The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-28
TO SAVE THE TIMBER.
Provisions Of . Bill Now Pend
ing In Congress
Pressstaen - RsseRvas1sns ~ oelA1srs
-rrssps Lfksiy 10 Kassy Dsnnss
vassa1sas N sAs Mountains.

wAnrxsrcs CrrY. Jan. lA-{epsciL
by the Law Of March s
1891. the president Vas empowered 10 re-
serve public timber iands from sale and 70
sss them aside tor forestry purpossA IN
der this Law President Harrison. upon
petition Of citizens of Washington and
Oregon, withdrew from sale the Mount
Rainier reserve in washingson and the
Cascade Mountain reserve in Oregon.
containing 81, 800 acres. and the Bull
Run reserve, IL, oS0 acres. in the vicinity
Of Mount Hood. the latter covering the
water shed, which Is the future source OF
supply for the city Of Portland. Reserva-
tioDs In other states brought the total
amount Of land reserved BY the president
up 70 10000, 0o0 acres. To protect these
reservations from Dire and other dspreda-
tions Representative McRas has . bill.
which has Just been favorably reported
from the committee on public lands,
which provides that hereafter no timber
shall be cut on any Of these reservations
except by order Of the secretary Of the in.
terror. after ii has been shown that such
cutting viii not be injurious 70 chs public
interests.
Under the provisions Of this bill, before
any timber on such reservations may be
sold Ii must Be first appraised and then
offered for sale to the highest bidder by
advertisement for at least thirty days In .
newspaper Of general calculation pub
lished at the capital OF the state or terri
tory, and also. when practicable, in .
newspaper published Ia the county and
counties in which such reservation II sit
uated. No bids will be received q less
than the appraised value
All such sales shall b for cash, PAYABLE
~ the time of sale at the land ofkice Of the
district In which the land IL situated, and
the proceeds shall be accounted for by the
receiver of such land office in separate
account, and shall be turned into the
treasury as q special fund to b expended
in the care and management of these
mountain reservations - congress may
direct.
Upon the requisition Of the secretary Of
the interior the secretary Of war IL author
ICED to detail troops ut any time to protect
these reservations
Any public lands embraced within the
limits Of the forest reserves which 10 found
better adapted to agricultural than forest
uses may Be restored to the public domain
upon the recommendation of the secretary
of the interior. with the approval Of the
president, after sixty days public notice
In two newspapers OF general circulation
in the state where the reservation IL To-
Gated.
NO MORE Permits TO CUT rrMBE1 FREE.
This bill, though primarily intended
solely to protect those certain presidential
reserves, has now been made to enlarge its
scope and take in oil government lands
still open Tor settlement, 90 far - the cut
ting of timber 10 concerned. Upon its be-
ing referred to the commissioners Of the
general land Office, he suggested the addi-
ton of q section which provides that here
after no timber on any public land shall
DO sold except by order Of the secretary Of
the interior, exactly - 1t 10 provided above
in the case Of forest reservations.
Another section repeats the permit act
Of March 3. 1891. The rnies and regula-
lions prescribed by the land department
under this act have never been observed to
any great extent by the people. and tho
commissioner says Il has been found al
most impossible to enforce them. II had
been hoped that that act would place the
cutting Of public timber under the control
Of the land Office and prevent trespassing,
but the commissioner says IL must be adj
mitted that IL has resulted in failure to do
so for want Of proper agencies in the field
Of operation.
OF the need for change In the existing
law the commissioner sayss
Permits to cur public timber have been
issued. the privilege in many instances
being worth thousands Of dollars, to cor
porations who are in the business for spscu-
lation and profit only; and. II public neces-
city demands the use of public timber, IL
seems to me that it 10 eminently proper
and business-like that some revenue should
be derived from such o valuable com mod.
ity, especially when the proceeds could be
applied with such great advantage to the
supervision and improvement Of the forest
reservations and the proper use Of timber
within them, and the protection Of public
timber generally.
"This Office has received information
from various sources, including men en-
gagged In the numbering business. that
law permitting the sale OF public timber Ut
stumpage value would be acceptable.
Prompt and effective legislation on
this subject can not be too strongly urged.
Forest reservations have been made " hich
are such only in name. For lack Of means
they are no more protected by. reason Of
reservation than any other public lands.
Information comes almost daily showing
continued trespsssing and depredating
within the reserves, committed by lumber
men, prospsctors, sheep herders, and
others, and forest fires. caused by the
careless and vicious, resulting In irrepara-
bic damage. especially those started by
sheep herders in the mountain districts in
the fall to create new pasturage fey the
following season"
Secretary Smith heartily Endorsed the
recommendation of the commissioners
and the committee on public lands. adopt
Ing the suggestion embodied it in the
bill.
PROTECTION OF RESERVATIONS By SOLDIERS
The provision of the bill authorizing the
detailing of troops 10 protect these reser-
vatlons is looked upon with much favor,
not only in the interior department bat In
congress. A bill with substantially the
same provision Was reported fsvorably to
the Fitty-second congress In its closing
days. too late for passage. That measure
received the approval OF Secretary Noble
and Commissioner Stone, as this one has
that Of the present secretary and commits
sione-. Com missioner Stone Was particu-
larry in favor of the provision relating to
the troops From . copy Of his report
made ~ that time this paragraph 10 taken:
The proposed use of the military as a
coust8buiary force ia connection with for
est reservations commends Itself as meas
ure which would doubtless serve good
purpose in providing an efficient guard for
the property, and which would, moreover,
60 far toward emphss zing to the pubic
the fact that sucn reservations are under
the immediate care OF the government
i