The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-07-25
BIG TIM
Der GRAFT
Forest Reserve Offers Chan
ceS for Working - Insiders
Get the Benefit.
Owners of Poor Land Glad TO
Have it Reserved in Order
That They May Exchange
Bearing on School Lands.

Bearing on School Lands.
From Portland Oregonian July 2I, 1901, Iude-
pendent Republican.
There are many years in which the
Government may lose and private cor
porations and individuals may make ille'
gitimate gain from such reservations Of
public land as is now proposed forSouth-
ern Oregon. II it we're fair field for
all it would not be 80 bad, sbut through
the smooth work Of politicians and the
ely schemes Of timber hogs and specula.
tors the iayors that come from such re-.
servations go tot few people who "stand
in" These operations invite wholesale
perjury, delraud the public school fund
and open the way to abuses that are pro
ductiye OF anything but the public good.
The theory upon which the reserva-
tion is urged is that it is essential to the
preservation Of timber supply and the
protection Of river sources. The south
fork of the Coquille River takes it's rise
in the tract proposed to be reserved in
Southern Oregon. The Illinois River
flows through the tract, and some of its
branches head within the proposed
boundaries. There is large acreage Of
timber, considerable area OF mineral
land and some rich farming and grazing
land in the reserve outlined. II would
contain more than ,090. 900 acres. Most
OF this area is rough and mountainous.
The extreme length north and south IL
about 20 miles, and the extreme width
east and west 4S miles. IL approaches to
within i've miles OF the ocean.
While there are objections, on the
ground Of the physical character Of the
country, TO the creation Of 80 large a
reservation in that region, the"e are also
objections on the ground that the man.
ner OF creating the reserve, as we'll as
the fact, opens the way TO improper use
of the lands TO be withdrawn. IL is true
that the Oregon & California Railroad
Company, more than 100000 acres OF
whose grant lies within the borders Of
the proposed reserve, would not have the
free swing the Northern Pacific enjoyed
with respect TO the Rainier reserve. A
limit has been placed on indiscriminate
exchanges of worthless for valuable land
since the abuses practiced in the state OF
Washington came TO public notice. But
there is still wide latitude for the exer-
else OF discretion, and that latitude does
not mean that the railroad company, or
any other private owner OF influence,
will get the worst of any exchange
! effected through the creation OF a public
reserve. Poor or worthless land will be
| ..It 10. Ia m oil
aud valuable land elsewhere will be
obtained for it, This, in the case Of a
railroad, would in a measure operate to
remove the geographical limits of It's
grant. II would give the railroad com
pany power 10 take available Govern
ment land wherever il may be found
The opportunity TO make this exchange
is frequently sought, and people have
been known TO take up inaccessible and
worthless land on the private under
sta ndIng that il would be reserved, and
thus made competent to exchange for
really valuable land.
In this connection, il may be noted
that the worthless land will all be
surrendered TO the Government. Valu-
able timber land will be retained, be-
cause there will be less Likelihood of
| fires in the reserve, no probability Of
thieving, and, in fact, it will be a good,
safe place to own timber to keep for a
coming generation.
There is about 5000 acres of un-
surveyed school land within the proposed
reserve, which would form base" for
selection OF lieu land. Reserve "base"
Is worth 81 25 per acre. The men who
would get the benefit OF this are those
who have hunted up timber land and
want some.means OF buying it, IL the
reserve shall be created they will inn
mediately file their applications in the
state land Office for lieu land, asking
the state land agent TO use the new
reserve base to secure lieu land. Thus
they will save si25 per acre by the
creation of the reserve. And this would
go into the pocket Of some lumber
syndicate or wealthy speculator. IL
would simply be question OF finding
100 men and women TO periure them
selves. Those who would profit from
this would be those who should get
nearest the forces that bring about the
reserve.
Frequently there ia purpose in the
delay that attends the processes of Great
ing forest reserve. The public may
thus be thrown off it's guard, as il were,
and only those OF great faith, or know
ledge, 20 ahead and get claims or
ascertain the character OF the land, 80
that when the project wakens from it's
slumber everything will be ready for
action. II these proceedings were all
actually as open aud fair as the mute
records show there would be less
criticism OF the manner of creating
forest reserves. THERE'S special criticism
of the project for Southern Oregon, on
the ground that il would take in much
land that ought not TO be Withdrawn
from private acquisition and use; in
other words, on the ground that IL would
be altogether bigger than the conditions
IN that region would warrant.