AMERICAN FOREST CONGRESS 5ib 



Tons. 



For the year ending June 30, 1900 2,207,526 



For the year ending June 30, 1901 2,741,708 



For the year ending June 30, 1902 3,694,694 



For the year ending June 30, 1003 5,090,387 



For the year ending June 30, 1904 5,285,077 



The prosperity and future growth of North Dakota, 

 of Montana, of Idaho, and of Washington, are depen- 

 dent very largely upon the successful irrigation of 

 lands adjacent to the streams and rivers which find 

 their source of supply in the mountains covered by 

 the existing or proposed forest reserves. 



And the Northern Pacific, in common with all other 

 railroads, is vitally interested in the subject of ties and 

 timber with which to maintain existing railroads, and 

 to build new ones. 



So the interest I represent is, and will be, affected 

 very directly by the work of the Government in con- 

 nection with the forests, and to-day an earnest effort is 

 being made to arrive at some fair basis of adjustment 

 between the Government and the Northern Pacific 

 Railway Company so as to obtain the best results in 

 the Forest Reserves controlled by the Government, and 

 preserve to the railroad its acreage for its use in ob- 

 taining ties and timber in the future. 



Hence, when your gifted Forester, Mr. GifFord 

 Pinchot, and your worthy and energetic President, 

 the Honorable Secretary of Agriculture, asked me 

 to participate in this meeting, I hesitated, but finally 

 accepted with some reluctance, feeling that I could 

 bring little that was new to the discussion. I accepted 

 because it seemed ungracious to decline the cordial 

 invitation, and because I wished to express, so far as 

 possible, by my presence here, the interest that the 

 Northern Pacific Railway Company takes in the whole 



