The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1904-12-10

nave repeatedly called attention 10 the
confusion which exists In Government forest
matters because the, work IL scaffered aI1onsg
shree independent organizations The Tinted
I: states ts the only ONE sof the great nations
N Whicn the forest work OF the Goyernnaent
is not concentrated under one densrt1na
~ eoneonance with the plafnest dictates Of
sooa administration and common sense The
~ In.., amusement IL bad from every point
( e. vAe s merely to mention it Is to prove
that u should be Terminated At once As u
nase repeatedly recommended, all the forest
trst@s ~ =, .h e, aovernment should be concen-
w w the larger part OF that work is already
lone, where practically all of the trained
49, ~. " the Government are employed.
49, enleny IN Washington there Is COM
p re hrst-hand knowledge of the prob.
leins OF the reserves acquired on the ground
~ 81, an proelens relating to growth from
We tne soh are already gathered and where ali
the sciences auxiliary to forestry are At hand
Ut ~ prompt ana effective cooperation These
a asas9ns are decisive In themselves, but IL
s.ou aI pc ADDED that the great organizations
% ciuzens whose interests are affected by ths
1o .s reserves such as the National Live
stoeh association, the National Wooigrowers'
x1aHssoSiAuon, the American Mining CongreeR
the National Irrigation Congress- and ths
Nationai Board of Trade. have uniforyniyI
en,pnaucaliys and most Of them repeatedly.
sSpISsseo themselves in favor OF placing
| All Government forest work Il, ths Dernrt
neht OF Agriculture because Of the neeuIIar
aoaptaaon OF that Department for It. Yt
70 true also. that the forest seryicea5 OF
nearly all the great nations OF the world ara
under tho respective departments Of asFleul-
snre. while In but two Of the smaller ma
| department OF the interior This Il fha
result Of long and varied experiences ana IL
| agrees fully with the requirements Of rood
administration in our own case - y
The creation of forest service in the T)a-
| important results: I1a-7EIEf = gJ-T-
First--A better handling of all forest work,
because II will be under a single head. and
because the vast and Indispensable expert
ehce OF the Department In all matters uNr-
tanning TO the forest reserves. TO forestry in
| general ana to other forms OF production
cesgible. ns - - - -
second-The reserves themselves being
handled from the point Of view of the man
In the Held, 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
| ThiFd-Within comparatively short time
tho reserves will become seIf-supporting This
IS important, because continually ana rapid
| ~ increasing appropria tons will be nsces-
| sary Tor the proper care Of this exceedingly
| important interest OF the Nation. and they
can and should be offset by returns from the
National forests Under similar circum-
| stances the forest possessions of other great
| nations form an important source of revenue
| to their governments.
Every administrative officer concerned Is
| convinced Of the necessity for the proposed
consolidation of forest work in the Depart
ment of Agriculture, and myself have urged
1t more than once in former messages. Again
commend 1t to the early and favorable con-
| sideration of the Congress. The interests OF
the Nation at large and OF the West in par
ticular have suffered greatly because of the
delay.
call the attention OF the Congress again
to the report and recommendation of the Com
/ mission on the Public
PUBLIC Lands. Lands forwarded by
/ to the second ses-
! sion of the present congress. The Commission
has prosecuted its Investigations actively dur
ing the past season, and a second report Is
now In an advanced stage of preparation.
Il In connection with the work of the forest
reserves l desire again To urge upon the
Congress the Importance of authorizing the
| President to set aside
Game Preserves. certain portions OF these
Il reserves or other pub
lie lands as game refugees for the preserva-
ton of the bison the wapiti and other large
beasts once so abundant in our woods and
mountains and on our great plains, and now
tending toward extinction. Every support
should be given to the authorities of the yell
lowstone Park in their successful efforts at
preserving the large creatures therein; and
at very little expense portions of the public
domain In other regions which are wholly
unsuited to agricultural settlement could be
similarly utilized We 1t to future gen.
erations to keep alive the noble and beautiful
creatures which by their presence add such
distinctive character to the American wilder
ness. The limits of the Yellowstone Park
should be extended southwark. The Canyon
of the Colorado should be made National
Park: and the National park system should
include the Yosemite and many possible
of the groves of giant IT., trees IN California :.
PenstonSs Civil War have claim
upon the Nation such
Tho Pension Bureau has never in Its his
tory been managed in a more satisfactory
manner than Is now the
The progress OF the Indians toward civili3a-
ton, though not rapid. Is perhaps all THAI
could be hoped for in view Of the circum-
stances. Within the past year many tribes
have shown. in degree greater than ever
, before, an appreciation
Indians. OF the necessity OF
work This changed at
tItude is in part due to the policy recently
pursued OF reducing the amount of subsist-
ence to the Indians, and thus forcing them.
through sheer necessity. to work for q lveii-
} hood. The policy. though severe. Is useful
| one, but It is to be exercised only with judg-
nent and with a full understanding Of the
conditions which exist in each community for
, which 1t is ~intended. On or near the Indian
reservations there Is usually very little de-
, mand for labor, and If the Indians are to
earn their living and when work cannot be
furnished from outside (Which is always pref
erabe) then 1t must be furnished by the Gov
eminent. Practical instruction of this kind
would in few years result in the forming
Of habits of regular industry, which would
render the Indian producer and would effect
great reduction in the cost of his main
tenance.
1t is commonly declared that the slow ad-
; vance of the Indians Is due to the unsa It's
factory character Of the men appointed to
take immediate charge OF them, and to some
extent this is true. While the standard OF
the employees in the Indian Service shows
great improvement over that of bygone years.
and while actual corruption of fragrant dis
honesty Is the rare exception, it Is never.
theless the fact that the salaries paid Indian
agents are not large enough to attract the best
men to that field of work. To achieve salts
factory results the official in charge of ar
r Indian tribe should possess the high Qualifica
lions which required in the manager of q
large business, but only in exceptional cases
| 10 tn maj NJ SIph fSynf
for these positions Much better service. how,
y ever, might be obtained from those now hold
ing the places were it practicable to get out Of
. them the best that Is in them, and this should
be done by bringing them constantly into closer
, touch with their superior officers. An agen
who has been content to draw his salary, giving
In return the least possible equivalent in ef
fort and service may, by proper treatment
by suggestion and encouragement, persist
ent urging. be stimulated to greater effort Ant
induced to take more active personal interes
in his work.
Under existing conditions an Indian agent II
the distant West may be wholly out of touch
! with the office of the Indian Bureau. Ht
= may very well feel that takes per
sonal interest in him or his efforts Certain
routine duties in the way of reports and &C
counts are required of him, but there Is nt
t one with whom he may intelligently CONSUL
s on matters vital to his work, except afte
a long delay. Such a would be great!
encouraged and aided by personal contact with