Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1905-06-03
FORESTRY BUREAU LOGIC.

of congress by confiscating the public
lands granted the state of Idaho on its
admission to the union, under the pre-
text of establishing ''forest reserves, -
the arguments advanced in support of
the revolution possesses the most unique
features.
Forest reserves were first estab-
lished ostensibly for the prevention of
fires This was accomplished by proc
lamation declaring the fires outlaw, re-
enforced by patrol of one man to 1000
square miles of territory. The absurd
ity Of this being pointed out, it is being
gradually abandoned as an argument
Another argument" which was also
found to be broken reed was the con-
servation of moisture with the object of
promoting the equable flow of water,
thus preventing freshets, drouths, etc.
Of course in regions such as north Idaho,
Washington and Oregon, where the pre-
cipitatiop is such that the very weather
boarding of the houses sports whiskers,
this convincing argument was received
with shout of derisive laughter by
the intelligent, so that position was
abandoned in favor of the appeal to
popular prejudice, it being gravely
pointed out by the apologists of the
policy that unless the general gov
eminent assumed control of the public
timber lands they would be gobbled up
by the large lumber syndicates, appar-
emily forgetful of, or cynically indiffer-
ent to the fact, that these forest re.
serves in the past were established in
the direct interest of the syndicates,
permitting them to exchange worthless
lands within those reserves for valuable
timber land elsewhere.
AS to whether the present admins
tration is acting in good faith toward
the people of Idaho or not, at this juno
ture in the forest reserve matter cuts
no figure. Although taken as criter-
ian, the administration of these so called
forest reserves justifies the belief that
they are still being created solely for, /
and in the interest of capital of what
ever breed, railroad, timber or mineral.
The discrimination lies in the prohibition
of entry of the homeseeker under any
guise whatever except for mineral. On
the other hand there is no restriction
imposed in the purchase of timber in
any quantity. There is no rule, regula-
ton, or law to prevent the acquisition
of all the matured timber on the ten
million acres recently withdrawn from
the reach of the poor man, by the
Wyerhouser syndicate or any other syn
dictate with sufficient money to purchase
it. Toquote Major Fem, "the amount
of timber that can be purchased on the
forest reserves is limited only to the
amount of timber on the reserve" That
being the case the question very natur-
ally suggests itself, why then express
such an overwhelming fear of the lum-
Der barons' evil Vaccinations outside
the reserves? Is it not fact that their
opportunities for "hogging' the timber
is much better and simpler within the
sacred precincts of those so-called re-
serves than they are out of them? Be-
sides they enjoy the additional advan-
tage of having their timber protected, |
if protection 1t is, by the forest ranger
paid by a paternal government. 1t is,
therefore, not very surprising that Mr..
Wyerhauser indorses the administra-
tion's policy in withdrawing the timber
so that he and his ilk cannot get at it
until they need it). All THAT Mr..