriculture bill for
the continuance of purchases of national
forest land in New England and the South
ern Appalachian regions. The delegation
was headed by Gov Locke Craig of North
Carolina, and included official representa-
tives of the governors of Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Ten
nessee, as well as large number of emf
nent foresters and conservationists.
Allan Hollis, representing Gov. Spauld-
ing of New Hampshire, the Society for the
Preservation of the New Hampshire For
ests, and Connecticut Valley Waterways
association, summing up the arguments,
SAID that II the program is not carried out
IN accordance with the recommendations
of the national forest reservation commits
sion the result will be the deterioration OF
designated lands by fire and unwlse lum-
bering, a loss of soil through erosion, and
therefore a loss of the navigability, power
possibilities and purity of the streams OF
the East, increasing damage by floods TO
cities, towns and persons along the rivers,
and to the agriculture valleys. Besides, 1t
was said, the necessity will still exist for
the federal government to handle the sit
uation, and the cost of doing so then will
! be greater than it Is now
The committee was urged to recommend
that an item of 1000, 900 be carried in
the agriculture bill, to be available at a
rate of S2,000,0O0 per year. which would
enable the purchase of 300 COO to 100000
acres of mountain woodland each year, to
be developed for timber production, water
shed protection and public recreation
grounds. The committee was told that
the property would eventually be worth
much more than its cost
Henry S Graves. chief of the forest ser
vice, William L. Hall, in charge of the
administration of the eastern forests, told
about what had been accomplished al
ready; George Otis Smith director of the
: United States Geological Survey, explained
the necessity of forest covering with re
gard to watersheds, and arguments Were
put forth by Harvey n Shepard and Har
: old Parker of Boston, George S. Powell Of
Asheville, n c., T. c.. Williams, deputy
commissioner of forests of Pennsylvania
and DR.. Clarence J. Owen of the Southern
: Commercial Congress. and Percival Sheldor
Ridsdale, editor of American Forestry
Senator John w Weeks spoke briefly
before the committee, urging the necessity
r OF the appropriation. He pointed out thai
if the committee found it impossible t.
appropriate the full amount, it ought a
least to appropriate the unexpended bal
ance of 100000 for the continuance o
a policy about whose value there is no con
:. troversy. Dearth of timber, declared tn,
senator, will in time prove the necessity
! of this reserve