The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-06-03
The Official Paper Of San Juan County.
THURSDAY, JUNE 3rd, 1897.
THE FORESTRY RESERVE QUESTION.


Tt seems to THE ISLANDER that
there is a vast deal of greed and sell
fishness back of all the hue and cry
that has been raised for weeks against
the forestry reserve order OF President
Cleveland. 1t strikes us that there is a
large element of the ludicrOus in the
great hullalaboO that the big lum-
Der and mining companies are making
ostenslbly in the interest OF the poor
settlers who are endeavOring to heW
out homes for themselves and their
families in the giant forests Of the Cas-
cades. When great corporations are
seized with spasms of sympathy for the
poor man it is high time for the people
generally to be on their guard. The
order in the first instance was based
upon the urgent recommendation OF
the government forestry commission,
which is composed of some OF the
country's most distinguished educators
and scientists. Notwithstanding the
vigorous and persistant protests which
the order has called forth, the COM
mission is still unanimous in the Opin-
ion that not only should it not be re-
yOked but that there should be no ma
terial modification of it. They are
agreed, however, that the rules for its
enforcement should be SO formed as to
permit the use of timber for legitimate
mining purposes and preserve the
rights of agricultural and mining set
tiers. In letter to the Secretary Of
the Interior the commission recon-
mends legislation authorizing the Sec
rotary of War to protect the reserva-
tions from fire and trespass, the estab-
lishment of permanent forest bureau,
the appointment of commission to
make typographical surveys of the res
ervations and to authorize the Secretary
of the Interior to issue the necessary
rules and regulations for the protection,
growth and improvement of the forests
on the reservations, for the sale of tim
Der for fire wood and fencing to actual
settlers in and adjacent to the reserva-
tons, and to owners of mines legally
located therein, for use in such mines,
and for other purposes Such rules
would remove the only valid objections
that have been or can be made against
the maintenance of the order.
Very little good is accruing to the
people from the wholesale destruction
of the vast forests of Western Wash
ington. 1t is true that they are being
rapidly converted into the finest lum-
Der in the world and that some thous-
ands of our people are afforded en-
ployment in this work at wages for the
more common labor which are barely
sufficient for existence. 1t is true also
that the great bulk Of the timber is
shipped to foreign lands, while settlers
upon our own treeless plains find it
difficult to obtain the simplest shelter
for themselves and their stock. Logs are
sold at prices which scarcely more than
covers the cost of cutting and delivery
to mills, and altogether the return is
small indeed for the destruction of
what should be one of the richest
heritages of the people. According to
official statistics the forests of England
yield a net revenue TO the crown of
from $3.50 to S. all acre, which is esti-
mated to be from ! to per cent of
their valuation. Of course the forest
acreage of Europe is trifiing compared
with that of this country still under
control of the government and subject
to reservation. But when the forests
owned by the several states and by in
dividuals, companies and corporations
are considered it can readily be seen
how rich heritage the timber lands
of the United States would be if prop
erly taken care of now. The government
reserves, including those covered by
the proclamation of President Cleve.
land of February %, amount to up.
wards of 40 million acres. In Europe
where the value of the forests has come
to be fully understood, timber is taken
out with as much care as asparagus is re.
moved from its bed. The cutting OF
the trees, therefore, is like pruning an
orchard or wedding a garden, giving
more room and vitality to those left
and, as in the case of the Dean, Sher
wood and New Forests of England
they form source of supply for cen.
turtles and i'll the end seem to be quite
as rich in resources as in the beginning