Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-08

boundaries and consequent injustice t,
settlers aud others. Therefore this sd
ministrat!on adopted the present meth
cd Of first withdrawing the land from
disposal. followed by careful examina
ton on tho ground md the preparation
of detailed maps and descriptions, be
foro any forest reserve Is created.
have REPEATEDLY called attention tt
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 government IL
not concentrated under one department
in consonance with the plainest die.
tates Of good administration and com.
mon sense. The present arrangement
Is bad from every point Of view. Merely
to mention 1t is to prove that it should
be terminated at once. AS I have re-
peatedly recommended. all the forest
work Of the government should be con-
centrated In the department of agricul.
ture, where the larger part Of that
work is already done, where practical
u All of the trained foresters of the
government are employed where chief
ly in Washington there is comprehen-
sive first hand knowledge of the prob
ground, where all problems relating to
growth from the soil are already gath
cred and where all the sciences auxil-
larry to forestry are at hand for prompt
and effective cooperation. These rea-
sons are decisive in themselves, but it
should be added that the great organi-
cations of citizens whose interests are
affected by the forest reserves, such as
the National Live Stock association.
the National Wool Growers associa-
lion, the American Mining congress.
the National Irrigation congress and
the National Board of Trade, have uni
formly, einphaticaliy and most Of them
repeatedly expressed themselves in IA
Nor of placing all government forest
work in the department Of agriculture
because Of the peculiar adaptation Of
that department for it. 1t is true also
that the forest services of nearly all
the great nations Of the world are I'M
der the respective departments of ag-
riculture, while in but two Of the
smaller nations and in one colony are
they under the department of the inte-
rior. This is the result of long and va
ried experience, and it agrees fully
with the requirements of good admin
istration in our own case.
The creation of forest service in
the department of agriculture will have
Tor its important results: =
First.-A better handling Of all forest
work. because it will be under a sim
gle head and because the vast and in
experience of the depart
ment in all matters pertaining to the for
est reserves, to forestry in general and to
other forms Of production from the soil,
will be easily and rapidly accessible.
Second.-The reserves themselves, be-
ng 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
he west than has been the case hith-
,rto.
Third.-Within comparatively short
line the reserves will become self sup
porting. This is important, because
and rapidly increasing APP
'ropriatfons will be necessary for the
proper care of this exceedingly impor-
ant interest of the nation and they
an and should be offset by returns
rom the national forests. Under sim
lar circumstances the forest posses
'ions of other great nations form an
important source of revenue to their
Every administrative officer concern
I'd Is convinced of the necessity for
he proposed consolidation of forest
york in the department of agriculture,
md | myself have urged it more than
nee in former messages. Again I CON-
mend it to the early and favorable con-
liberation Of the congress. The inter-
sts OF the nation at large and Of the
vest in particular have suffered great
Y because of the delay.
Public Lands.
I call the attention of the congress
gain to the report and recommends
ion Of the commission on the public
ands forwarded by me to the second
session of the present congress. The
commission has prosecuted it's investi-
cations actively during the past sea-
on, and second report is now in an
dyanced stage of preparation.
Game preserves.
In connection with the work of the
crest reserves desire again to urge
pom the congress the Importance of
authorizing the president to set aside
ertain portions of these reserves, or 9th
r public lands, as game refugees for the
reservation of the bison, the wapiti
nd other large beasts once so album
ant In our woods and mountains and
n our great plains and now tending
oward extinction. Every support
hould be given to the authorities Of
he Yellowstone park in their success.
ii efforts at preserving the large crea-
Tres therein, and at very little ex-
onse portions of the public domain in
her regions which are wholly insult
fN oCr;oII 1t1ro1