The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-17

upon them. This is subject that have
vestigated with care. All this side of
the Missouri river | have procured vica-
reously the Introduction of propositions for
leases In the courts of the United States
dealing with this question in a way that I
believe TO be just to the people and lust to
the public. So you see, my friends, whom
are interested in this phase of the question
In that resolution is indicated the policy of
giving the states power to deal with your
grazing lands under the conditions of this
trust.
Now how about the forest lands, 1t is
the history of mankind that the people
pest calculated to take care Of forest land
are those who are the most benefited by
their preservation. Now we have heard
how the forests of the west have been
burned. My friend Newlans this morn
lug said that during Democratic
administration in Oregon he found the
on 1re, that is so, and l regret to offer to
my friend Newlands very painful sur
prise when | tell him that | have been in
Oregon under this Republican administra-
ton and found the forests burning lust
as much as they did when the Democrats
were IN power. Laughter and applausel.
l don't know whether the special agents
were in the field then absorbing the funds
that might have gone to the preservation
OF the forests. But if they were not in
the held, then the money was not being
absorbed by them, ana under an admins
tration that considers prayerfully even the
fall of sparrow, the money not being de-
voted TO the special agent, ought to have
been given certainly to the
PERSECUTION OF THE FOREST
if it was not, because in Oregon 1 saw
forest fires so obscuriug the MONDAY sun
that II my friend had been there he could
not have even read the platform of his
party without the aid of a lantern. So you
see 1t Is not question of politics or of
parties. We are cruelty, neglectfully and
guiltily permitting the destruction of the
forests, and in the forests there lies the
af1uent fountain upon which you must de-
pend for the irrigation of the plains. The
Arabs, living in their arid country. have a
proyerb that the tree is the mother of the
fountain, and it is true. Now, with such
matters in the hands of officers who are
without local responsibility, and remote
from the officers of general jurisdiction
the forests of this region are being
destroyed. In the report of the secretary
OF the interior, made last Decem-
Der, unoer the secretaryship OF Mr. Noble,
OF last year Is a statement that the Yellow
stone pass, which is under federal iuris-
olctlon, with three companies of federal
cavalry there. to maintain order and pre-
vent accldents-in Yellowstone valley last
year, there were sixty forest fires; aud |
was never more impressed in my life than
was by the declaration of the secretary
that five of these forest fires were uncon-
trollable and were permitted to burn them
selves out. Why, in California last year
In the Sierra Nevada mountains. spa, 000. 900
worth OF lumber was destroyed at the cur
rent price of stumpage by these uncontrol-
liable forest fires. Now, gentlemen, the
Congress of the United States has never
indicated policy of forest preservation.
1t has never been
INTELLIGENTLY DISCUSSED
there as 1t should have been discussed by
the men whom you delegate as your imme.
date representatives in that body. Now,
then, let US make this trusteeship cover
the forest land. Then the state may pro
vide intelligently policy that will secure
the cutting of the lumber tree when it is
ripe, but will leave the growing tree to
stand until in the years of God it shall
have ripened to be an object tit for devo-
tlonto the economies of man. We can
have, then, in every state ar intelligent at
tention paid to the question of forestry,
and the preservation Of the lives of these
living mothers Of the fountain, and we
never can do it until we have
state trusteeship of the forest lands. re-
strained and encouraged and enlightened