LOUISIANA CONSERVATION REVIEW 
 
 
for the Eastern District of Louisiana, being Pro- 
ceedings of Foster Fountain Company, et als, No. 
18,897; L. 0. Johnson, et als, No. 19,011, and the 
Sea Food Company and the Biloxi Shrimp and 
Oyster Transportation Company, No. 19,145 of 
the United States District Court in Equity. An 
application for an injunction restraining the offi- 
cers of the Department of Conservation from en- 
forcing these laws was made and the relief ap- 
plied for was denied by a Three Judge United 
States District Court, but a suspensive appeal of 
supersedas was asked for and granted and the 
matter taken to the Supreme Court of the United 
States on affidavits of both parties, but without 
trial on the merits. 
    On the face of the affidavits as filed by the 
complainants to the effect that the officers of the 
Conservation Department of Louisiana were en- 
forcing the laws as to the canning of sea products 
but were permitting oysters in the shell and 
shrimp in the hull to be sent out of the State 
indiscriminately in their fresh state, and for the 
reasons assigned, in its opinion, the Supreme 
Court of the United States held as a preliminary 
proposition that the Acts of the Legislature were 
apparently unconstitutional as interfering with 
Interstate Commerce and ordered an injunction 
to issue restraining the officials of the Depart- 
ment of Conservation from enforcing the oyster 
and shrimp laws as to those features until the 
court should have had an opportunity of passing 
on the merits of the case. The merits of the case 
have never been tried. An answer has been filed 
in all three cases by the Department of Conser- 
vation and the complainants, the Mississippi in- 
terests, have been taking their testimony on the 
merits; the testimony heretofore taken has been 
given by witnesses at' Biloxi, Mississippi. The 
complainants have not yet finished taking their 
testimony and offering their evidence. As soon 
as they finish, the Department of Conservation 
will then present its side on the merits by the 
offering of testimony and evidence in support of 
the legality of the Legislative, Acts and there- 
after the matter will be submitted to the Three 
Judge United States District Court for the East- 
ern District of Louisiana. The decision of that 
court will probably be appealed from by whoever 
may lose. The State of Louisiana through the 
Department of Conservation is trying to bring 
the matter to a final issue as rapidly as it can. 
                   FORESTRY 
    All considered, the greatest asset of a state 
 is its forests. The prosperity of our State de- 
 pends greatly upon our lands adapted to and pro- 
 ductive of timber. Possibly no industry is as 
 
 
proud of its ancient origin than that of lumber. 
From Noah's Ark to the wooden poles of power- 
transmission lines and the railroad crossties as 
a factor to steam transportation, the ancient, 
friendly and faithful tree is and has been a con- 
tinuous service to mankind. 
   Louisiana forest policy must needs be more 
aggressive than in the past. The Division of 
Forestry represents in itself a conservation de- 
partment of its own. This Division is under the 
general supervision of the Commissioner, assisted 
by an Advisory Board, appointed by the Gov- 
ernor, to act in an advisory capacity, composed of 
Forestry experts who serve in a most patriotic 
manner without compensation, except their actual 
expenses allowed each member when sitting at 
the quarterly meetings of the Board. 
   Equipped as the Department is with a tech- 
nical, as well as a practical Forestry Director, 
and a trained force of forest field men in the 
service, and more than twenty lookout towers 
located at strategic points throughout our forest 
areas, together with its training annual summer 
school sessions, gives us assurance that the 
aggressive policy now inaugurated will attain a 
maximum of success and such results that will 
justify the State's appropriation, the United 
States Government aid, and the small contribu- 
tions made by many of the lumber companies. 
    It is the present intention of the Department 
in its well-laid-out plan covering Forestry to 
establish such regional branches of this Division 
that will render a more important and compre- 
hensive service to the interest of Forestry and 
Reforestation generally. 
             MINES AND MINERALS 
    While none of the Divisions of the Depart- 
ment can be considered of minor importance, that 
of Mines and Minerals has reached such vast pro- 
portions that it can be safely said to be the lead- 
ing branch of the service. The serious responsi- 
bility involved in the supervision of all operations 
of gas, oil fields, sulphur and salt mines to the 
end of conserving the life of these and other min- 
erals makes the task of managing this Bureau a 
most difficult one. The various situations that 
arise almost daily necessitate a skilled and con- 
scientious corps. The work is almost totally tech- 
nical, requiring almost eternal vigilance, long and 
tedious hours. 
    The oil and gas fields have so broadened and 
constantly developed that this Division, in meet- 
ing the obligations and responsibility imposed 
upon it by law, has been forced to establish 
branches outside of the principal mineral center, 
namely, the City of Shreveport. Consequently, 
 
 
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