The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-03-19
NEW TIMBER ACT
SENATE COMMITTEE REPORTS
QUARLES BILL.
Repeats Present Timber and Stone
Act and Authorizes the Sale or.
the Right to Cut Timber On
Public Lands.-Two Years Con.
test Ends.

Washington, March 1.-THE senate
committee on public lands, after a
contest extending over two years, in
which an attempt was made to repeal
all of the general land laws of the
country, has authorized favorable re.
port on the Quarles bill to repeal the
timber and stone act. As reported the
bill has provision authorizing the
secretary of the interior to sell at
public sale or otherwise the right to
cut timber on government lands. The
bill was amended to provide that the
moneys derived from the sale of these
rights should be recovered into the
reclamation fund for irrigation pur-
poses, and is now in conflict with one
introduced two months ago by Senator
Hansbrough, chairman of the commit.
tee.
No bill introduced in congress in
several years has been pushed with
more vigor by its friends or fought
more stubbornly by its enemies than
the original bill fathered by Senator
Quarles, which provided for the repeal
of the timber and stone act, the desert
land act and the communication clause
of the homestead law For two years
the committee on public lands has had
the measure almost constantly before
it. Last year the committee reported
the bill over the head of the chairman
Senator Hansbrough, but he served no.
tice that it could not be passed, and it
died with the congress.
Majority Favored Repeal.
This year all the Democratic men,
bers of the committee, except Senator
Dubois, of Idaho and three Republi-
can members Senators Bard, Nelson
and Dietrich-were agian against it,
making a majority of one in favor of
reporting the land bill.
Chairman Hansbrough declined to
put the motion for reporting the bill
without having chance to be heard
in opposition to the measure. He was
charged with filibustering, but remain
ed steadfast.
Chairman Hansbrough talked to
members of the committee individually
and gave as his view that the bill, if
passed would upset the land laws of
the entire country and turn to Canada
the great stream of immigration that
is now building up the West.
He declared the homestead law vital
to the interests of the unimproved
West, and suggested to the friends of
the bill that measure be introduced
for the repeal of the timber and stone
act only. He won Senator Nelson to
the same view, and the bill was intro
duced by Senator Quarles and approx
ed by the committee.
House Passes a Bill.
The house committee on public lands
yesterday agreed to amendments which
it will recommend to the bill reported
to the house January 81, prohibiting
the selection of timber lands as lieu
lands in forest reserves. The amend
ments agreed upon allow owners of
lands in forest reserves, which lands
have not reen denuded of timber, to ex-
change the same for other vacant sur
veyed unmineral landss ubject to
homestead entry.
The purpose of the bill is to prevent
persons who have acquired timber
lands and denuded the same from ex-
changing such lands for valuable tim
bered lands elsewhere. The amend
ment prevents an injustice to persons
who have not denuded their holdings
in forest reserves.