The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-22
WHY SUCH A HURRY?
Lumbermen Amazed at Governments
Plan for Cutting Minnesota
Reservation Pine.
Say It Means an Earlier Finish to
the Lumber Industry
Here.

First to be held up as reckless denud-
ers Of forest tracts and then to be forced
to denude them hastily under an order Of
the department Of the interior Is a para
doxical state Of affairs which is worrying
Minneapolis lumbermen.
Cut only the timber on half Of the
reservation and take five years time for
the work. is the counter suggestion made
by the fraternity. Otherwise, Minneap-
oils history as a sawmill town will be
cut short by as much. possibly, as ten
years. Such will be the result of ODE
dience to the order that this timber must
be sold and cut within two years, or by
the close Of 1908.
Thomas Shevlin thinks the law under
which the Leech Lake reservation timber
is to be sold is the best ever made for the
purpose but he does not think the time
provision Is at all the proper thing Let
there be five years to cut the timber Of
fered in the first sale next December, and
no other sale until such time as Is neces-
sary,'' said Mr.. shevlin. why, it lis
| ordered that the timber be cut off in
two years instead Of from ten to twenty
years Is beyond my comprehension. They
say we have denuded the forests and now
want us to do it in one fell swoop. The
government will get more for the timber
to sell 1t by degrees. It will be great
blow to the state and a great blow to
Minneapolis log supply. 80
"Ithoroly believe In the la was it pro-
tects the government against the stealing
of logs, but instead of the whole the gov
eminent should sell part of it,
May Appeal to Roosevelt.
It was intimated among the saw mill
men to-day that the order would never be
| complied with That as a last resort the
matter would be taken to President
poo no ie ~
Beside the depression Of the market
| from the sudden access of 1900, ZOO, 600
| feet Of timber is the fire hazard resulting
from the burning of such a tremendous
| amount Of debris at one time AS for
| throwing the land open under the home
stead law, this is no argument with the
lumbermen, who do not believe that any
homesteader will want the land from
which the stumpage is cut for farm pur-
poses when fertile acres can be- bought
in Itasca an dother counties at 50 an acre
At any rate half Of the reservation under
the plan Of cutting only part of the tim.
| Der now, would soon be ready for home.
steaders.
j. r. Farr, United States superintend
ent Of logging, who is in Minneapolis to-
day, agrees that it would be advisable
to extend the time limit. He said
my attention has been called to tn
protest of the lumbermen, and their safe
ment that the amount would be in tn
neighborhood Of 1900, 900 feet.
If this is true, and the time for remova
allowed Is only one and a half years, /
would appeal to me as being too shor
and not practical, and might result in
loss to the Indians.
IF am rightly informed, the object o
the department in limiting the time t
July /. 1905 is TO get the timber. remove
and open up the land for settlement.
Il realize the disposing of land to actua
settlers is a very desirable thing; how
ever If an arrangement was made b
which a reasonable time could be give
for the removal Of the timber and at tn
same time permit the land to be opene
for settlement as fast as cut, it is SAT
to say that enough land would be Gu
, clean each year to meet the demand {
. the actual settler.
1.-THE extending of the time for the re
moving of timber on Indian reservation
where the Indian, has the preference i
doing the work Is certainly a great ad
l vantage, as well as civilizer to the In
dams.
I 1.-THE amountthey will receive in sal
$ aries will be large and it is an item whic
f should not be overlooked. If this was
: amount of timber is to be cut in one log
Q ging season it will have to be done largel
+ by white labor, and it Is a. grave auestio
In my mind If they will be able to get th
! required help - ss,$Es45s; 80.