212 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



May 



assist in the campaign for national 

 forest reservations in the East. 



At this meeting action was taken 

 looking toward closer affiliation with 

 the American Forestry Association, 

 viz., the society voted to become a sus- 

 taining member, which, under the 

 amended by-laws adopted at the last 

 meeting of the American Forestrv As- 

 sociation, allows an organization join- 

 ing in such a manner the privilege of 

 representation on the advisory board 

 of the association, one member of 

 which is also elected a vice president 

 of the American Forestry Association. 

 Those, who will represent the Society 

 for the Protection of Xew Hampshire 

 Forests on the advisory board of the 

 association, are Hon. Frank W. Rol- 

 lins, Concord, N. H., president of the 

 society ; Mr. George T. Cruft, Bethle- 

 hem, president of the White Mountain 

 Board of Trade, and treasurer of the 

 society, and Mr. Philip W. Ayres, Con- 

 cord, forester of the society. 



To Enforce 

 Order 



in Camps 



The initiation of a large 

 national irrigation pro- 

 ject, giving employment 

 to hundreds of laborers, is almost al- 

 ways followed by an influx of disrep- 

 utable characters who attempt to es- 

 tablish themselves in or near the con- 

 struction camps. They are most ob- 

 jectionable individuals and their pur- 

 pose is to establish saloons, brothels 

 and gambling houses. Their presence 

 in the camps is invariably followed by 

 a saturnalia of crime, drunkenness, 

 robberies and murders. 



In many states laws have been en- 

 acted prohibiting the establishment of 

 saloons within a specified distance of 



any government works under construc- 

 tion ; but in others apparently this im- 

 portant matter has been overlooked, 

 and the engineer is helpless to protect 

 the laborers from being wantonly rob- 

 bed and frequently murdered. Even 

 in states which have enacted these laws 

 great difficulty is experienced in prose- 

 cuting the violators owing to political 

 influence which the liquor element is 

 able to bring to bear on state and coun- 

 ty authorities. The processes of the 

 law are so slow that the liquor sellers 

 and gamblers openly boast they can 

 delay proceedings against them until 

 the works are completed, after which 

 they are willing to give up their un- 

 lawful pursuits and abandon the tem- 

 porary buildings occupied by them. 



In Nevada the conditions at several 

 points along the works became de- 

 plorable. The laborers, intoxicated by 

 the vile decoctions of the dram shops, 

 have been robbed by the gamblers or 

 highwaymen and murders have not 

 been infrequent. Several lynchings 

 have occurred when the hold-up artists 

 have been taken red-handed by the in- 

 furiated laborers. 



The Department of Justice has been 

 called upon to assist the Reclamation 

 Service in driving out these criminals 

 and in keeping liquor off the govern- 

 ment reservation and out of govern- 

 ment camps. Thus far repressor}' 

 measures have proved unavailing, 

 owing to the impossibility of securing 

 prompt action in local courts. It is 

 hoped that with the co-operation of 

 the Department of Justice the reign of 

 lawlessness on several of the govern- 

 ment works may be ended and some 

 of the rascals punished. 



Lii&te* '''t - ^ %'!/ $^ :: i&'^Mi^^ 5 



