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Senator Pritchard's questions regarding the park movement

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  • — 5. 6, Has any portion of western North Carolina been seriously affected by freshets within that period, and if so, please state extent of same, A, Damage to property on ^auftaga, Ohucky and New rivers amounts to something like *4,000,000 during 1901, saying nothing of delay to business, etc., etc. 7, Upon wdiut grounds do you insist that the Oovernment should appropriate money out of the Treasury of the United States for the purpose of purchasing a forest reserve in this particular section of the country, A, a, Numerous rivers of importance have thiir origin in this mox^i- tain coiintry and it is imperative that for the protection of these streams the forests should be preserved, b. The region contains the finest anf largest growth of hardwcstt forests found any place in the ooiaitry, c, The south has no forest reserve conducted on the principles and aims of those in the west. The north and west have thirty-seven. d. Western North Carolina presents a country having all the prerequisites for a great national preserve, scenery, climate, forests, and the geological formation compare favorably with tR those of any section of the country, e, As the. destruction of the lranber tracts in the north and west has compelled the lumbermen to turn their attention to the lumber to turn their attention to the lumber of the Southern Appalachians, the next ten years will see the great inroads into ehat is now virgin forests of this section. If the reserve is ever to be established in this region, if must be now, f, Th* establishment of forest reserves in the west has proven satisfactory both to the Government nnA to the residents of h the state, the same holds true of this region, viz,, for the welfare of the agricultural low-lands it is necessary to protect the headwaters of the streams, g. The States in shioh the reserve will be located have petitioned Congress for the establishment of the same, h, The Appalachian Rational Park Association C«n Association formed for promoting this movement) have received endorsements frcta the most scientific and influential bodies of the country. Among them, The Appalachian flub, Boston, Mass,
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