The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-02-27
THOSE ABSURD TIMBER RULES.

sent out his wonderfully and fearfullN
constructed timber rules and regulations
the TRIBUNE expressed the opinion the
gentleman had put his foot in it up tt
his neck. 1t held that never was a more
impracticable, inconsistent and embar
RAISING set of rules formulated by man
This opinion is justified 10y the trials and
trihulations of Mr.. Carter in his en-
deaYors to adjust his rules to the con.
dltions in the west, especially in Mon.
tana. In this he has lamentabIy failed
II was evidently Mr.. Carriers purpose
to prepare regulations under which
miners and others in the west could cut
timber on the public domain for their
own use without becoming trcRpasscrs,
and also 10 provide for the protection
and preservation OF a certain percentage
Of forest groWths. Heretofore, every man
who cut cordwood. or saw logs. or poles
and posts for fencing or mining timbers
for sale. was Il trcsspasscr and amenablc
to the law as such. The government
could also conliscate all his cuttings.
The trouble that Carl Schurz aud
Sparks caused our woodmcn and lum-
bcrmen under the old laws is still fresh
in the minds of many Montanians. MIR.
Garter sought to avoid this, but he made
a bad mess of it.
1t is a case Of zeal without knowledge.
In his effort to cut off tresspassers from
the public timber domain he has vir-
tually cut off the public timber domain
from the people. After several backings
and filings in the matter he has finally
decided to grant the applicant the privi-
lcge of cutting D per cent of timber en-
ceeding a given diameter upon a limited
number Of acres for one year. The alb
surdity Of the conditions Of such a per
nit is apparent to every mining and
mill man in the country. No man with
sense enough to make and keep money
viii spend it to build a saw mill plant OF
average capacity hat can be in opera
ton only one year. If the life Of his
Permit expire in that time he must. if
he wish to continue iii the business OF
manufacturing lumber, apply elsewhere
for a permit, and, if granted. move his
plant to new grounds.
And what an army Of agents and IN
spcctors the government must employ TO
see that all the provisions Of the permit
be complied with. They must sec that
the cutter does not exceed his allotted
percentage; that he cuts no trees under
IA certain diameter; that all the brush
ana waste be piled and burned and that
he docs not stay a day over his year.
II til" annoyancrs and cmbarrass-
mcnts to which Mr.. Carriers timber reg
ulaiiuns give birth ended with the wood
man they might, with "A heroic supply Of
Christian fortitudc, be endured. But
they extend beyond the wood cutter and
lumberman. They reach and cripple
the miner and his industry, and if con-
tinucd will prove disastrous to both.
Mining timbcrs and lumber must be
had, but they will come very high with
Mr.. Carriers rules in force. This fact is
apparent in the disadvantages attending
their manufacture.
Now, if it be the object Of the govern
mont using the stercotypcd words
ito preserve our forests from dcstruc-
. Al Z" ilt,c rrny,,+ipr it,,ls md ;r,,r
~lations. followed by long continued
drouths -cmploying the usual stcreo-
typed language why not prohibit the
of timber of all kinds and de
scriptions above certain given lines
upon southern exposures Of mountains
the northern exposures ARE all right
and throw the rest open 10 the people
their homo consumption alone: The
interests Of the states would be quite as
fully subscrvcd by such disposition Of
the timber problem, while the aunoy-
ance5 Gnl cmbarla smcnts attending the
compliance with the rules Of the
" ashington decentralization office would
be avoided. The segregation Of certain
forest lands is practicable, but the at
to preserve ~ forests and at the
same time permit the people to supply
themselves with timber from the public
domain under Mr.. Carriers present rules
and regulations is absurd in the extreme. |
SENATOR TELIER's roast Of Harrison
is as deserving as il is burning. The