Items of Interest September 6, 1913 Issue

Items of Interest

During the last quarter of the fiscal year the federal government entered into cooperative fire-protection agreements with the states of Maine, New York, Minnesota, Montana, Washington, and Oregon. These six agreements contemplate the protection from fire of land on the forested watersheds of navigable streams, for which purpose fifty-one thousand five hundred dollars of federal funds have been made available. There are at the present time fourteen states which are engaged in active cooperation of this kind, and it is possible that three new states, Kentueky, South Dokota, West Virginia, will be added by early fall. Through this arrangement the cooperating states will expend an aggregate of three dollars for every dollar which the federal government spends, to which may be added about two dollars more from private sources. The railroads, lumber companies, municipalities, and private landowners throughout the country are growing more and more alive to the needs of better forest fire protection and are devoting an increased sum to this work each year.

Extension of the area of forest reserves in the Appalachian mountains, inclusive of those in the White mountains, is progressing steadily. This work is being done under the Weeks law which appropriates two million dollars a year for this purpose. All told, about eight million dollars has so far been spent, and during the next year about twelve hundred thousand more acres will be acquired at an expense of two million dollars. In the last fiscal year, closed in June, 1913, forest lands amounting to 711,-415 acres were examined and appraised by the forest service and approved for purchase by the national forest reservation commission. The area was for the most part, in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, but one hundred thousand acres were contained in New Hampshire.

Postmaster-General Burleson has signed an order which provides that pre-canceled postage stamps may be sold to the public on and after Sept. 16. Pre-canceled stamps have printed upon them the name of the post-office where they are sold. Such stamps will be valid for postage on second, third, and fourth class mail, —newspapers and magazines mailed by the public, books and other printed matter, and merchandise or parcel-post matter. The stamps will be recognized only at the office named on them. By the use of pre-canceled stamps, not only will the transportation and delivery of mail bearing them be greatly expedited, but it is estimated that the government will save two hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year on expense of labor in cancelation. Pre-canceled stamps, however, may not be used on letters or other sealed mail matter, which, under the law, must bear the date of mailing.

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