Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

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Appalachian National Park Association Newspaper Clippings, 1899-1902

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  • \TURDAY,_J[UNlLl!_i?^, APPALACHIAN forest preserve. .Speech <>i Senator Depew in Support of lliv Hill for Government Pnr- WASHINOTON. June 7.—Senator Depew de- liveietl a speech in the Senate to-day in favor of the bill providing for the purchase by the Government of a national foreset reserve In the Southern Appalachian Mountains. He reviewed the subject of forest preservation 1 in all its aspects and concluded as follows: The proposition in the bill is to author- o( Agriculture, at an ex- iing $1,000,000, to purchase these forests. They are held now in large tracts of from 1,000 to 5.000 acres. They are being rapidly bought lumber companies at from $1.50 to $2 an acre. The owners, as I am informed, would much prefi r selling them to tho anient than to individuals or corporal ions. The reason is obvious. It is mated by the Department of Agriculture that within five years the forests would be ustalniiig, and after that a soup aalng revenue for all time to come. The Government does much in many ways to create wealth for the people. Every river and harbor bill carries with it millions of dollars to create wealth by dredging harbors, rivers, and streams. The Irrigation propositions which are always be- U8, and some of which have passed the also for the creation of wealth by making fertile the lands which have always lain arid. Here, however, is a proposition not for the creation of wealth, but for its preservation. This Is a scheme not for many local improvements like the $70,000,000 |iuhlle-niilliillig;> bill, OT the $70,- 000,000 river and harbor bill, or the in- rable other bills which we pass for localities, but it Is a public and beneficent ure to keen for future generations in many Slates iniil over a large area the productive energies which najuro haa for tin comfort, tin- living, *no tbe hap- oi large populations, and for the wealth oi iin- whole oountry, ti differs from all other schemes of gov- iid in another way. The advan ved by the Government from the Improvement ot rivers ami hiii-iiui-s is Incidental anil Indirect. Th« same is true of a, of public buildings, anil public I lihnl; but In me ihe Govern pic by entering upon ,i but Inesa Impo lodl- vldmil:., ami which a aclilnery but that ni tie- ilorernmenl can carry on, and which I be l i eonun ie:; das dem i source ni perpi We M tin- bitppy possesion of II terrltorl i I hat II ih, i There bat m,t been i to ui how dependent Wi upon ii for all purpo domestic, home life, it would be lit calamity if we Id feci acntely the lose or our wood. Thai this will o< irood become so high , i luxury, is n-ri d( -natal ion goes on. li-roi 'Ot tnan mid the hone outbuilding! of the farmer to the highly polished woods whose artistic gra ornaments tin- palaoi a of ihe rich, this provision of nature Is our necessity. We inn only keep these hard woods, which every year are becoming scarcer and costly, within reasonable reach of the e Is of the people by the Government entering upon this process of scientific forestry. Instead of this 150 miles of hardwood forests being destroyed, as they will be in ten years unless measures are taken for their preservation, they would under this scheme last for ever, and yield annually a harvest for the uses ot the people. A few corporations or Individuals may accumulate In a short time large fortunes : by deforesting, fortunes which will disappear in a generation or two; but wise .1 ownership, preservation, and administration by the Government will give employment, property, industries, and homes to [multitudes for all time. iu sum up briefly, then, this is a work which only can be done by the Government of the United States. It should be done by the. Government because it interests ma"hy States and in a large way the people of the whole country. It preserves the hardwood forests and their product for future generations. It keeps upon the hills and mountainsides the woods whose influence upon climate, soil, and rainfall Is most beneficial to a vast territory. It prevents mountain torrents, which will in time, as the destruction of the forests goes on, turn a large agricultural region into a desert. It conserves for manufacturing purposes that enormous water power which will be utilized for a multitude of industries, which will give employment to thousands, and add enormously to the wealth of the oountry. Instead of being an expense and a drain—and it would be the best expense which the Government could make If that was necessary—it will he one of those beneficent improvements which will Bhed blessings everywhere, and at the same time be self-sustaining and a source of everlasting revenue to the Government. ^. DEPEW PLEADS FOR FQR-EST,RESERVE Advocates the Appropriation of $10,000,000 for Purchase of 2,000,000 Acres in South. Saturday, -Chauncey M. li, i lie .Semite to-day 111 ol tie- hin appropriating $10,000,000 Cm t lie pn, elm: 1 2,000,000 aci for n mile in Virginia. North Carolina. SililHl1" t-'arol inn. Gi A ' ''-JU^l .,0.1 Ti on, JrffrTTepew said the project was favored fay President Etooaevelt and by the Secretary of Agriculture, and federal action was Justified fully by public ne< ibli n 1 nils might bi d from il of t lie reserve, Witliiii leu years ihe great liiinlwniiil forests In the pri would he destroyed en- liri ly. Such a result would b( in the Slates affected and to the entire country. M^^^^^^ LFfrAflV I t?A'.nir» -im «"■—- "' jT 'pleads for a forest RESERVE IMIBtf SOUTH.] Senator Depew Speaks in Advocacy of the Appalachian Bill—It Is Proposed to Set Aside 4,000,000 Acres. Washington, June 8.—In the Senate yesterday Mr. Depew made n speech in advocacy of the bill appropriating $10,- 000,000 for the purchase of 2,000,000 acres of land for a National forest in Virginia, Nojah^Cai-olina, Southjfc*rroIiiin, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Mr. Depew spoke of the reckless devastation of the forests that hail been going on in this country, especially iu the last 50 years. Already in the West 41 National forest reserves have been rot aside comprising about 40,000,000 arces. "The proposition in the bill," said Senator Depuw, -is to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture at an expense not exceeding $10,000,000 to purchase 4,000,000 acres of these forests. They are now held in large tracts of from 1,000 to 5,000 acres. They are being rapidly bought up by lumber companies at from $1.50 to $2.C0 an acre. "The owners, as I am informed, would much prefer selling tnem to the Government than to individual:-, or corporations. The reason is obvious. It is estimated by the Agricultural Department that in five years the forests - ill! he self-sustaining. an# after that: a source of increasing reve- ni for all time to come. It is impossible im the States to undertaRe^sjjswork." THE APPAIjAIWW FOBBBfS. The speech whlcb/Tilr. DepeVdellverod in the Senate yesterday on the bill to establish a national forest reservation in the Southern Ap- I palaclii.-in Mountains might to have the practl- | eai affect of gaining abundant support in Congress for that Important protect It. is a cleat- and Instructive rehearsal of the general truths concerning: the relation of forests to water supply, and consequently to the prosperity of surrounding- regions, and a convincing presentation of the particular rensons for putting the wooded slopes within the territory to which this measure applies under federal protection. As a citizen of New-York Mr. Depew is familiar with forest history in this State. He knows what enormous losses hare been sustained here through long devastation of the AdlrondackS; how difficult It was to arouse the public mind to a sense of the harm already done and the calamity which was threatened, and how thoroughly the policy of preserving our wooded domain whleh is now embodied in the constitution Is sustained by the people. Thus acquainted with -what was sacrificed for many years and what has since been gained in his own State, the Senator effectively pleads for a measure which would be of incalculable benefit to other commonwealths and indirectly to the whole country. The task of preserving the Appalachian forests cannot be left to the localities immediately concerned, for obvious reasons. They lie in half a dozen States, Which could not be expected to act in concert, and one or more of which would necessarily refuse to undertake an enterprise from which the others held aloof. It is necessary, therefore, that the national resources and authority should be invoked for the purpose. The bill provides for the purchase at a comparatively trivial price of about
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