EDITORIAL 



305 



This board should be adapted to Louisiana conditions, 

 but, following precedents of other efficient and success- 

 ful State boards, it should probably be composed of 

 about five men, who receive no salary, but only their ex- 

 penses and a per diem, when engaged in the Commis- 

 sion's work. The personnel of the board must be non- 

 political and interested and informed on forestry. To 

 secure such a board, at least three of its members should 

 be men whose occupation especially qualifies them for 

 the position. Louisiana has such men, — for instance, the 

 presidents of state educational institutions, the Pro- 

 fessor of Forestry at the Louisiana State Agricultural 

 and ?ilechanical College, or others. An admirable plan 

 is to authorize the State Forestry Asociation to nominate 

 one of the members of the board, and to secure the 

 cooperation of the lumber industry by permitting them a 

 similar nomination through the most representative State 

 association. On a fairly large and well constituted board 

 the governor might be included as an e.v officio mem- 

 ber, but he should not be given unlimited power of ap- 



pointing the remaining members. This will remove the 

 temptation of converting the board into a political asset. 



This board should appoint the State Forester, who 

 need not be a member of the board but should be the 

 secretary and executive officer. It should be provided by 

 law that the forester must be a technically trained man, 

 educated in his profession and with some experience in 

 actual practice of forestry. This board should be given 

 for forestry purposes an amount equivalent to the in- 

 come derived from the State tax on timber products. 



When this step is taken, further progress is assured. 

 Until it is done, all the energy and enthusiasm which may 

 be brought to bear upon the subject will be dissipated in 

 the sands of political indifference and inefficiency, and 

 another decade will see the State with vastly diminished 

 forest resources, the end of the industry practically in 

 sight, and nothing accomplished to restore the economic 

 balance or replace the forest as one of the leading re- 

 sources of the proud queen of the South. 



$3,000,000 APPROPRIATION NEEDED 



IN a few days, when the House Agricultural Appropria- 

 tion Bill comes up for consideration in the Senate, 

 there will be presented Senator Gallinger's amend- 

 ment to it. This amendment provides for an appropria- 

 tion of $3,000,000 to continue the purchase of forest 

 lands in New England and the Southern Appalachian 

 states for the protection of the headwaters of navigable 

 streams. $8,000,000 of the $11,000,000 appropriated by 

 Congress five years ago under the so-called Weeks Law, 

 for this purpose, have been expended, but the remaining 

 $3,000,000 reverted to the Treasury because the period for 

 using it lapsed before the necessary legal arrangements 

 for purchasing the land desired could be completed. 



There is every reason why this $3,000,000 should be 

 reappropriated to continue the work for which it was 

 intended. The Forest Reservation Commission, having 

 charge of the purchase of the lands secured under the 

 Weeks Law, has recommended the continuation of the 

 work, so has Secretary of Agriculture Houston, and so 

 CO individuals and influential organizations throughout, 

 not only New England and the Southern Appalachian 

 states, but the entire country. 



The American Forestiy Association and cooperating 

 organizations have been actively advocating this measure 

 for some time, and have recently requested members of 

 the Senate to give their attention to the amendment when 

 it comes up. This amendment will be referred to the 



Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and it 

 is believed will be reported favorably and will likely pass 

 the Senate. If it does it will go before the Senate and 

 the House conferees and it is hoped may then be pre- 

 sented to the House for a vote. The measure however 

 has already been unfavorably reported by the House 

 Agricultural Committee, by a vote of 8 to 7, and the 

 action of this committee will of course have considerable 

 weight with the House. 



At the same time the inclination of Congress to econo- 

 mize in every possible direction, the press of much im- 

 portant legislation, and the desire to get as much busi- 

 ness as possible completed before the Republican and 

 Democratic conventions are held all tend to prevent this 

 very important forestry measure getting the full con- 

 sideration to which it is entitled. 



Every member of the American Forestry Association 

 is therefore asked to aid in the effort to secure the fav- 

 orable attention of members of the House to this amend- 

 ment. They are asked to write personal letters to mem- 

 bers of Congress from their districts, pointing out the 

 importance of continuing the purchases of forest lands 

 at the headwaters of the navigable streams in New Eng- 

 land and the Southern Appalachians, and urging them 

 to give their personal attention to the Gallinger amend- 

 ment providing $3,000,000 for this purpose. 



Members of the Association are requested to do this 

 NOW. In a few more days it may be too late. Action is 

 requested AT ONCE. 



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