346 Proceedings o^ the 



There are a number of other things that I have in 

 my mind to suggest that ought to be done : 



One is to pass the Appalachian Forest Reserve bill, 

 which is ready to be passed. 



Another is to stop now and for all time all exchanges 

 of lands in forest reserves for other lands. If the 

 Government needs any such lands let it buy them and 

 pay for them their fair value and no more. All lieu 

 land scrip should be called in and cancelled and no 

 more ever issued under any circumstances. The 

 forest lieu land exchange law should be repealed. 



And if this session of Congress adjourns without 

 the bill being passed by the House, which has passed 

 the Senate, repealing the Timber and Stone Act, every 

 member of the Public Lands Committee, who voted 

 for delay, ought to be held up to popular obloquy and 

 whipped at the cart's tail with a lash that would make 

 them feel the full weight of an outraged national public 

 sentiment. 



They are not liable to punishment criminally, but 

 they are morally responsible for every fraud committed 

 under the Timber and Stone Act since they shelved the 

 bill passed by the Senate in the last session of Congress 

 to repeal it. 



But it is not enough merely to repeal the Timber 

 and Stone Act. Every acre of public forest lands or 

 brush or woodlands which conserve a water supply 

 should be at once embraced in permanent forest 

 reserves, the title to be always retained by the national 

 government, and the stumpage only of matured timber 

 to be sold. 



The whole great plains region should be studied and 

 developed as a vast area which can be transformed 

 from a semi-arid region to one of great fertility and 

 more humid climate by the planting of immense areas. 



