Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-12-06

VIII But neither can we accepO tuo
views of those whose only interest in
the forest is temporary, who are anx'
ious TO reap what they have not sown
and then move away, leaving desola-
tion behind them. On the contrary, it
is everywhere and always the interest
of the permanent settlers and the per-
manent business man, the man with a
stake in the country, which must be
considered and which must decide.
The making of forest reserves within
railroad and wagon road land grants
will hereafter, as for the past three
years, be so managed as to prevent the
issue, under act of June 4, 1897, of
base for exchange or lieu selection
Casually called scrip. In all cases
where forest reserves within areas COW
cred by land grants appear to be es-
sential to the prosperity of settlers,
miners or others, the government lands
within such proposed forest reserves
will, as in the recent past, be with
drawn from sale or entry pending the
completion of such negotiations with
the owners of the land grants as will
prevent the creation of so-called scrip.
!. Ii was formerly the custom to make
forest reserves without first getting
definite and detailed information as to
! the character of land and timber with
, in their boundaries. This method of
. action often resulted in badly chosen
boundaries and consequent injustice TO
settlers and others. Therefore this ad-
cd of first withdrawing the land from
y disposal, followed by careful examina-
. tion on the ground and the preparation
of detailed maps and descriptions be-
h fore any forest reserve is created.
i have repeatedly called attention to
T.. the confusion which exists in govern
ment forest matters because the work
!. is scattered among three Independent
n organizations. The United States is
n the only one of the great nations in
!. which the forest work of the govern
n ment is not concentrated under one de-
q partment, in consonance with the plain
ia est dictates of good administration and
II common sense. The present arrange
v ment is bad from every point of view.
:. Merely to mention it is to prove that
II it should be terminated at once. As
q 1 have repeatedly recommended, all the
4 forest work of the government should
n be concentrated in the department OF
10 agriculture, whore the larger part OF
n that work is already done, where prae
tically all of the trained foresters OF
:" the government are employed, where
10 chiefly in Washington there is compre
@, hensive frst-hand knowledge of y the
n problems of the reserves acquired OF
- the ground, where all problems relating
," to growth from the soil are already
ne gathered, and where all the sciences
at auxiliary to forestry are at hand fol
ID prompt and effective cooperation
These reasons are decisive in them
selves, but it should be added that the
great organizations of citizens whose
r. interests are affected by the forest re
IN serves, such as the National Live Stool
= association, the National Wool Grow
y ers' association, the American MINING
e. congress- the National Irrigation con
's- gress and the National Board of Trade
st have uniformly, emphatically, and mos
m of them repeatedly expressed them
selves in favor of placing all govern
ment forest work in the department O.
mt agriculture because of the peculia
ie adaptation of that department for II
,o 1t is true also that the forest service
lie II ~ Ala of bl
IL world are under respective department
OF of agriculture, while in but two of tn
III smaller nations and in one colony ar
ba they under the department of the in
terror. This is the result of long AM
varied experience, and it agrees full.
of with the requirements of good admins
al Itration in our own case.
he The creation of forest service il
= the department of agriculture will hav
% for its important results:
te First--a better handling of all for
ct. est work, because it win be under
el. single head and because the vast and in
a Idispensable experience of the depart
10 ment in all matters pertaining to foT
est reserves, to forestry in general, an
vo to other forms of production from tn
70 isoil, win be easily and rapidly aeees
,ir Isible.
SecOnd-The reserves themselves, be
rs ing handled from the point Of view o
a. the man in the field instead of the ma
nd in the office, will be more easily an
or more widely useful to the people Of th
west than has been the case hitherto.
'r Third-Within a comparatively shor
er time the reserves will become self-suI
To- porting. This is important, beeaus
nd continually and rapidly increasing al
!, preparations will be necessary for Oh
Ay proper care Of this exceedingly impol
tant interest of the nation, and the
,st can and should be Offset by returns froT
he tho national forests. Under similar eli
% cumstances the forest possessions o
other great nations form an importan
Dr' source of revenue TO their government
re- Every administrative officer cor
nm enrned is convinced of the neeeasit