The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-12-06

reserves
feres with the use OF their resources Is TO
be avoided by every possible means. But
these resources must be used in such a
way as 10 make them permanent.
The forest policy OF the government is
Just now a subject OF vivid public interest
throughout the West and 10 the people OF
the United States In general The forest
reserves themselves are OF extreme value
10 the present as well as to the future
welfare OF all the western public-lhnd
states. They powerfully affect the use
and disposal OF the public lands. They
are OF special Importance because they
preserve the water supply and the supply
OF timber for domestic purposes, and so
promote settlement under the reclamation
act. Indeed. they are essential to the well
fare OF every one OF the great interests OF
the West.
Forest reserves are created for two
principal purposes The first is TO pre-
serve the water supply. This Is their most
important use. The principal users OF the
water thus preserved are irrigation
ranchers and settlers, cities and towns 10
whom their municipal water supplies are
OF the very first importance. users and
furnishers or wHteT power, and the users
OF water for domestic. manufacturing,
mining and other purposes. All these are
directly dependent upon the forest re-
serves
The second reason for which forest re-
serves are created is To preserve the tim
Der supply for various classes OF wood
users. Among the more important or these
are settlers under the reclamation act and
other acts, for whom a cheap and access
sibIe supply OF timber for domestic uses
IL absolutely necessary: miners and pro-
spectors who are In serious danger Of
losing their timber supply by fire or
through export by lumber companies
when timber lands adjacent TO their mines
pass into private ownership; lumbermen,
transportation companies, builders. and
commercial interests I'm general
Although the wisdom OF creating forest
reserves is nearly everywhere heartily
recognized. vet in a few localities there
has been misunderstanding and COM
plant. The following statement Is there
fore desirable:
The forest-reserve policy can he sue
cessfil only when II has the full support
OF the people OF the West II can not safe
ly and should not I'm any case he inn
posed upon them against their will. But
neither can we accept the views OF those
whose only interest In the forest Is tenn
porary; who are anxious 10 reap what
they have not sown and then move away,
leaving desolation behind them. ON the
contrary, IL is everywhere and always
the interest OF the permanent settler and
the permanent business man, the sman
with stake In the country, which must
be considered and which must decide.
The making Of forest reserves within
railroad and wagon-road land-grants linn
it's will hereafter as for the past three
years. be so managed as to prevent the is
sue, under the act OF June I. 1897, OF base
for exchange or lieu selection casually
called scrip In all cases where forest re-
serves within areas covered by land
grants appear TO be essential to the pros
perity OF settlers. miners. or others. the
government lands within such proposed
forest rescrNpg will the recent pa
be withdrawn from sale or entry pending
the completion of such negotiations with
the owners or the land grants as will pre-
vent the creation of so-called scrip.
II was formerly the custom to make for
est reserves without first getting definite
and detailed Information as TO the char
acter OF land and timber within their
boundaries This method OF action often
resulted i'm badly chosen boundaries and
consequent injustice to settlers and 9TH
ers Therefore this administration adopted
the present method OF first Withdrawing
the land from disposal followed by care
full examination on the ground and the
preparation of detailed maps ard descrlp-
tions, before-any forest reserve Is created.
have repeatedly called attention to tho
confusion which exists I'm government
forest matters because the work is scat
tered among three independent organiza-
tions The United States Is the only one
OF the great nations in which the forest
work of the government Is not concen-
trated under one department, in conso-
nance with the plainest dictates of good
administration and common sense. The
present arrangement is bad from every
point OF view Merely TO mention Il is To
prove that II should be terminated at
once. AS | have repeatedly recommended.
all the forest work OF the government
should be concentrated in the department
OF agriculture, where the larger part or
A. 4, he as,sf
cany all OF the trained foresters Of the
government are employed. where chiefly
I'm Washington there Is comprehensive
frst-hand 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 forest
~ are at hand for prompt and effective
cooperation.
These reasons are decisive I'm them
selves, but IL should be added that the
great organizations of citizens whose in
teree+s-are affected by the forest reserves.
such as the National Live Stock associa-
ton. the National Wool Growers associa-
tion. the American Mining congress. the
National Irrigation congress. and the Ma
tional Board OF Trade, have uniformly.
emphatcslly. and most of them repeated
w. expressed themselves in favor of plac-
ing ali government forest work In the de-
peculiar adapta ton Of that department for
H. IT IL true. also. that the forest ser
vires Of nearly all the great nations of the
world arc under the respective depart
ments Of agriculture while In but two or
the smaller nations and I'm one colony are
they under the department of the inte-
rior This Is the result OF long and varied
experience and it agrees fully with the
requirements OF good administration in
our own case.
The creation OF forest service In the
department Of agriculture will have for
its important results:
First. a better handling OF all forest
work, because II will he under single
head and because the vast and indlspens-
able experience OF the department I'm all
matters pertaining TO the forest reserves,
10 forestry I'm general. and TO other forms
OF production from tire soil, will be easily
and rapidly accessible.
Second. The reserves themselves, being