Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-04-17
BLISS WANTS RELIEF
FROM FORESTRY ORDER
Thinks An Injustice is Being Done
to Miners and the
Settlers.
RELIEF SHOULD COME AT ONCE
Members of the Commission Hold
That There IL Now No Prac,i-
cal Control over the
Reservations.

Washington, April 9.--Some addi-
tional light is thrown on the attitude OF
this administration on the forestry res
ervation question by the stenographic
report of the conference of the national
forestry commission with Secretary
Bliss Monday. Chairman Sargent of the
commission and General Abbott are par
ticularly anxious that no action should
be taken pending the commissions re-
port to be submitted in May. Secretary
Bliss expressed his ideas as follows:
"Of course, 1t is impossible that these
reservations should go on as they arc
now. They work a hardship to people.
The people must get timber and develop
on old as well as new claims. The peo-
pie desire immediate relief in regard to
various valuable industries. They seem
to consider that they would be driven
from all their business. If anything
can be done to relieve them by the is
suance Of a proclamation II should be
done. They make a rather serious claim
upon us, backed up by weighty intlu-
ence, and 1t seems almost necessary 10
do something"
As 10 delaying all action pending for
NAL report, he added: by the time the
report is submitted congress will be
approaching its close. In other words.
you could have no hope of doing any.
thing until next December. ii seems
we are not going To have any relief un-
less we do something at once. 1t seems
to me we will be agreed upon what we
want. 1t is only to find the method up.
on which we can all agree to carry out
the provisions of the commission All
senator's express themselves in favor of
he general action we propose to take
I'm regard to these suspensions"
Prof. Sargent claimed that in its
practical working the suspension OF its
operation with proclamation would
mount to nothing. Old reservations,
he said. have saw mills ON them; they
cut timber and do just as they like, and
the secretary Of the interior has not a
particle of control on M of these res
ervatlons. Certainly" he went on,
there has been more lake included in
these reservations than is really essen
tial to forestry. We intended to take
out all land suitable for agricultural
purposes or n large tracts of agricul-
tural or mineral lands the taking out
Of which will not interfere with mining
nv w. AAN hANNA - NV w FA'l' lAAAa
ING, but improve and encourage 1t. We
would allow a man To go in there and
find his mining claim. Some of our
members want permanent forestry.
Can special agents of this department,
which YOU can hire for 100000, patrol
the vast extent of these reservations
and protect them?' Prof. Herman Of
the general land Office In reply said
"They do effective service now, and this
force can be increased If not sufficient
1t is provided in the amendment that
there shall bc a survey of forest lands
which may be set apart, and mineral
and grazing lands lisewiso, then Il
have ii placed under strict surveillance
Of agents Of the interior department. II
we discover this temporary system OF
civilian force insufficient to do this
then we will go to congress and ASK
authority for the war department IL
detail troops to help I'm h protection
As to the practical administration, tn,
secretary will go as far as the law vii
permit him as TO detail. NJ the SAM
time IL will prevent destruction of for
ests remaining. The amendment, if in
]corporated i'm the sundry civil bill, vii
become a law and give authority I,
make such rules as circumstances re
quire. 1t also gives such supervision
over these reservations that the secre
tarys almost becames paramount in au
thority to place guards or whatever o
course he needs. In other words, pre-
serve these reservations intact. Thi!
amendment is just an iniatory move
ment to a greater movement toward
permanent preservation of the forests.