The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-09-04
THE TIMBER QUESTION.

| Special Agent Of the Government, 10 discon.
Time cutting timber on Government lands
This may be . very important matter To
Montana-not Is directly concerns the Mon
tana Improvement Company, for they have
provided against = contingency Of this kind,
~ relates TO their product, but II the order
10 general t, all producers Of lumber, d
efFecting the supply and price Of lumber In
the Montana markets.
There are about one hundred saw mills
emitting lumber In Montana. OF these IL ID
quite probable the Montana Improvement
Company is the only one cutting on their
own lands, the Company having had the
timber lands surveyed, and since confnIng
theif operations entirely to odd-numbered
sections belonging to the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company. They have purchased
lumber delivered on the track from other
parties who have cut on unsurveyed or Gov
eminent lands, but their own five mills, with
9 capacity Of II, 900 feet per day, are located
on and cut exclusively from odd-numbered
sections.
1t will be recollected that few years ago
Secretary Schurz, after filling the country
with special agents, ordered suit brought
against many Industrial enterprises 10 Mon
tana. The consumers Of lumber and wood
In the Territories were he'd to be trespass.
ers, the wood-piles were measured up, and
expensive litigation, fines and arrest
stared every man In the face who went upon
the public lands to procure timber. At the
same time there was no means by which title
TO the timber lands could be obtained. The
theoretic object Of the Secretary, to protect
the timber lands Of the United States from
wsnton spoliation, was lsudable, but in the
practical application Of an old ship-timber
law which had been resurrected, and the
rulings Of Secretary Schurz Hereunder, the
industries Of the Territory were In danger
Of being frozen out and the inhabitants fro
zen up. The people were aroused-it was q
case where something must be done quickly
and efficiently, and the representations made
by Montana and other Territories, very ably
urged by Delegate Maginnis and colleagues,
and championed by Speaker Blaine, were
potent In securing the modification of law
and practice that would have kept the min.
Ing industries Of Montana to this day where
they were then-in uncertain infancy. The
representations made resulted In the passage
by Congress Of an act; from which the fol-
lowing is an extract:
CHAP. $50. Be IL Enacted by the Senate
and House Of Representatives Of the United
states Of america In Congress assembled,
That all citizens of the United States and
other persons, bona .Jide residents Of the
State of Colorado, or Nevada, or either of
the Territories Of New Mexico, Arizona,
Utah, Wyoming, Dakota, Idaho or Montana,
and all other mineral districts of the United
States, shall be, and are hereby, authorized
and permitted TO fell and remove, for build
ing, agricultural, mining, or other domestic
purposes, any timber or other trees growing
or being on the public lands, said lands be-
Ing mineral, and not subject to entry under
existing laws Of the United States, except
for mineral entry, In either of said States,
Territories, or districts Of which such citi-
zens or persons may be at the time bona .fde
residents, subject TO such rules and regula-
tions a. the Secretary Of the Interior may
prescribe for the protection Of the timber
and of the underground growing upon such
lands, and for other purposes: Provided,
The provisions Of this act shall not extend
TO railroad corporations. (Approved June
3, 1879.
CHAP. 70. EXTRACT. .
And provided further, That where wood and
timber lands In the Territories Of the United
States are not surveyed and offered for sale
In proper subdivisions, convenient Of access,
no money herein appropriated shall b. used
to collect any charge for wood or timber cut
on the public lands In the Territories Of the
United States, for the use of actual settlers
In the Territories, and not for export from
the Territories Of the United States where
the timber grew: And prorided further,
That IL any timber cut on the public lands
shall be exported from the Territories of the
United States, It shall be liable to seizure by
the United States authority wherever found.
(Approved April 80, 1879.
Under these sections the people of the
Territories and States named have since been
supplied with wood and timber without him
drance or even stumpage charges. Each
succeeding Secretary of Interior has taken
the same view OF the law-that the people
Of the States and Territories were entitled
10 the use Of timber cut from mineral lands
under the conditions mentioned, and that
all timber lands In .'mineral dis.
tricts" might be cut and used within the
Territory where cut.
II has doubtless appeared to many Of our
people ~ 1t has to us-that the devastation
Of timber In Montana within the past four
years has been enormous. The construction
Of railroads; the timbering of mines; the
fuel for furnaces and the lumber used In
building up towns and cities, has made and
10 making IN appalling demand upon our
forests. But what are we going to do about
Up There Is none of this lumber or timber
wasted. IL Is used In the legitimate indus
tries and upbuilding Of the Territory.
We notice that within the past week suits
have been brought against three saw mill
In Utah by the United States on
information Of the U. s. special timber
agent, and damages laid at sl45 200 for tim
Der cut and converted into lumber, and for
fres on the public domain caused BY negli-
gence Of the saw mill men. Doubtless, IL
there Is an appropriation therefor, companies
cutting In Montana can also be made to pay
stumpage. But the consumer will have to
pay this stumpage In the end, and Montan-
ians would be losers thereby, while the
amount Of net revenue therefrom that would
find It's way into the Golfers Of Uncle Sam
would ba uncomfortable. a..g a@}a
We will be even worse OF II this proceed
ing In Montana shall prohibit the cutting OF
sny more timber on the public domain until
IL ID surveyed and purchased. The North
ern Pacific Railroad Company Is the heaviest
stockholder In the Montana Improvement
Company. There are very limited areas Of
United States timber land In Montana that
are surveyed and can be purchased. The
Northern Pacific will not sell any Of Its de-
sirable timber lands TO others, aud the result
will be the Montana Improvement Company
will have monopoly Of timber lands, . it
now has the inside on transportation, and
may make us pay dearly for timber. The pro-
cseding might even result In the Temporary
suspension Of various mining operations or
. price on timber that would seriously Grip
pie them.
II this procedure ID TO continue and be
enforced, It stands Montana In hand TO Sc