FIGHT FOR APPALACHIAN FORESTS 253 



New Hampshire. This broadened the White Mountain bill in the House. This 

 issue. It was charged at the time by was as far as either project traveled 

 ardent advocates of the southern proj- officially in that Congress, 

 ect that the White Mountain movement As the movement went on its import- 

 was a sentimental one and had no eco- ance became more manifest. Strong 

 nomic basis. This was an error of mis- support was constantly being gathered 

 information for which the northern to it but it was evidently necessary to 

 men were partly responsible. They conduct a broad campaign to overcome 

 had not reached the economic stage in popular ignorance of the questions in- 

 their consideration of the subject. volved and congressional indifference. 

 These first appeals were a cry for help The North and South must be brought 

 from those who saw the summer land together, made to understand each 

 of promise of tens of thousands of peo- other's needs and to realize that they 

 pie being laid waste and who wanted stood on common ground, that the issue 

 something done about it. Like the \\-as an essentially national one. The 

 southerners who were earliest in that American Forest Congress of 1905 pro- 

 effort they had in mind a national park, moted this larger knowledge and better 

 rather than an economic reserve. As understanding. That congress, the 

 a matter of fact the conditions were the most important and representative for- 

 same as in the South, except for cer- estry convention ever held in America, 

 tain differences of local topography. unreservedly endorsed ' the establish- 

 Both regions are mountain forest dis- nient of National Forest reserves in 

 tricts, containing very small areas of the southern Appalachian Mountains 

 agricultural land. Both are interstate and the White Mountains of New 

 watersheds of the same Appalachian Hampshire," and urged the passage of 

 Mountain system. The water flow of the pending bills for these purposes, 

 the southern rivers is less regulated by In December, 1905, bills for the two 

 lake storage, but in one respect the reserves were introduced in the House 

 White Mountains were in the worse by Mr. Currier and Mr. Brownlow, and 

 case. The timber tracts in the north- in the Senate by Senators Gallinger 

 ern country were controlled by a few and Overman. At its annual meeting 

 large operators who, impelled by indus- in January, 1906, the American For- 

 trial conditions, were cutting heavily estry Association appointed a commit- 

 and making big sweeps up the higher tee to prepare a bill uniting the two 

 slopes, where the soil is only retained projects, and to offer it as a substitute 

 in place by the protective forest growth. for these four measures. This union 

 The New Hampshire hills have never bill was accepted by all interests. On 

 been protected by inaccessibility, and January 20, 1906, it was laid before the 

 the wholesale cutting of the last few Senate committee on forest reservations 

 years is the climax of a long-sustained and the protection of game, of which 

 attack. Senator Brandegee, of Connecticut, was 

 A bill for the southern reserve was chairman, and was reported by that 

 again introduced in the Senate by Sena- committee, in lieu of the Gallinger and 

 tor Burton, and the first White Motin- Overman bills. This bill called for an 

 tain bill was offered by Senator Gal- initial appropriation of $3,000,000. 

 linger. Both were reported favorably though its advocates frankly stated that 

 by the committee on forest reserva- this was but a beginning, and that the 

 tions. The report on the latter by Sena- completion of the two projects would 

 tor Burnham, of New Hampshire, was involve an ultimate expenditure of not 

 the first official notice of the White less than fifteen millions. They also 

 Mountain project. Mr. Currier, of declared that every year of delay would 

 New Hampshire, had introduced a increase the cost, on account of condi- 



