Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1901-12-06

a Review Presenting Features OF Interest
to the People of Idaho.

~ NSSU" VI
to the People of Idaho.
The annual report made to the sec
rotary OF the interior by Binger Her
mann, commissioner Of the general
land ONCE, contains great deal Of
matter OF the highest interest to the
people OF the west. A large portion
Of 1t is devoted to the subject of forest
reserves, the commissioner making
many recommendations OF the great
est Importance.
Owing to limited space the Republic
can can not give its readers an extend
ed review OF this report, but can only
touch upon those features which are
deemed most interesting to the people
OF Idaho, and particularly those who
reside near where forest reserves have
been established. The most import
ant features Of that portion Of the
report touching upon the subject Of
reserves is the "lieu lands" transac-
tons Herewith.
The commissioner states that he
has refused to consider applications
for the creation Of additional reserves,
except in few urgent cases, taking
the ground that no more should be cs-
tablished until congress shall have
made provision to protect the govern
ment and the people from the lieu
land script evil. Moreover, he init
mates that applications have been
made for number OF reserves in the in
terest OF those holding worthless lands
within the boundaries Of the proposed
reservations for which they desire to
secure scrip that may be laid on good
lands. The extent of future lieu
land transactions, he says, may be
realized when 1t is known that there
are now on file in this Office petitions
and recommendations from various
sources seeking the creation OF nu-
merous reserves and aggregating a.,
O00,0OO acres These are in Arizona,
California, Colorado, Idaho, MinneSe-
sofa, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,
Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wy
oming. 1t is impossible to estimate
the proportion of this vast area which
would be used as basis for select ions.
but IL is proper TO say that a very
large proportion consists of railroad
and private land grants. In one pre-
posed reserve alone there are $50, 900
acres Of the Maxwell land grant. "
Commissioner Hermann has acted
wisely in taking this stand against
opening the way TOR further frauds on
the government.
Ii is to be hoped congress will pay
careful attention t. his statements
and recommendation and enact legis-
lation under which the forest reserve
policy may be continued and extended
free from the errors that crept into it
through carelessness or lack of infor-
nation on the part of those RESPONSE
ble for the draft of the original act
1t Is altogether probable that the
land grant companies knew what
privileges would be secured to them
under the law as ii stands, and il is
not impossible that their agents were
partly instrumental in securing the
adoption OF the law in its present
form. II Is easy to understand how
this may have been accomplished
without arousing the suspicion of
members Of congress. But, however,
il was accomplished, the fact remains
that it was done, and the duty of con
gress now is to remedy the evil with
out delay, for it has been a reproach
10 the government that the land grant
companies should have been permit
ted 10 secerc script for worthless lands
previously given them, which script