The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-04-20
MONEY FOR
LAND PURCHASE
UNDER THE WEEKS ACT, BEFORE
THE HOUSE, is NEARLY
EXHAUSTED.
WOREING IN CONNECTION
WITH SENATOR SHIELDS
CONGRESSMAN SELLS HOPEFUL
OF GETTING MORE.

WASHINGTON, D. c., April &c.
In the agricultural bill which is nov
pending before the house for consid
Grafton, no provision has been mad'
for further appropriation to con
tinue the purchase of lands undel
the Weeks act, in the White noun
tain and the Appalachian forest re
serves.
Congressman Sam r. Sells, whC
has been very much interested in the
renewal of this appropriation, is dis
appointed because provision has moi
been made for the continuance OF the
work. He has not lost hope, how
ever, as it seems quite well assured
that the senate will insert provis'
ion in the bill, providing for an ap
preparation of $1,OOO,000 for the fis-
cal year ending June 80, 1917, and a
further appropriation of $2,OOO,OOC
for the fiscal year ending June 80
1918. The forestry department be
lieves this amount will be entirely ad
euuate to continue the work.
Senator John K Shields and Con-
gressman Sells have been working
together and their efforts have been
very successful. A greater acreage
Of lands has been acquired in the
first congressional district of Ten
nessee, than in any other in the Uni
ted States. Nearly two hundred
thousand acres of total value OF
nearly 100000 have been acquired,
and it is expected that all of these
purchases will be cOnsummated and
the purchase price paid to the own
ers before the expiration of the year.
The federal court at Greeneville
recently cleared up the title to seven
large tracts, and as soon as certain
details have been completed at the
department of justice, payment will
be made.
Since the institution of this work
there has been considerable delay, in
large part owing to the fact that all
or nearly all of the titles to the
mountain lands in East Tennessee
possess some technical defect which
the department of justice would not
waive, consequently all of these tt
tiles to the mountain lands in East
Tennessee possess some technical de-
feet which the department of justice
would not waive, consequently all of
these titles have had to go before
the federal court for condemnation.
At the request of Congressman
Sells, a special representative from
the department of justice has been de-
tailed to take up this work. He will
give his entire time to the compile
ton of proceedings necessary to place
all of these titles before the federal
court without further delay.
AS soon as a sufficient number of
suits have been prepared, it is eX
pected that a special term of the fed
eral court will be held, to complete
the proceedings necessary to clear
up these titles.
Only about 100000 which was
made available by the Weeks act,
enacted by congress in 1910, remains
available for further purchases. This
amount is being used in various sec
tions to complete the extension of
areas already acquired.
Should the appropriation for the
further continuance of this work be
granted by congress, Congressman
Sells will renew his efforts to secure
the purchase of a large area which
has been offered for sale in Greene
and Cooke counties.
The depleted condition of the fed
eral treasury has caused this work
in some sections to lag. The policy
of the administration has been to
curtail expenditures wherever possi-
BILE. however, owing to the import
ance of the work, and the further
fact that it has met with the appro'
val of large number of citizens
everywhere, it is thought that provis-
ion may yet be made for it's continu
ance.