FOKEST LANDS FOR THE PROTECTION OF WATERSHEDS. 31 



The CHAIRMAN. Because I know you have considered this from a 

 broad standpoint. 



Governor GUILD. I have tried to. 



The CHAIRMAN. You have heard Doctor Van Hise express the 

 opinion that what the Government might do would be to go into 

 these States and buy tracts of from 25,000 to 50,000 acres as a sort 

 of object lesson to the people? 



Governor GUILD. Yes. 



The CHAIRMAN. Have you ever taken into consideration the view 

 that would be held locally upon the proposition of taking that much 

 property off the local tax rolls what might happen to some one 

 county, perhaps, where 50,000 acres were thus sequestered? 



Governor GUILD. Most certainly. Although it might take a certain 

 amount off a local tax roll, it would add so much to the land in the 

 other place, which would thereby be improved by the water supply 

 and by water power that the one would much more than offset the 

 other, we think. 



The CHAIRMAN. Do you not think that the parties whose assess- 

 ment was increased would think it was rather unfair that in order 

 that the Government could have this property for reservation they 

 would have to pay more taxes? 



Governor GUILD. I think the best answer to the local opposition of 

 States to which you refer is that 8 Southern States and 2 Northern 

 States have already requested that the thing be done. 



The CHAIRMAN. I am perfectly aware of that, but I was wondering 

 whether it had been specifically considered. 



Mr. HAWLEY. Was it not stated before us last year that the Gov- 

 ernment would be expected to share the profits of these forests with 

 those States, or find some other way to compensate them ? 



Governor GUILD. I was unfortunately unable to be present at the 

 hearing of last year, much as I desire to be here, but Mr. Ayers 

 understands that phase of the question and has been present at all 

 the hearings, and I will call upon him, if you please, the state for- 

 ester of New Hampshire. 



STATEMENT OF PHILIP W. AYERS, STATE FORESTER OF NEW 

 HAMPSHIRE. 



Mr. AYERS. I merely desire to answer the point raised by the chair- 

 man, that the bill which passed the Senate proposes that these re- 

 serves in the eastern mountains, if established, shall be conducted in 

 exactly the same way as the western reserves. I think it has been 

 decided by the Forest Service to be a fact that the western reserves 

 turned back the portion of the incomes in which those counties are 

 located. 



The CHAIRMAN. You understand that it further developed in these 

 hearings that the price of lands now having workable timber upon 

 them would be so high that nobody would advocate their purchase, 

 including the timber, and that the best that could be expected would 

 be that we could buy the land with the privilege to the owner of 

 removing the merchantable timber. That being true, of course we 

 could not expect to get any revenue until the second growth became 

 available, so that there would be a period of from five to one hundred 

 years before a return could be possible. 



