Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-06-18
GEORGIA NEEDS ADEQUATE
LAWS TO PROTECT FORESTS
FROM FIRES, GOVT. WARNS

the necessary steps that Georgia must
take to build for greatness in the fu
ture is the passage of adequate laws
which will protect the forests of the
state from incendiary fires and which
will permit the carrying out of an in
telligent program OF reforestation &C
cording to Major T. w Kellep Of the
United States Forest service who re-
Gently has been assigned to direct the
forestry service in the eastern division
which includes Georgia
Major Kelley in an interview given
the representative of The Week de-
clarcd that Georgia now stands fourth
among the states of the union in the
matter of incendiary forest fires. He
pointed out specific cases where the
Blue Ridge section in Union and
White counties has been badly burn
ed. He outlined the forestry problem
in Georgia in detatil in his interview
and recommended as remedy the
passage OF adequate state laws which
will protect the forests from wanton
"ire settlers" He said the federal
government will lend a helping hand
to Georgia of such laws are passed.
Discussing thesituation Major Kel
ley said
Georgia stands fourth among state.
reported according to statistics. Thi!
is crimethat the state is toleratins
What can be done abotu it? Promul
gate and pass forestry Legislation
which will provide non-political or
ganization to deal with the problem
state forestry department with ade
quate appropriation for educating tn
public concerning care with fire AM
the support of the courts in the enforce
ment of the law against the offender
first to apprehend them in their &C
of crime and second to mete out t.
these enemies of society just punish
ment.
"The south side of the Blue Ridge
in White and Union counties is very
severly burned. The sr'.'is OF thes'
fires are the greatest foes to the flu
ture of Georgia forests. Georgia!
problem is now live enc. 1t is no
so much a fre-hunt as it is 4 man
hunt before the fire if possible bu
in no case abandoned until the mar
who sets the woods aflame is punish
ed. No fire but the owner OF thu
land that lights it or the man who
sets fire to lands of another is the
public enemy. In his heart and that
of his wife and children and neigh
Dor and of the officer of the law and
the Judge on the bench and OF the
editor. legislator and the man OF the
streets Their must be knowledge thai
this hand has been set against Socle-
tv as surely as that of the pervert
the killer and the thief. No excuse
can alter this fact. He may plead
thoughlessness instead of depravity
but this does not copensate his actions
In the degree that the fire settlers
carelessness strikes more homes 1t is
a greater crime. This is Georgias
forestry problem. Stay the hand o.
the fire brand and Georgia's forestry
problem Of her 100000 or more
acres Of forest land will be Is per
cent solved
"Within the several mountain coun-
ties of Northeast Georgia the federal
Government under the Weeks law
with the consent of the State OF Geor-
oia has established two purchase units
the Georgia and Savannah. With
IN those units the federal government,
has already purchased from private
owners in the neighborhood of 2OO,-
ooO acres of cut over and virgin tim
her land. AS rapidly as funds are
available the purchases are extended
If is planned to have eventually some
6oo 600 acres of National Forest land
within those units-partly embraced
nv the Cherokee National Forest and
oart1v bv the Nontahala, the former
wing in Union White Fannin ano
T,mpkin counties and the latter II
Rabun county.
"Another prospective unit has beer
in the coastal plain country
of Southern Georgia.
RIBLE CLASS MET FRIDAY