The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-18
.FAVORS MORRIS BILL
FIRE WARDEN ANDREWS THINKS
1T A STEP IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION
IS A COMPROMISE, HOWEVER
Urges Friends of Forestry to Sup
port the Measure, as 1t Marks
Decided Advance in FOr-
@estry's Interests.

Gen. C. c. Andrews chief forest fire
warden of Minnesota and secretary of the
state forestry board, gave the following
interview today on Judge Morris bill:
II have lately and for the first time
read Representative Morris bill, which
the Minnesota delegation in congress
have agreed to as compromise for dis
posing of the Chippewa reservations and
forests which many have wanted for a
forest reserve or park. While the bill
mostly dissipates the idea of holding prac-
tically intact a splendid natural pine for
est as glory and wonder of our state
yielding, under forestry management, a
continuous revenue, it nevertheless makes
some very important concessions to for
estry, and with an amendment in the
interest of the Indians which / am in
termed has been prepared, l accept the
bill as compromise and will support it,;
p1 divided, it be passed at the present SEES
sion of congress. Under the provisions
Of this bill ii it passes, and of the act of
Jan. IA, 1889, which it amends, any agri-
cultural lands in the reservations shall
within four months be opened to home
stead settlement at $1.25 per acre, to be
paid in five equal payments. The pine
timber on the pine lands is to be sold
to the highest bidder, but at not less than
S. per LOCO feet board measure as it
stands. The cutting is to be clean. No
logs are to be removed until paid for.
There are many details in the bill to in
sure honest work. but of course any
amendment will be accepted that will
make the bill more ironclad in the in
tereSt of the Indians. Indian labor is to
be employed where practicable. No other
timber than pine is to be cut.
THE concessions to forestry are these:
That not to exceed 225, 900 acres of pine
lands to be selected by the forester of
the department of agriculture shall be
known as forestry lands and after the
pine timber has been removed therefrom
shall, without further act, resolution or
proclamation forthwith become and be
part OF forest reserve and shall be
managed and protected the same as other
forest reserves and remain under the
jurisdiction and charge Of the secretary
or agriculture. There is no provision yet
in the bill for paying the Indians for this
forest reserve land, but it is understood
that. an amendment will be added for
placing to the credit of the Indians an
amount covering the value of the land
and timber reserved for forestry.
This is the amendment l above re-
ferred to. All of the cutting of pine on
these 22o,0O0 acres is to be under the su-
perV1S1on Of said forester, who is given
power to enforce his rules and regula-
lions. On these 225, 900 acres of forest 5
per cent of the standing pine shall be left
standing. On some of this land an UNI
dergroWth of pine has already started, and
all of It eventually will be again covered
with pine forest In addition there are
set apart as forest reserve the Splendidlv
wooded island of Cass lake. Of about O00
acres and the other islands in Cass and
Leech lakes; Sugar and Pine points in
l-eech lake; also $4,000 acres of pine lands
in lots not to exceed 800 acres in con-
iguous area and not containing in the
aggregate more than 10000 feet of pine
to each forty acres.
The bill also repeats the law for cut
ting dead and down timber
~ I have suggested to Representative
stevens that the Minnesota delegation
through the secretary of the interior
or the president. obtain the opinion Of the
attorney general Of the United States as
the interests of the Indians A faVora BILE
opinion from that officer will very much
help the passage Of the BILL
one Of the things which most com
mends the bill to me is that practically
all cutting of pine is to be under the
supervision Of the forester of the United
states bureau of forestry, Mr.. Pinchot
a man of great practical ability. Of the
highest character and of the most ample
financial responsibility. I think the nas-
sage of the bill will mark a decided ad-
vance IN forestry, and I hope that All
friends of forestry will give it their sup