Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-12-06

BISMARCK DAILY TRIBUNE, 1
= 4 gHsE- u M, 49,.
sture., where tlhs larger part of that
work q already done, where practical
" all Of the trained foresters of the
government are elnploy we'd, where chief
" in Washington there ID comprehen~4
siye FIRST hand knowledge Of the prob
lens Of the reserves acquired on the
ground, where all problems relating to
growth from the soil are already GATH
cred and where all the sciences auxiI-
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-
xations Of citizens whose interests are
AFFECTED by the forest reserves, such as
the National Live Stock association,
the National Wool Growers associa-
don, the American Mining congress,
the National Irrigation congress and
the National Board Of Trade, have uni.
formly, emphatically and most Of them
repeatedly expressed themselves In ia
vore of placing all government forest
work In the department of agriculture
because Of the peculiar adaptation Of
that department for It. It is true also
that the forest services of nearly all
the great nations Of the world are un-
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 int
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 a. forest service in
the department of agriculture will have
for it's important results:
First.-A better handling of all forest
work, because it will be under q sim
gle head and because the vast and in
dispensable 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-
ing 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
the west than has been the case hith-
erto.
Third.-Within a comparatively short
time the reserves will become self sup
porting. This is important, because
continually and rapidly increasing ap-
preparations will be necessary for the
proper care of this exceedingly impor-
tant interest OF the nation, and they
can and should be offset by returns
from the national forests. Under SIM
liar circumstances the forest posses
Eons Of other great nations form an
important source Of revenue to their
governments. g.. '--
Every administrative officer concern
cd Is convinced Of the necessity for
the proposed consolidation of forest
work in the department Of agriculture,
and myself have urged it more than
once in former messages. Again COM
mend it to the early and favorable con-
sideration of the congress. The inter-
,ests Of the nation at large and of the
west in particular have suffered great
" because Of the delay.
- Public Lands.
I call the attention of the congress
again to the report and recommended
ton of the commission on the public
lands forwarded by me to the second
session Of the present congress. The
commission has prosecuted its investi-
cations actively during the past sea.
son, and second report is now in an
advanced stage Of preparation.
Game Preserves.
In connection with the work of the
forest reserves desire again to urge
upon the congress the Importance of
authorizing, the president to set aside
certain portions of these reserves, or 9th.
er public lands, as game refugees for the
preservation of the bison, the wapiti
and other large beasts once so album
dant 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 Yellowstone park in their success
full efforts at preserving the large crea-
lures therein, and at very little ex.
pense portions of the public domain in
other regions which are wholly insult
ed to agricultural settlement could be
similarly utilized. We owe 1t to fu-
ture generations to keep alive the no.
bic and beautiful creatures which by
their presence add such distinctive
character. to the American wilderness.
The limits of the Yellowstone park
should be extended southwark. The
Canyon Of the Colorado should be made
Q national park, and the national park
system should include the Yosemite
and as many as possible of the groves
Of giant trees In California.
.5'.st s z'$tt2 - Pensions. "
The veterans Of the civil war have o
claim upon the nation such as no other
body Of our citizens possess. The PEN
sion bureau has never In its history
been managed in a more satisfactory
manner than Is now the case. a."