The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-02
INTEREST TO MONTANA
Some Matters in the Secretary
Of Interiors Report.
PRODUCTION OF SILVER
Montana stands the secon state In the
Union-vacant Lands in the State.
The Working OF the
Forest System.
Washington Bureau 4 the Standard. ,
No. has q street ~. w. ,

W~asnlnktOn. NOV. -o-lnt buHuti
report of the secretary of the interior
contains a number Of matters OF par
ticular interest 20 the people OF Mon
tana. In the first instance. in the
enumeration of the original publ
lands Of the United States. the sec-e-
tary finds that 1911. go acres of Mon
tana territory were acquired with the
Louisiana purchase and is.145,2so came
IN as a part of the Oregon country.
II is shown that Montana has 1907. SIC
acres of public and still u%nappropri-
ated and unreserved. OF this land
only le. sa2. So acres has thus far been
surveyed. During the fiscal year just
closed <54. $50 acres Of Montana land
was surveyed at an expense to the
government OF $4,000. In the same
period 5ls. 4o4 acres Of land were GER
tined or patented to the Northern Pa
elf railroad.
The report also shows that Montana
was the second state in the union, dur
ing the fiscal year, in the production
of silver. and the fourth In h pro-
ductfon of gold. Colorado alone I'd
her in silver product. and Colorado,
California and South Dakota-in the
order mandolin gold product.
In the recital OF the vacant Hri
in the various states the secretIry
shows tina Montana has 4s,06S, 90
acres of grazing land and 22.53s,bl6
acres OF woodland and forest land.
He estimates that there Is avaiiatle
water supply TO reclaim li.ooo,'0 10
acres.
The report devotes considerable space
TO a review of the Inauguration oi A
forest system. The secretary says:
THE good results of the system 4
placing a graded force OF officers n
control OF reserves have already boon
felt in many sections. demonstratlag
the wisdom of congress in providing
increased appropriations Tor the Pr
lection of the public timber.
The reports received from the for
est officers i'm charge of a number 4
the reserves indicate that the patrol
ing Of the reservations by forest RAM
ers has not only prevented destructive
fires from gaining Roadway. but les
soned. TO a marked degree, the numler
OF fires this season.
Pull and specific Instructions have
recently been given the forest officers
10 prepare detailed reports on fires, the
subject of sheep grazing, proposed
sales of public timber, the examination
Of IOItSNtu dItdr VI HiblfN1tu
lions. exclusion OF timber trespassers
and other ~intruders. and methods OF
lpatroling the reserves. with a view
of affording the government inteili-
gent information upon which TO act IN
administering the reservations.
While public timber has been the
subject of extensive legislation for
nearly a century. great advancement
. toward a comprehensive administra-
tion OF the public forests has been
: made during the past is months. \
definite forestry policy having been
fully inaugurated. n Is desirable that
IN the matter OF appropriations requi-
site to insure the further development
of the system a generous policy be fol-
lowed by congress.
''Thi report is applicable only To the
forest reservations set aside by pres
dental proclamation under the act OF
1891. As stated. great good has been
ACCOMPLISHED during the brief time that
the forest policy inaugurated has been
in force, in preventing destructive fires
in such reserves. bat the vast forest
domain outside of such ~servation
has been visited during the past SUM
mer as usual by destructive fires
which. under the existing appropria-
lions, the department could not pro-
vide means 70 control. Some legisla-
ton regarding the care of these for
ests Is desirable.
"A better understanding OF the n
noses OF forest reservation has led the
people in the localities directly affected
TO take a deep and approving interest
in the matter. Public sentiment has
in the past rear undergone a marked
change in respect thereto. and opposi-
ton 20 forest reserves is rapidly sub
siding"
The secretary says IL is gratifying 20
record that the law OF june 4. 1897. UNI
der which the reserves are administer
ed. and the regulations hereunder,
have, thus far. practically met every
requirement and demand that mas
been made from every source and tn
terest with but three exceptions, which
are as follows: First. the provision
therein for the REIMBURSEMENT Of pri-
waite holdings within reservations and
the selection of unreserved lands In
lieu thereof. requires TO be modified
somewhat: second, no provision APP
pears TO be made in the law for the
entry of coal lands within reserves
where claims nave not been Initiated
prior to the creation OF the reserves;
third. there Is no provision therein for
the leasing or renting OF lands within
the reserves for sanitarium or other
purposes in connection with mineral or
other springs.
Next TO fires. sheep grazing was
found TO constitute the most serious
dificuity to be considered in ssiminis-
tering certain OF the reserves. Appre-
ciating that these great bodies OF re-
served lands should not be entirely
withdrawn from occupation and use
in connection with so large and impor-
tant an industry as sheep raising. spe-
cial efforts have been directed to-
wards ascertaining the particular re-
gions in which the conditions are such
as to demand the exclusion OF sheep.
and toward acquiring the information
necessary to a determination as 10
the nature OF the restrictions required
30 regulate sheep grazing in other ie-
gionsL
So FAR II a not been possible to
practically enter upon the work OF
conducting sales OF timber. as prOvid-
ed for in the act OF June 4. 1897. The
subject demands, however. immediate