The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-02
SALES OF FOREST TIMBER
Only Six Purchases Have Been
Made During the Year.
TERM OF NOTICE TOO LONG
Commissioner Hermann Says 90 Days
Publication Is Unnecessarily Sell
the Dead Timber-Work OF
Examination Is Slow.
Washington Bureau OF the Standard
No. 1l45 G. Street n. w.

WashingtonBnreau OF the Standard
No. 1145 G. Street n. w.
Washington, Oct. 2s.-The annual re-
port of Commissioner Binger Hermann
Of the general land office shows that
there have been during the year only
six sales of forest reservation timber.
amounting to 1854, although there
have been petitions for the sale of 127,
1888 feet and 10000 cords of wood.
He says that the small number of sales
Is due to the statutory requirement of
: so days publication of notice. The COM
missioner says: This period of go days
added to the time intervening between
the filing of a petition to purchase and
ordering notice of sale. during which
an examination of the timber by for
estry officer and report thereon is re-
quired as a basis for action in deter
mining the ACCESSIBILITY and conditions
of sale necessarily results in such long
delay that by the time the period of
publication is ended the applicant has
either otherwise procured the needed
timber. or, yielding to the discourage
ment of delay, has given up the enter
prise for which the timber was needed.
The result is that he no longer desires
to purchase. no bids are submitted by
any one, and the government has in
CURED heavy expense for useless ad-
vertising. which is no less than $50 for
a single sale, besides the waste of eX-
penditure incidental to the forestry of
ficer's field examination in money, time
and labor.
I'm many instances petitions are
tn 10 anH
timber supplies in small quantities by
parties supplying the demands of a
small community. In such cases for
NAL notice by publication Of proposed
sale is both wholly unnecessary and in
wolves an expense greater than the pro-
ceeds of sale
The commissioner favors amending
the law so as to read: Before such sale
shall take place, nouce thereof shall be
given by the commissioner of the gen.
eral land Office, for not less than 80
days, by publication in one or more
newspapers of general circulation. as
he may deem necessary. in the state or
territory where such reservation exists:
Provided that the commissioner of the
general land Office shall have authority
to sell in case of emergency such tim
her from the forest reservations as shall
have been designated to any Individual
or corporation upon giving notice and
under such rules and regulations as the
secretary of the interior shall prescribe
The report says the sales that have
been made were in cases of so great
emergency for the immediate use of the
timber that the stress of the situation
had to be instantly relieved by allow
ing the applicants to purchase in ad
vance of publication but at rates o.
value approved by this Office and sub
iect to higher bid submitted after g.
days advertising of sale.
From the present outlook it is be
lieved that more sales will be effected
in the future in consequence of selling
the down dead timber. and the tops ant
branches available for fuel from thu
mature standing timber purchased TO
lumber. thereby enabling an economi
cal use of the forest. which will at thu
same time protect it from the DANCE
of fire, secure the continued productive
power of the forest, enhance the growth
of the young trees, and result in a fai
return in money to the government
thus conducting to the public interest
from both a practical and a financia
point of view.
The general land office is still in tn
"reserving' business Fifty cases o
proposed reserves or extensions of eX
listing reserves are now under consid
Grafton by the land office In his repor
the commissioner laments that the wor
of pushing the examinations is, how
ever, necessarily slow, owing to the fac
that no provision has thus far bee
made for force of officers to perforr
the work. He says the fact that man
of the examinations can only be mad
to advantage during the season whe
the SHOWS are off the ground renders
still further impracticable for the pres
ent limited force of forest superinter
dents to undertake such outside Worl
since it necesstates their leaving til
reserves at the time that their presenc
there is most essential. During the sea
son when fires prevail the eXigencies {
the service are such as to demand tn
entire attention of the superintendent
within the reserve. 1t is evident tina
If the remaining forest lands of til
government are to be withdrawn an
set apart for forest uses, an increase
force of forest officers is required t
make the preliminary examinations an
report thereon.
II accordingly recommend,' continue
the commissioner that congress be re
quested to make the necessary apprc
priation for such an increase Of tn
present force of forest officers as sha
enable this Office to undertake and pus
forward with rapidty the work of e:
amining the remaining unreserved 70
est lands The very conservative est
mate of 100000 for the forest serviC
during the coming year l deem bar
ly adequate to enable this office to pro
erly accomplish this work of outsit
examinations, in addition to meeting a
the exigencies of the service in come
ton with the administration of the I
serve,
1.-THE attention of this office has be
urgently called during the past year
the fact that imperative need has arls
in certain quarters for action to effe
practical withdrawal of forested Ian
without delay, in order to relieve tht
from the operation of the acts VIII
have for many years subjected the OF
lie timber lands throughout vast
pions of the country to wholesale 81
liation.
The devastation wrought in the cas-
referred to. by parties taking sect
refuge under these acts, has neces
tated some immediate remedy being
vised to save the timber while want
So tho formal setting apart of