Editorial 



AGRICULTURAL COMMITTEE'S SURPRISING ACTION 



THE Agricultural Committee of the House of 

 Representatives, by a vote of eight to seven, struck 

 out of the appropriation bill the sum of $3,000,000 

 for continuing the work of land purchases under the 

 Weeks Law. If this action stands, the policy of acquisi- 

 tion of mountainous area in the Appalachians and White 

 Mountains by the National Government will come to an 

 abrupt termination, and the government will be left with 

 the nucleus of seventeen administrative areas, each re- 

 quiring supervision and protection, but none large enough 

 to effectively accomplish the purposes for which they 

 were intended. 



This action is the more surprising when it is known that 

 this sum represents the amount previously appropriated 

 by Congress, but which lapsed by time limitation because 

 the Government refused to be hurried into unwise or ill- 

 considered purchases previous to creating the proper ma- 

 chinery for appraisal and the perfection of titles. 



Congress cannot plead failure for this work as a reason 

 for its discontinuance. At the recent hearing before the 

 Agricultural Committee all sections were represented here, 

 and the demand for its continuance was unanimous. No 

 breath of criticism attaches to the purchases. The areas 

 already acquired, totalling 404,984 acres, though scat- 

 tered and small, have been wisely grouped in definite dis- 

 tricts in which it will be possible with continued appro- 

 priations to secure tracts large enough to permit of 

 economical and effective fire protection. Already these 

 tracts have been brought under control, fires stopped, 

 trails, lookouts and telephones installed and the mountain- 

 eers educated to a new attitude towards the care of the 



forests. 874,498 acres have been approved for pur- 

 chase and if secured would make the total acquired 

 1,279,482 acres. This work, pushed forward, means the 

 regeneration of vast areas, not merely through forest 

 restoration, but by a distinct uplift in social conditions 

 as well. The physical benefits will not be confined to the 

 mountain counties within which the lands lie, but by ef- 

 fective watershed protection stream flow will be regu- 

 lated, power sites will increase in value, navigation will 

 be protected, erosion and silting up of streams retarded 

 or prevented and the entire economic life of the States 

 affected will be permanently bettered. 



There is yet time to save this appropriation. Senator 

 Gallinger has introduced in the Senate an amendment 

 to the Agricutural Appropriation bill. This amendment 

 was referred to the Committee on Agriculture and 

 Forestry, Senator Gore, chairman. It is hoped this com- 

 mittee will report favorably on the amendment and that 

 it will be adopted by the Senate. If it is it will go to 

 conferees of the Senate and the House and will finally 

 get back into the House for a vote. 



It is essential that every Senator be petitioned to give 

 the amendment his consideration and approval. The 

 American Forestry Association has already requested 

 such consideration from each one. Members of the As- 

 sociation are now asked to personally write to each 

 Senator and each Representative from their district urg- 

 ing support of the measure. Such personal letters will 

 have considerable weight and will be invaluable in the 

 effort to secure the appropriation. 



Please write now. < 



Waterpower Legislation 



By H. H. Chapman 



THE development of public utilities in this country 

 is largely in private hands, as contrasted with 

 almost universal public ownership in Europe. In 

 its initial stages of development, American communities 

 were more keenly alive to the benefits of these enterprises 

 than to the rights inherent in the public. The ground 

 lost by perpetual franchises and other onerous conditions, 

 often obtained by bribery, is only recently being partially 

 recovered by means of limited franchises, profit sharing 

 and the right of recapture and public operation at expira- 

 tion of leases. 



The prolonged agitation over waterpower legislation 

 is explained by the development of waterpower, through 

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long-distance transmission, as a public utility of the first 

 magnitude, furnishing power, not only to public service 

 corporations engaged in transportation, lighting and heat- 

 ing, but to the manufacturing industries and even prom- 

 ising to invade the homes as a substitute for fuel. Rail- 

 roads in mountain districts may in the near future be 

 operated entirely by electricity. The enormous impor- 

 tance of this development of waterpower as a public 

 utility cannot be minimized. 



Waterpower development tends naturally towards 

 monopolistic control. A power site is capable of develop- 

 ment by but one corporation. Immense sums are required 

 for long periods to install the dams, power plants and 



