464 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Reports of these discussions and papers 

 more fully presenting the case, were 

 published in this magazine in March 

 and April, and it is not necessary to 

 review them at this time. 



Some time elapsed without any fur- 

 ther action being taken by the commit- 

 tee. Finally, a vote was taken and all 

 of the new members voted for the bill, 

 making the standing of the committee 

 eleven for and seven against. It is in- 

 teresting to note in this connection 

 that the advocates of this measure have 

 never failed to convince a majority of 

 any committee they have appeared be- 

 fore in either house that the measure is 

 a good one and should become a law. 

 Within a few days of the action by 

 the committee, the report of the ma- 

 jority, which had been put in charge of 

 Mr. Lever of South Carolina and Mr. 

 Plumley of Vermont, was ready to sub- 

 mit to the House, but that of the mi- 

 nority was delayed several days. This 

 was in charge of Chairman Scott, and 

 his reason for the delay was pressure of 

 other work, but every day's delay hin- 

 dered the passage of the bill, which 

 Mr. Scott was certainly not anxious to 

 further. 



There are many times in the course 

 of legislation when a minority can be 

 just as effective as a majority, if ob- 

 struction is all that is needed. 



On the I5th of April, the report was 

 made and committed to the committee 

 of the whole house on the state of the 

 Union and ordered to be printed. It 

 was then hoped that an early opportu- 

 nity would come to bring it up on cal- 

 endar Wednesday, when, under the 

 rules, each committee in turn has an 

 opportunity to call up bills for consid- 

 eration. It soon developed, however, 

 that the turn of agriculture on the cal- 

 endar had passed and was not likely to 

 come again, owing to the number of 

 important bills to come from other com- 

 mittees that had the call before it. 



The friends of the bill outside of 

 Congress meanwhile grew anxious, 

 and appeals for action began to pour 

 in upon the members, especially those 

 from the New England states. It had 

 become evident that the only hope for 



action was in a special rule, which i 

 be obtained from the new rules ( 

 mittee of ten. It was no longer a c 

 tion of securing the consent of 

 Speaker, who is not even a membe 

 the new committee. Of the ten n 

 bers only one, Mr. Lawrence of M; 

 chusetts, was in favor of the bill, 

 so well was the case urged by 

 Weeks, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Cur 

 Mr. Lever, and their supporters, 

 the committee consented to bring 

 rule. 



Even then so much business i 

 vened that days passed before the 

 was reported, and it was not unti 

 afternoon of June 24 that Mr. S 

 of Iowa introduced the rule for 

 committee and yielded the floor to 

 Lawrence of Massachusetts, who i 

 an admirable speech, brief, clear, 

 pointed, in support of the rule am 

 bill. Concluding, he said : 



It would be interesting to consid 

 length just what is being done for the 

 ervation and development of fores 

 France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, 

 Britain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, 

 many, and Japan. Such consideration ' 

 convince us that America has been very 

 to realize the importance of this work, 

 are much behind other first-class counti 



But we are waking up, and the p; 

 of this bill will be a long step forwa: 

 wish it might have carried a larger i 

 priation and provided for work cover 

 longer period. Its advocates, howeve 

 sure that the expenditure here provide 

 will remove all doubt as to the wisdc 

 the policy and that it will be follow 

 much larger appropriations, which wil 

 mit more rapid and thorough develop 

 This is practical conservation. It pr< 

 to save what the people want saved, ai 

 proposition should receive the heart; 

 unanimous support of the members o 

 house. 



The rule was adopted on a roll 

 154 voting in favor of considei 

 and ninety-nine against. Twent; 

 answered present, and 114 did not 

 Several opponents of the bill wen 

 enough to vote for its consider; 

 but others fought the measure ev 

 this point, and Mr. Rucker of Mis 

 began the dilatory tactics with i 

 he endeavored up to the final pa 

 of the bill to obstruct it and to tir 



