1906 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



77 



nation, is the preservation of the park 

 lands upon the shores and islands of 

 Cass and Leech Lakes. Thirty miles 

 of shore line, covered with dense 

 stands of Norway and White pine, em- 

 bracing scenes of unparalleled beauty, 

 are the heritage to the public be- 

 queathed by the advocates of the old 

 Minnesota National Park idea. The 

 commercial value of this smaller park 

 for the towns of Walker and Cass 

 Lake is as great as is its esthetical 

 value to the public at large. This fea- 

 ture will prove a source of perpetual 

 prosperity and the tourist and other 

 business derived from the mere exist- 

 ence of this park will increase more 

 and more rapidly, as the fame of its 

 beauty and healthfulness spreads. It 

 would be the utmost folly for the peo- 

 ple of these towns to exchange their 

 park for the doubtful and evanescent 

 privilege of having settlers take up 

 these sandy lands. 



ATTEMPTED REPEAL OE THE MORRIS 

 BILE. 



At the last session of the Minnesota 

 legislature a resolution was passed, 

 without debate or reference to a com- 

 mittee, asking Congress that the Mor- 

 ris Bill be repealed. It is believed that 

 many of the legislators themselves did 

 not realize what the effect might be of 

 the motion for which they voted. The 

 resolution was undoubtedly designed 

 to make it appear that the people of 

 Minnesota were opposed to the Morris 

 Bill and were in favor of its repeal. 



THE COMMERCIAL CLUBS' APPEAL. 



The Commercial clubs of Minneap- 

 olis and St. Paul join in an emphatic 

 denial of the existence of such a senti- 

 ment. 



In the above memorial they have 

 truthfully set forth the history of our 

 national legislation upon this impor- 

 tant subject, the reason for its enact- 

 ment and the beneficent results which 

 have already flowed from it and which 

 we believe have in reality only begun 

 to appear. 



They have given to the whole mat- 

 ter the most careful and intelligent 

 consideration possible ; they were in 

 favor of the original passage of the 

 Morris Bill and have just declared 

 themselves as not only opposed to its 

 repeal but also to any modification or 

 amendment of it, except such as may 

 be asked for bv the United States srov- 

 eminent authorities in charge of our 

 forest reserves. 



We, the undersigned of this memo- 

 rial, do most urgently request the co- 

 operation of all commercial organiza- 

 tions and all thoughtful citizens, not 

 only in the Mississippi Valley, but 

 throughout the country, to arouse 

 public interest and voice this impor- 

 tant matter to the authorities at Wash- 

 ington, for we believe that the people 

 of the nation at large as well as the 

 inhabitants of those states whose com- 

 merce this great river fosters and 

 whose acres it waters and fertilizes, 

 are interested in the preservation and 

 protection of every acre of the mag- 

 nificent forest reserves, which are situ- 

 ated at and tend to preserve and pro- 

 tect its source. 



St. Paul Commercial Club, 

 L. G. Hoffman, Pres. 

 C P. Stine, Secretary. 



Minneapolis Commercial Club, 

 F. R. Salisbury, Pres. 

 W. G. Nye, Sec. Public Affairs Com. 



