THE WEEKS BILL 



Report of the Majority of the House Committee in Favor of the Bill 



THE report of the majority of the which the constructive thought and 

 Committee on Agriculture of the statesmanship of the present are build- 

 House of Representatives on the ing for the future. It is the most prac- 

 Weeks bill "to enable any state to coop- tical and immediately necessary of the 

 erate with any other state or states, or conservation measures that have been 

 Avith the United States for the protection proposed and was strongly pointed out 

 of the watersheds of navigable streams, to be such by President Roosevelt in 

 and to appoint a commission for the ac- enunciating the conservation policy. It 

 quisition of lands for the purpose of involves the smallest initial expenditure, 

 conserving the navigability of navigable the least possible future expenditure, 

 rivers," outlines the provisions of the and the surest return upon the invest- 

 bill, section by section, a task already ment, judging from the experience of 

 performed for its readers by American every country that has practiced for a 

 Forestry. It is pointed out that the sufficient term of years a comprehensive 

 government, as the nation's representa- and efficient forestry policy, of any 

 tive, is amply safeguarded by the pro- project embodied in the conservation 

 visions of the bill, which is then dis- movement. It seeks to conserve one of 

 cussed as follows: the richest of our national assets from 



serious impairment if not destruction — 



Majority Report on Forest Reserves our navigable waterways. 



The bill involves an issue of national 

 GENERAL SCOPE equity and appeals strongly to the na- 

 tion's sense of equity without regard 

 The bill is national in its scope, to section or party affiliation. Years 

 While its proponents have the Southern ago the original states of the east ob- 

 Appalachians and White Mountains in tained by purchase and cession a great 

 mind as the regions most vital at pres- national domain west of the Missis- 

 ent, in which its principles directly ap- sippi. Out of this domain many of the 

 ply, it will be noticed that they may be states of the west were carved and en- 

 applied to any sections in which the ne- do wed with all of the rights of the 

 cessity may exist or arise. It is rea- original thirteen. To their develop- 

 sonable to suppose that in the applica- ment the older states contributed by 

 tion of its principles the southern and liberal legislation, investments, and by 

 eastern sections of the country would the initiation of great national improve- 

 be given first consideration because of ment enterprises for which the whole 

 the greater necessity in these sections country, not the new states alone, con- 

 for immediate preventive and protective tributed the funds. Finally, for the good 

 remedies. of the whole, for the protection and 

 The objects sought in this bill ap- welfare of the future of this western 

 peal to every American on grounds of country, the nation took out of the 

 broadest and most unselfish patriotism, market millions of acres of its lands. 

 It is the first step in the direction, and gave up its expectation of returns to 

 fundamental to, the great movement for the amount of over $400,000,000, in 

 the conservation of our natural re- which all would have shared, in order 

 sources which is the vital point around that beneficent forests might be main- 

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