The herald., 1898-10-25
REFORM BADLY NEEDED
FORESTS DESTROYED BY FIRES
WHICH RAGE UNCHECKED
An Open Letter to Binger Herman.
The Present Forest Ranger
System a Farce

The following open letter has been written
to Hon. Binger Herman, land commissioners,
by Hon. Abbot Kinney in relation to the
forest fires which have so recently devas-
tated the mountain forests of this section:
Oct. "a, 1898.
Hon. Binger Herman, Land Commission.
er, Washington, ID. C.-Dear Sir: lnclosed
please find clipping from the morning
paper in relation to the last mountain fire
in the Sierra Madre range. You will see
from this that the men are being sent down
from the mountain before they are sure the
fire has been thoroughly eXtinguished. | am
informed that this was done several times
during this fire. That men taken up the
mountains were sent down again on the
suppostion that the fire was under control,
when it was not, is claimed both in this and
former iires.
When we met in San Francisco / think
that made it plain that the forestry people
here did not believe, that the methods
adopted this year by the secretary of the in
terror We're effective or would be effective
in protecting the forests. In the Sierra
Aladre range we have never had so many or
so disastrous fires within the historical pc
riod as we have had this year. 1t is openly
charged here that the men employed by the
forest supervisors to extinguish fires have
repeatedly set fires or renewed fires to Sc
cure or maintain jobs under the public pay.
The extraordinary manner in which these
fires have occurred and renewed themselves
against all precedent gives some excuse for
this charge, even though the evidence be in
complete. | have not any evidence in re-
card to the matter. but | know that the
Engagement and that the means of putting
ut fires in he Sierra Madre range and also
in the singular fire which invaded Yosemite
State park were inefficient and next door
to worthless. The force in the Sierra Ne
vadas under some of your officers employed
on the fire that attacked the state Yosemite
park, was handled without intelligence OF
capacity.
1t is impossible to believe that the meth
ods which you inaugurated this year in the
forests of California can ever be free from,
the imminent danger of having fires deliber-
ately set for the purpose of gaining work by
those out of employment. You had better
give up your system altogether rather than
have a rule permitting sheep to enter youl
pastures at one month and rule to destroy
the tlocks and arrest and imprison the men
who have gone in under the first rule in an
other month. 1t is better to have no fire
patrol at all than to have one that sets
fires which they are afterward employed tc
eXtingush.
/ have thus far communicated with the
secretary of the interior and yourself with
out agitating the question materially. This
situation, however, cannot continue. This
forest question is one of vital Importance
to California and especially to Southern Cal
ifornia. The people are thoroughly awak-
ened to the danger of their situation.
have received from outside bodies letter
after letter proposing Joint campaign upon
lines suggested to control and prevent the
abuses and destruction of our forest water
sheds. The last one is from number OF
organizations of commercial bodies in the
central part of the state and they propose
to take hold of it by state power and to
take it away from the national control.
do not know whether this could be done
or not, but do not believe it is the correct
solution of the forest question. At any rate
can say now that we shall take this mat
ter up. If you can give us any definite and
practical plan that you will work to in re-
ation to forest management YOU can gain
the support of all those interested in the
question
The meeting of the Southern California
Pathological society, of which am presi
dent, takes place on November 18th and
18th this year. Undoubtedly final action
as to the position of this society will be
taken at that meeting. The Academy oi
Science of Southern California has also ia
ken up this question. | am just in receipt
of letter from the state board of trade
upon the same subject
| believe that there is no question but
that any reasonable plan of forest manage
ment will receive the hearty and enthus
astic Endorsement and support of all the
public bodies and of the body of the people
of this section of the country. Yours very
truly, ABBOT KINNEY.