New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-26
A MOST PECULIAR BILL.
IT WOULD PRACTICALLY TURN THE PUBLIC
FORESTS OVER TO RICH LUMBERMEN.

IT WOULD PRACTICALLY TURN THE PUBLIC
FORESTS OVER TO RICH LUMBERMEN.
Washington, oct. % (SpeciaD-The keen anxiety
of Chairman McRae. of the Committee Public
Lands to rush through the bill ITO protect public
forest reservations" does not seem to be shared by
a ajority of the House of Representatives. The
measure brought forward again to-day under
ruling OF Speaker Crisp which surprised some Of
the other parliamentarans of the House. but which
under the rules they now stand appears 10 be
defensibe. The title Of the bill Is misnomer. for
instead of being bin ito protect public forest res
ervations," it is calculated, If enacted into law.
not only to despOil them, but also all the other
timber lands owned by the United States. Section
of the bill provides that ANY timber on the pub
lie lands not within "A forest reservation may be
sold by order Of the Secretary Of the Interior in the
same manner as is heretofore provided in this act.
provided that 1t shall be first shown that such cut
ting will not be injurious to the public interests.
and provided further that no timber on the public
lands shall be disposed Of except In accordance
with the provisions of this act"
Chairman McIaae and his committee to be
imbued with the belief that the only way In which
the public forest reservations be protected and
preserved is to turn the umbernan loose them
and allow him ito utilize the timber OF commercial
value and preserve the forest cover from destruc-
ton" for the bill provides for this very thing.
1t also provides that timber of commercial
value shall be sold except to the highest bidder
on sealed proposals. a1tsr d1'pTdlscfnent as
hereinafter provided. not ess than the appraised
value thereof" Not the least peculiar Of the many
exceedingly peculiar provisions OF this most peculiar
bill Is that there Is hereinafter provided" in IT,
not "a paragraph sentence to show how
by whom upon what basis the "one appraise-
ment' shall be made. Under existing law any per-
obtain title to 100 acres OF timber land Of
the United States by purchase. Under the proposed
law person could buy acre OF such land
any terms. and in order to enable him 10 buy timber
from any public land OF the United States 1t would
be necessary to have public notice given for at
least thirty days in newspaper OF general cir
culation. published at the capital Of the State
Territory. and also newspaper published in the
county in which the timber was situated and to
with. and then II he should happen TO be the high
est bidder he would be allowed to buy the timber
for cash.
This provision would give capitalists and cor
porations an extraordinary advantage and 1t would
not take long for them TO acquire title TO all the
valuable timber remaining on the public lands Of
In his speech in defence OF the biii MI McRae
owned by the United States under the provisions Of
Secretary Hoke Smith. He also asserted that this
bill substantially meets the approval OF the Secre-
tary OF Agriculture and the approval OF the Amer-
can Forestry Association" but he offered proof
| In support OF the assertion. MIR McRae said that
the total area OF the forest reservailons 10 which
Among these is the extension of the ieliowstone
Park. amounting to I.259,v10 acres. The bill Is bit
terly opposed BY the Representatives of every
state IRON south Dakota westward 10 the racine
moved that all debate the pending section be
limited to hve minutes. his apparent intention be
ing 10 force ns measure through II 1@ Ne
| Payne moved TO amend by making the limit