The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-10
WANTS TIMBER AND
STONE ACT REPEALED
Chief Fire Warden Andrews De-
Clares II One of the Most
Outrageous Laws.

Inasmuch as spirited opposition has
developed among Minneapolis lumber
men and others financially interested in
the operation of the timber and stone
act in Northern Minnesota, to the pro-
posed repeal of the law, the views of
Gen. G. c. Andrews, chief fire warden
of Minnesota, will be of interest. Con-
gresham Bede, of Duluth, is said to be
opposed to the repeal of the act, but
the repeating measure has passed the
senate and there is a good prospect for
its passage by the house at the present
session. Speaking of the situation as
regards Minnesota pine lands and the
thrifty operations of the lumbermen,
Gen. Andrews said yesterday:
Logging has been going on in Mime
sofa for sixty years: For a number of
years back the pine timber that has been
cut in our state each year was worth
just as it stood in the forest, IS, 900, 900.
1t is safe to say that $150.000, 600 worth
Of pine has been cut in Minnesota and
that many million dollars worth besides
is still held by private parties. Some
of this, it is true, has been granted to
railroad companies. Now. how much did
the United States government receive for
all this pine timber? The records of the
commissioner of the general land office
show that up to October, 1897, all that
public lands of all descriptions in this
state amounted exactly to 1896, 599. 40.
People Are Responsible.
When people say that the United States
government has disposed Of it's timber
lands in prodigal manner or has al
Der lands We must remember that the
interior department at Washington, which
comprises the government in this re-
gard has to administer the laws just as
fhaAxT l1~c tod
have been laches, congress is the guilty
party and behind congress the people
themselves are responsible. We ought
to remember this when we say the gov
eminent has done thus and so.
One Of the most outrageous laws ever
enacted by congress for the disposal of
timber lands is the so-called stone and
timber act, first passed in 1878 to apply
Oregon, Nevada and Washington terri
tory, and which was extended to all the
other public land states in 1892, and a
bill to repeal which was passed by the
senate March II of this year.
Under this act any person can pur-
chase of the United States a quarter sec
ton Q60 acres) of timber land at the
land office of the district in which the
land is situated at $3.50 an acre, being
$500 for the whole tract. 1t sometimes
happens that quarter section of stand
board measure, Of the average value of
81 a thousand, or in all, $4,000. The
purchaser sells to the capitalist or large
corporation at a handsome profit, to
make up which the manufacturer must
charge higher prices to the consumer.
Thinks Law Is Cunning Measure.
The purchaser of a quarter section I'M
der this stone and timber law has to
make affidavit that the land is chiefly
valuable for its timber, that it is unfit for
cultivation, that he does not buy it on
speculation, but in good faith, for his
exclusive use. A very Verdant person
would suppose he was going to erect
mill and manufacture lumber. Of course
1t would not do for congress to enact a
law. allowing big corporations to help
themselves to the timber lands as greed
lily as they pleased at one-eighth of their
value. 1t would not sound well But the
thing is done in surreptitious way; and
believe the law was cunningly devised
for just this purpose.
The speciOus argument is sometimes
made by defenders of the law that 1t
was benefcently intended to give ''the
people" share in the timber lands, but
there are not enough valuable public
timber lands to allow more than five out
the benefit of the law.
The Bill which was passed by the sem
ate repeating the stone and timber law
provides that the remaining standing
timber of the United States may be sold
to the highest bidder, but not below its
value. This will be fair to all
parties and tend to a regular instead of
a speculative value of lumber. 1 shall be
a good deal surprised if the house Of
representatives fails at this session to
pass the senate BILL