The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-07
descriptions, before any forest reserv
is created
should Be Under One Control.

should BE Under one control
I have repeatedly called attention to
the confusion which exists in govern
ment forest matters because the work
is scattered among three Independent
organizations The United States is
the only one of the great nations in
| which the forest work of the govern
| ment is not concentrated under one de-
| partment, in cOnsOnance with the
( plainest dictates of good administra-
| ton and common sense. The present
arrangement is bad from every point
of view. Merely TO mention it is to
prove that it should be terminated at
| once. AS l have repeatedly recon-
| mended, all the forest work Of the
! government should be concentrated in
the Department of Agriculture, where
! the larger part of that work is al
ready done, where practically all of
! the trained fOresters of the govern
ment are employed, where chiefly in
! Washington there is comprehensive
| first-ha knowledge OF the problems
of the reserves acquired on the ground,
where all problems relating to growth
from the soil are already gathered,
and where all the sciences auxiliary
to forestry are at hand for prompt and
effective cooperation.
Reasons for Centralized Manage
ment.
These reasons are decisive in them
selves, but it should be added that the
great organizations of citizens whose
interests are affected by the forest re-
serves, such as the National Live
Stock Association. the National Wool
Growers Associa ton the American
Mining Congress. the National Irriga-
ton Congress and the National Board
of Trade have uniformly, emphatical-
ly. and most of them repeatedly, ex-
pressed themselves in favor of plac-
ing all government forest work in the
Department of Agriculture because of
the peculiar adaptation of that depart
ment for it. 1t is true, also, that the
forest services of nearly all the great
nations of the world are under the re-
spective departments of agriculture,
while in but two of the smaller ma
tions and in one colony are they un-
der the Department of the Interior.
This is the result of long and varied
experience and it agrees fully with
the requirements of good administra-
ton in our own case
Forest Service Proposed.
The creation of a forest service in
the Department of Agriculture will
have for it's important results:
First. A better handling of all for
est work. because it will be under
single head, and because the vast and
indispensable experience of the de-
partment in all matters pertaining to
the forest reserves, to forestry in gen
eral, and to other forms of production
from the soil, will be easily and rap
idly accessible.
Second. The reserves themselves,
being handled from the point of view
of the man in the field, instead of the
man in the Office, will be more easily
and more widely useful to the people
of the West than has been the case
hitherto
short time the reserves will become
self-supporting. This is important,
because continually and rapidly in
creasing appropriations will be neces-
sary for the proper care of this ex-
ceedingly important interest of the
nation, and they can and should be
offset by returns from the national
forests. Under similar circumstances
the forest possessions of other great
nations form an important source of
revenue to their governments
Every administrative officer con-
cerned is convinced of the necessity
for the proposed consolidation of for
est work in the Department of Agri-
culture, and l myself have urged 1t
more than once in former messages.
Again l commend it to the early and
gress. The interests of the nation at
large and of the West in particular
have suffered greatly because of the
delay.
Public Lands and Game Preserves.
I call the attention of the Congress
again to the report and recommends
ton of the Commission on the Public
Lands forwarded by me to the second
session of the present Congress. The
commission has prosecuted its investi-
cations actively during the past sea-
son, and a second report is now in an
advanced stage of preparation.
In connection with the work of the
forest reserves 1 desire again to urge
upon the Congress the importance of
authorizing the President to set aside
certain portions of these reserves or
other public lands as game refugees for
the preservation of the bison, the
wapiti, and other large beasts once so
abundant in our woods and mountains
and on our great plains, and now tend
ing toward extinction.
Protection of Large Game.
Every support should be give to the
authorities of the Yellowstone Park i'll
their successful efforts at preserving
the large creatures therein; and at
very little expense portions of the pub
lie domain in other regions which are
wholly unsuited to agricultural settle
ment could be similarly utilized. We
owe it to future generations to keep
alive the noble and beautiful crea-
lures which bv their presence add
such distinctive character to the Amer
lean wilderness. The limits of the yell
lowstone Park should be extended
southwards. The Canyon of the Colo
RADIO should be made a national park;
and the national park system should
include the Yosemite and as many as
H n :. q