Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-03-20
Law Segresalins All Forestry
Work Under Care Of One
Bureau In Agricultural De-
partmcnt Important.
Congress and Forestry
Repeal Of Forest Reserve Lieu
Selection Law a Great Step
Forward.

What has congress done this winter
in the forestry and irrigation cause?
Did II do anything of importance in
either. or on the public land question?
Nothing in any sense spectacular but
yet several things of very considerable
Importance, and furthermore il re.
fused to do several very bad things
which were strongly urged upon it,
After a long struggle of years the
law was passed consolidating all OF
the forestry work of tAe government
into one bureau in tbs department. OF
agriculture: this in place ot having 1t
spill, up among some five various
branches in different departments.
This gives over sixty million acres
Of forest reserve into the care of the
forestry bureau Of the department Of
agriculture with adequate authority
to fairly protect the forests, allow for
the cutting ana sale of ripe timber,
with power to arrest t%respassers, etc.
Supporting the Reclamation Service.
Several small bills desired by the
reclamation service to nor fully car
ry out the irrigation law were con
sidered and readily passed by con
gress. such as the bill to allow the
proceeds from the sales of the vast
amount of partly used supplies, al
the end Of each season, to go back
into the reclamation fund.- instead
of into the treasury, thus keeping the
fund intact and operating as an in
centive to the engineers to take care
of their property and realize the mos.
ont Of II.
The really great legislation of tht
session, however. was the repeal 0
the forest reserve lieu selection law
thus preventing the location in tn
future of all forest reserve serip,sc
: called. l. e., repeating the right OF
ildfl vi tbt Eol dAioh h'h- H'
within q forest reserve to relinquis.
ii to the government and select II
lieu thereof any other u%nreserve'
non-mineral public land,
First Long Step in Land Law Reform
This is a great step forward in Ian
law reform and does away with on
of the most notorious and seandalou
forms of fraud and graft under tn
federal land laws. Under this la
enormous losses have been put upo
the government, The right to selet
these lieu lands having been transfe
able and resulting in the r~elinquisl
ment during the past few years
several million acres of c~omparativel
worthless railroad.grant and othe
lands included within forest reserve
and the selection in their place {
equal areas of the finest timber land
in the northwest,
Outrageous Frauds Perpetrated.
Denuded slopes not worth fit
cents an acre, or bare mountain side
acquired under other land laws AT
nominal figure simply for the purpos
of exchange. have been r~elinquisht
and lieu selections made, worth, a
cording to the highest official and e
pert authorities, $50 and even 81
an acre. BY these transactions Il
country has lost in the last few yea
tens of millions of dollars. BY 4
action of congress this form Of era
Il now at an end.
The repeal of this lieu land law
the first recognition by congress
the wise recommendations of Il
president and his public lands COZ
mission and these will be for congre
TO act upon in its next session.
Square Mile Homestead Bills Defeat
Another point, however, where
congress followed the recommend
tions Of the commission was in i
refusal OF the senate TO enac 6
acre homestead laws for Colorado a
South Dakota. although the house
lis best 10 secure this square M