The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-10-20
NOT ENDORSED
Is the Forest Reserve Work Of
Mr.. Pinchot.

IN northern Minnesota, the official en-
dorsement of the Mississippi River
improvement association have fallen
short of success, says the News Tri-
bune.
In spite OF letters written by Mr..
Pinchot to the president of the con-
Vention in session at La Crosse, and
in spite of the fact that that official
strongly urged the adoption of clause
commendatory of the proposed forest
~ scheme, the resolutions adopted
contained in reference to this matter,
only the following clause: "We favor
the system of government forest re-
reserves as far as they add to the vol
ume of water in the Mississippi river"
TO those who understand the situ-
alton this clause means nothing. 1t
is mere courtesy to Mr.. Pinchot and
something of disappointment to
him. The forestry bureau is working
hard to make its course in Northern
Minnesota appear creditable in the
eyes of Congress aud of the President.
The endorsement of organizations of
representative men is sought in the
effort to prevail against the unani-
nous hostility~of settlers and Indians
in the region selected to be set apart
for forest reserve. The land chosen
for forest reserve purposes in northern
Minnesota is lands that belongs to the
Indians, land that the government
will take only in violations Of its
treaty, 23l 900 acres of land along fifty
miles of railroad opening up a coun-
try for settlers and Indians and adj
jacent to towns that depend upon the
country around them for support,
country that may be made highly pro-
ductive of crops. 1t is land to which
the government has no right, land
that cannot be CONCERTED into forest
reserve, except by breach of the ma
tion's treaty.
The proposition shows narrow in-
depreciation of the governments gt-.
gantic, benevolent scheme OF forest
and demonstration. The government
has millions Of acres, timbered and
suitable for tree planting and culture,
that is utterly unfit for other pnr-
poses. To the conversion of this land
to its beneficent scheme, there can be
no objection. There would be nothing
of confiscation in it, as there is in the
reserve Of this northern Minnesota
land. The policy of the bureau is
such as to defeat the governments
purpose. Willy should the government
take lands that do not belong to it
and deny to its wards the domain
given to them by treaty, when 1t has
so much available to which no other
claim is made; to say nothing of the
violated rights of Indians and settlers?
So far as the associations action on
the upper Mississippi dams is con.
cerned, it was controlled by Mime
apolis sentiment. The executive COM
mittee of the association should visit
the remote dams with a view to as
pertaining just what influence they
have on the waters of the Mississippi
below St. Paul. The rivers and har-
bors committee of congress made per-
sonal inspection and reported that
they had no effect on that part Of the
river sought to be benefited.
Tile News Tribune ventures the as
sertion that no practical engineer who
makes personal examination of the
reservoirs at Sand Creek and Pine
Creek several hundred miles away as
the river runs, will risk his reputation
by making the statement that they
have any appreciable influence on the
river below st. Paul, Across either
of these Insignificant streams a man
might wade in dry weather without
danger of wetting the top of his boots.
Any practical man familiar with
these reservoirs and with the relation
of remote reservoirs, the part Of the
river they are designed to improve,
will know that they have no effect.
The Minneapolis influence has had its
weight in the matter of obtaining en-
dorsement of the useless dams, if not
compelling approval of the Ubiquitous
forest reserve scheme In northern
Minnesota.
The Mesaba Ore at Hibbing in
speaking OF Rev. G. III. Blake the new
M. e. divine who arrived here last
woak said the fOliowinU. aRav