The evening times., 1897-04-01
HEARING ON FOREST LANDS
Western Senators Want Cleveland s
Proclamation Revoked.
They Claim III e Acted in u Summa ry
Manner in Setting Apart For
est Reservations.

The Secretary of the Interior gave a
hearing Yesterday to several Western Sen
ators in advocacy of the Suspension and
revocation of the proclamation issued by
ex-President Cleveland on February %
last, setting aside certain lands in Dakota,
Montana, Idaho. Washington, California
and Utah as forest reservations.
Senators Carter, Warren, Mantle, VIII
son, Turner, Clark, and Cannon, ex-senator
Moody and eX-Congressman Mondell made
arguments and produced reasons why, in
their Judgment, this order should be sus-
pended and revoked. The summary manner
employed by Mr. Cleveland in setting apart
the lands as forest reservations was fraught
with hardship to settlers upon these and
contiguous lands, they said. The advocates
of revocation urged that the established
method Of setting aside forest lands should
be returned TO by the department
An appropriation OF $4,000 was made
the sundry civil bill approved June IL,
1895, Ito enable the Secretary Of the
Interior to meet the expenses of an in
vestigation and report by the National
Academy of Sciences on the Inauguration
Of national forestry policy for the forest
ed lands of the United States.'
Under authority of this act, and with
the approval Of the Secretary OF the In
terror, Prof Walcott Gibbs, president of
the National Academy of Sciences ap-
pointed a commission consisting of, Prof.
Charles S. Sargent, director of the Arnold
Arboretum at Harvard University Gen.
Henry L. Abbott, United States Engineer
Corps; Prof. William IL. Brewer, of Yale
University: Mr.. Arnold Hague, of the
United States Geological Survey; Mr.. Alex
ander AgassiZ, and Mr.. Clifford Pinchot.
This commission began It's work July 2,
1896, and visited most, or all, of the forest
reservations and other public forests of the
United States. The commission, after three
months travel, reported to the Secretary
of the Interior.
The report recommended the establish
ment of thirteen additional forest reserva-
tions, containing an aggregate of 21 ,379,-
$40 acres. Some of the reservations pro-
posed were within the limits of railroad
grants, and the effect of the proclamation
on these lands was simply to withhold
alternate sections.
On February %, 1897, Mr.. Cleveland
set apart the lands recommended as forest
reservations. These were: Black Hills
reserve, in the Black Hills of South Da-
kota: Big Horn reserve, in the Big Horn
Mountains OF northern central Wyoming;
Teton reserve, adjacent to the Yellow
stone Park; the Flat Head reserve, in
northern Montana; the Lewis & Clark
reserve, in Montana; the Priest River re-
serve, in Idaho and Washington; Bitter
Root reserve, in Montana and idaho; Wash
ington reserve, in Washington Mount
Rainier reserve, in Washington; Stanislaus
reserve, in California San Jacinto reserve,
in California, and Uintah reserve, in
Utah.
The authority of the President for the
establishment of the reserves was found in
the act of March 8, 1891, entitled "Au
act to repeal the timber culture laws and
for other purposes. Under this law six
teen reservations, aggregating 17,Oo0,-
600 acres, had been established. Mr.. Cleve-
land at one fell sweep set apart more than
21 100000 acres.
The method of the department had been
to send an agent to inquire into the land
and the desires Of the settlers. If his re-
port to the department seemed to warrant
the reservation of the land, it was adj
vertised and testimony for and against the
proposition was heard at the department
This plan was not followed by Mr.
Cleveland. he simply '.proclaimed' that
81 600, 1000 acres land, described by metes
and bounds should be reserved. The
western Senators who were heard at the
Department OF the Interior argued that
this summary proceeding had done in
Justice Go their constituents