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 II Now No Practi-
Ca! Control! Oyer 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 hat no action should
be taken pending the commissioner re-
port 10 be submitted in May. Secretary
Bliss expressed his IDEAS a. follows:
"Of course, it Is impossible that these
reservations should go on as they are
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 70
various valuable industries. They seem
10 consider hat they would be driven
from all their business. II anything
can be done to relieve them by the is
suance Of a proclamation il should be
done. They make a rather serious claim
upon us, backed up by weighty infiu-
ence. and it seems almost necessary TO
do something"
As TO delaying all action pending for
NAL report, he added: "By the time the
report is submitted congress will be
Approaching its clos=. In other words.
you could have no nope Of doing any
thing until ncx December. II seems
we are not going to have any relief IN
less we do something at once. Ii seems
to me we viii be agreed upon what W.
want. 1t is only 70 find the method up.
on which we can all agree 20 carry out
the provisions Of the commission. All
senators express themselves IN favor u
the general action we propose 20 TAKE
In regard 70 these suspensions
Prof. Sargent claimed that in its
practical working the suspension OF it,
operation with proclamation would
to nothing. Old reservations,
he said. have saw mills on them; they
cut timber and do just "a they like. and
the secretary Of the interior has not 4
particle Of control on n OF these res
ervations. Certainly he went on,
there has been more lake included in
these reservations than is really essen
tia to forestry. We intended 10 take
out all land suitable for agricultural
purposes or any large tracts Of agricul-
tural or mineral lands the taking Our
Of which will not interfere with mining
Industries. The idet is not IL stop min
ing. but improve ard encourage 4. We
would allow a man 10 20 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 $4,000. patrol
the vast extent OF these reservations
and protect them?' Prof. Herman OF
the general land Office in reply said:
.surL- -. - ~ So, -. ..yv+F.a n.rr- md rhfa
force can be increased il not sufficient
1t Is provided in the amendment that
there shall be a survey of forest lands
which may be set apart. and mineral
and grazing lands lsewiSe. then -
have il placed under strict surveillance
Of agents OF he interior department. II
We discover this temporary system Of
civilian force insufficient to do this.
the we viii go 10 congress and ask
authority for the war department 10
detail troops To help in the protection.
As TO the practical administration the
secretary Will go as far as the law viii
permit him a. 70 detail. Al the same
time IL VIII prevent destruction OF for
ests remaining. The amendment, II In
corporated in the sundry civil bill, VIII
become a law and give authority n
make such rules a. circumstances re-
qulre. 1t also gives such supervision
over these reservations thar the secre-
tary. almost becames paramount In au-
thority 70 place guards or whatever of
I course he needs. In other words, pre-
serve these reservations intact. This
amendment is just an iniatory move
ment 10 a greater movement toward a
permanent preservation Of the forests -