FIGHT FOR APPALACHIAN FORESTS 255 



against the project, openly at least, but was made to the Sixtieth Congress by 

 inside the House these few men who the Secretary of Agriculture, 

 hold tremendous political power, seeing New bills were introduced in both 

 only the expenditure and the lack of Senate and House of the Sixtieth Con- 

 any partisan gain to be secured, and not gress, calling for an initial appropria- 

 comprehenciing the essential economy of tion of $5,000,000. It was plain that 

 the proposed action and its necessity there was a great and growing support 

 for the country's future welfare, have behind these bills. Apathy toward 

 held up legislation by every known them in Congress was gone. Friends 

 parliamentary means. and opponents alike recognized their 



On the 25th and 26th of April, 1906, importance. This caused a very evi- 



the union bill had a hearing before the dent stiffening of the opposition. In 



House committee on agriculture. Thir- appointing his committees Speaker 



teen states were represented, and Gov- Cannon reconstructed the committee on 



ernors Glenn, of North Carolina, and agriculture, supplanting Mr. Henry, of 



McLane, of New Hampshire, headed Connecticut, the ranking member, with 



the delegations. Among the petitions Mr. Scott, of Kansas. The Speaker's 



presented was one from New Fngland confidence in Mr. Scott has been justi- 



milling interests aggregating over fied during the two sessions of the Con- 



$130,000,000 capital. So effectively gress. Other changes were made un- 



was the case presented that a hostile friendly to Appalachian forest legisla- 



committee was converted, and reported tion, and the popular indignation was 



the bill favorably to the House. voiced so forcibly that the Speaker 



In January, 1907, the foreign com- filled one vacancy on the committee by 



merce convention assembled in Wash- appointing John W. Weeks, of Massa- 



ington, representing the largest busi- chusetts, one of the strongest friends 



ness interests of the whole country, of the Appalachian forests in the 



passed a strong resolution endorsing House. It will be seen that this ap- 



the bill and appointed a committee to pointment was productive of important 



present it to the Speaker personally, results. 



A deputation of governors of several The new committee gave a hearing 

 northern and southern states visited the on the bill January 30, 1908. The rep- 

 Speaker on the following day, but to resentatives of the governments, peo- 

 both he expressed the same unalterable pie, and organized bodies of twenty 

 opposition, refusing even to say that he states were present to the number of 

 would 'allow the people's representa- over 250. Governor Smith, of Georgia, 

 tives an opportunity to vote upon the conducted the case for the petitioners, 

 measure. The only accomplishment in and the strength of the presentation 

 the Fifty-ninth Congress was the pass- was unquestioned. It soon became evi- 

 age of an appropriation of $25,000 for dent, however, that the adverse major- 

 a survey of the two regions by the ity on the committee was not to be eas- 

 Department of Agriculture. This came ily shaken. 



down from the Senate as a rider to the In February the bill was thrown into 



agricultural appropriation bill and was the committee on judiciary on the ques- 



passed on roll call, 138 to 115. Both tion of constitutionality, and it became 



party organizations, as shown by the necessary to argue that point before 



words and votes of the leaders, were this politico-judicial tribunal, which 



evidently against it. The survey, or held the question under advisement as 



more properly investigation, was con- long as the patience of the people 



ducted during the summer under the would allow. Finally, on the 22d of 



direction of William L. Hall, of the April, the committee gravely decided 



Forest Service, and a valuable report that "the Federal Government has no 



