PARK AND CEMETERY 
and Landscape Gardening. 
Vol. XVI. Chicago, June, 1906. No. 4 
The Niagara Falls Preservation Bill. 
It is a gratifying result of the earnest effort ex- 
pended by so many interfeteci in the preservation 
of Niagara Falls, that both the Senate and the 
House have passed a better bill than might have 
been anticipated, designed to prepare for the perma- 
nent preservation of our great cataract. The per- 
manent preservation will have to be arranged by 
treaty between the United States and Canada, and 
the President is authorized to begin negotiations 
to that end, the life of the bill being limited to three 
years. By its terms the Secretary of ^^'ar is di- 
rected to issue permits for the use of water by the 
plants already constructed and further permits, re- 
vocable at will, to a total amount on the American 
side equivalent to 350,000 horse power, provided 
such a draft does not impair the scenic grandeur of 
the falls. The bill also forbids the importation of 
electricity from Canada except on similar permits 
issued by the government, which shall in no case 
exceed 350,000 horse power, to include what may be 
utilized on the Canadian side. This legislation is 
based on the principle that the New York State 
franchises are invalid, and that the Niagara River 
is a navigable as well as a boundary stream, which 
brings it under federal jurisdiction. The power 
plant men must rest satisfied that they are spared 
confiscation and financial loss and must accept con- 
ditions imposed by the will of the people. It was 
hoped that a lower limitation might have been es- 
tablished, but with the limitations prescribed, it may 
be taken for granted that the beauty and magnifi- 
cence of the falls will not be seriously damaged. 
Great credit is due the American Civic Association 
I for its commendable work in pushing this bill. Its 
i far reaching activity and influence lent a powerful 
1 assistance in impressing our representatives at 
i Washington that the country demanded the preser- 
j ration of Niagara. 
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Some Needed Forest Preservation. 
Another very important matter which the Amer- 
ican Civic Association is urging, and indeed which 
every good American citizen should urge, is the 
establishment of National Forest Reserves in the 
; Southern Appalachian Mountains and in the White 
IHountains of New Flampshire, both of which pro- 
jects have been repeatedly referred to in these col- 
umns. They are really vital necessities in the dis- 
tricts in which they are situated. The material 
welfare of nine states is actually largely affected 
by the forest conditions of the proposed Appalachian 
Reservation, while the White Mountains proposi- 
tion vitally touches five important states, for the 
headwaters of the principal rivers found in the 
fourteen states are protected and fed in these forest 
tracts. There is no reason why congress should not 
pass with a liberal appropriation the bills creating 
these reservations. The east has made very little 
demand upon the public exchequer for this depart- 
ment of national economy compared with the \Vest, 
and it should be a matter of actual patriotism for 
all sections to join hands to bring about the imme- 
diate passage of this really needed legislation. It 
would promise much if every improvement associa- 
tion throughout the country would urge its mem- 
bers to write to their representatives in Congress 
requesting affirmative votes when the- bill or bills 
come up for passage, and urging that said bills be 
brought up for consideration without further un- 
necessary delay. 
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The Country Ppadside. 
A very suggestive address was read before the 
IMassachusetts Horticultural Society by Mrs. F. H. 
Tucker on “Making Roadsides Beautiful,” which 
might be read to advantage by all actively engaged 
in improvement effort. It did not, however, seri- 
ously touch upon the main difficulties to be over- 
come in originating such work. At comparatively 
little cost either of money or labor our country 
roadsides might indeed be made beautiful, but we 
think the first thing that must be positively estab- 
lished is the question of contiguous property rights, 
and the rights or limitations of the general public 
on such improved roads. From our own experience 
there is generally, considered in its relation to the 
question of improvement, a lamentable lack of 
knowledge as to the rights of the owner in the 
roads bounding his property, and, usually, a very 
aggressive assumption of rights all over the road- 
way by the general public. Under these uncertain 
conditions which commonly prevail, the task of in- 
augurating work on the beautifying of the roadside 
would surely be a discouraging one. It would be 
a good beginning for improvement associations to 
become acquainted with the road laws of their re- 
spective sections, and to impart the knowledge 
gained through the local press to the community at 
large. In due course a campaign of road improve- 
ment might be successfully waged and a long step 
taken towards the goal of “beautiful America.” 
