The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-06

t UE6L
l laid out All important details are be-
ing carefully considered by boards OF
consulting engineers, selected for their
lnorough knowledge and practical ex-
, perience. Each project is taken up on
the ground by competent men and
J viewed from the standpoint of the
creation of prosperous homes, and OF
promptly refunding to the treasury
the cost of construction. The reclama-
ton act has been found to be remark
ABLY complete and effective, and so
broad in its provisions that wide
range of undertakings has been posi-
Die under it. At the same time,
| economy is guaranteed by the fact
that the funds must ultimately be re-
turned to be used over again.
Forests.
1t is the cardinal principle of the
lIoreSt-reServe policy of this admins
| tration that the reserves are for use.
Whatever interferes with the use of
their resources is to be avoided by ev-
cry possible means. But these re-
sources must be used in such way as
TO make them permanent.
The forest policy of the government
IS Just now subject Of vivid public
the people of the United states in gen
era1. The forest reserves themselves
are or extreme value to the present as
well as to the future welfare of all the
western public land states. They pow
erfully affect the use and disposal Of
the public lands. They are of special
Importance because they preserve the
water supply and the supply of tim
Der for domestic purposes, and so pro-
mote settlement under the reclamat ton
act. Indeed, they are essential to the
welfare of every one Of the great in
terests 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
and towns to whom their municipal
water supplies are OF the very first
Importance, users and furnishers of
water power, and the users of water
for domestic, manufacturing, mining,
and other purposes. All these are d.
Fectly dependent upon the forest re-
serves.
The second reason for which forest
reserves are created is to preserve the
timber supply for various classes of
wood users. Among the more import
ant of these are settlers under the Te-
clamatfon act and other acts, for whom
a cheap and accessible supply of timber
for domestic uses is absolutely neces-
sary; miners and prospectors. 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 pri-
Vate ownership; lumbermen, transpor-
tatiOn companies, builders, and COM
mercial interests in general.
Although the wisdom of creating for
est reserves is nearly everywhere heart
lily recognized, yet in few localities
there has been misunderstanding and
complaint. The following statement is
therefore desirable:
The fOrest-reserve policy can be sue
cessful only when it has the full sup
port of the people Of the west 1t can
not safely, and should not in any case,
be imposed upon them against their
VIII. But neither can we accept the
views of those whose only interest in
&c rv~TF- rxrt1(
ious to reap what they have not sown
and then move away, leaving desolation
behind them. On the contrary, 1t is
everywhere and always the interest of
the permanent settler and the perman-
emit business man, the man with stake
in the country, which must be consid-
cred and which must decide.
The making for forest reserves with
limits will hereafter, as for the past
three years, be so managed as to pre-
vent the issue, under the act of June |
4. 1897, of base for exchange or lieu |
cases where forest reserves within /
areas covered by land grants appear |
to be essential to the prosperity of set |
tiers, miners or others, the government |
serves Will, as in the recent past, be |
withdrawn from sale or entry pending |
the completion Of such negotiations
with the owners Of the land grants as
scrip.
It was formerly the custom to make
forest reserves without first getting
definite and detailed information as
to the character of land and timber
within their boundaries. This method
of action often resulted in badly
chosen boundaries and consequent in
justice to settlers and others. There
fore this administration adopted the
present method of first Withdrawing
the land from disposal. followed by
careful examination on the ground
and the preparation of detailed maps
and descriptions, before any forest re-
serve is created.
have repeatedly called attention to
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 govern
ment is not concentrated under one
department., IN consOnance with the
plainest dictates of good administra-
ton and common sense. The present
is bad from every point
Of view. Merely to mention it is to
prove that it should be terminated at
once. AS I have repeatedly recon-
all the forest work of the
he department of agriculture, where
he larger part of that work is already
lone, where practically all of the
.rained foresters of the government !
Ire employed, WneTe cnIe11y IN w assn :
ngton there is comprehensive first )
hand knowledge of the problems of {
he reserves acquired on the ground, )
where all problems relating to growth :
rom the soil are already gathered, !
md where all the sciences auxiliary to !
orestry are at hand for prompt and )
affective cooperation. These reasons :
ire decisive in themselves, but it :
hould be added that the great organ =
cations of citizens whose interests are
Effected by the forest reserves, such as q
he National Live Stock association :
he National Wool Growers associa- :
ion Mfnino cOnpreSz Y