Arizona citizen., 1878-02-08
THE CITIZEN.
FEBRUARY $, 1878.
Timber Affairs.

the reported appearance of the Secre- tary of the Interior, Commissioner of the General Land Office and the prin- cipal legal adviser of the Department, before the proper Committee in Con gress, to urge an appropriation of $45,- 900 to defray expenses in prosecutions against those who unlawfully cut or take timber from the public lands. Heretofore but S50O0 has been appro- priated for the purpose, and every reader of THE CITIZEN and of most any other frontier paper, knows what annoyance and personal expense anl damage have been caused by the use of this small sum. Increase it nine fold, and then imagine the terror and
 loss that might follow Our readers
 understand the course of one special agent Tn Arizona in 1877. The Con gressional committee gave no encour- agement that it would favor the appro- priatioD, saying that much hardship and some illegal steps had been taken in the premises in Louisiana and other States. People who take timber from the public lands are liable tS prosecu- tion; whether justice demands their prosecution or not, depends upon what the timber is taken for. There IS little
 if any pine timber taken from Arizona land, that is not taken unlawfully; but who that understands the circumstances of its use, and necessary use too, will say it is taken uniustly? The pine timber lands of Arizona, with very few exceptions, are incapable of actual set tlement under the homestead and pre- emption laws, and yet they cannot be purchased from government under other laws, and there is no authority of law by which the executive officers of government can sell to citizens, the timber they must have for fuel and building In this condition of affairs, law must be violated in the taking and using of pine timber in Arizona, as well as in other Territories and some States.
 The Interior Department recognizes that the citizens must have timber, and urges upon Congress to provide legal way for them to get it, and in the meantime, it pursues the work of pros ecution with the means at its disposal, and asks for more; the Legislative Department being nearer the people in it's sympathies, is disposed to refuse sanction of the prosecutions or provide for their continuance, and at the same time exhibits great remissness of duty in failing to rapidly push to passage a law by which citizens can lawfully buy timber with or without the lands. The question of which is better, the sale of the timber with or without the land. may be an open one, but the legal sale of timber is a necessity which none can justly deny. Whatever hard ships the Interior Departments course may cause, have lawful excuse, lut the failure of Congress 10 provide for the sale of timber is inexcusable. The oretically, the Department is right; practically it is wrong. Taken as whole, the views of the Department are correct and ought to be enforced, but they should not be enforced to the injury of citizens who cannot possibly do without timber, and yet are not per mitteG to buy it. The attention of Con- gress has been repeatedly called to the necessity of timber legislation, and some of the Pacific Coast members have tried hard to have it enacted. The people of Arizona should unite in petitions at Prescott, Tucson, Clifton, here and other places, urging upon Congress to enact necessary timber laws
 In addition to provision for the sale of timber, Its growth and economical use should to some extent be regu- lated by law. Many foreign countries have been compelled to require the growing of timber and the prevention of its wastage to the extent practicable by law. Spain was very strict in this matter. Following is the substance of a law of l74S upon the subject, said law extending 10 the land now embraced in Arizona:
 "No trees shall be cut without per '' mission of the Justice; that for every |" old tree cut, five young ones shall be " planted; all felling or burning of " public groves with walks, mo untains, '' woods, etc, is forbidden; II is ordered " that each inhabitaDt shall plant every " year, five trees; those not having '' trees, may plant acorns if approved by the Justice" etc. This law was ex- tended ito the forests of private in " dividuals," in 1763.
 So It will be seen that Il is nothing new for government 10 exercise power over not only public timber, but over ~ forests of private individuals"
 THE Sentinel man is getting very