The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-11-10

The withdrawal of large tracts OF
the northern portions Of st. Louis.
Cook and Itasca counties, for forest
reserve purposes is scheme, pure and
simple, to rob the homeseeker Of land.
The withdrawal Of these vast acres
precludes the ultimate settlement of
the northern end of the counties men,
toned and retards the development OF
Minnesota the same as forest reserves
have retarded the development of
other prolific states.
Ithas been Stated by those interest
ed in the scheme that the lands are
unfit for cultivation, but those ac-
quainted with the proposed forest re-
serve territory claim that the greater
part of the land in question is arrable
and destined some day to furnish
homes for large numbers of settlers.
Should they be proclaimed forest re-
serve by the president, they would be
lost to the settler and taxpayer until
Congress by special act should right
the iwrong inflicted on the people and
again open them for settlement.
This overwhelming desire on the
part of some people for forest reserves
seems strange in view of the fact that
much more benefit would be derived
by the state and Union in the settle
ment of the lands. Minnesota al
readyrhas an enormous number of
acres. reserved -upan .lEAicll--no--.taxes
will ever be paid; upon which no roads
will be built and upon which no set
lers will locate. It is not a great
many years ago, an effort was made to
make forest reserve of the entire
northern portion of the state and had
this been allowed, St, Louis Lake,
Cook, Itasca, Beltrami, Cass and sew
eral other counties would have been a
wilderness today instead of the rich
est counties in the state.
In the territory to be reserved there
are many valuable tracts OF the best
agricultural lands. That all the
lands are not fit for farming goes
without saying. On the arrablc por-
tions, thousands of people could make
homes and they should be allowed to
do so. Canada is Offering every in
ducement to the settler while Mime
sofa is retarding settlement with its
continuous forest reserve twaddle.
Instead of advertising its vacant
lands, this state is paying salaries to
men who retard the development OF
one of the best states in the Union,
and use as pretext for the "knocks"
the,plea "tllat the rivers might dry
up If the reserves were not estab-
lished and that the timber will be-
come scarce" :.
What Minnesota needs is settlers
not trees. Our large number of lakes
will keep the state from becoming a
second Sahara, besides, The rainfall is
sufficient to furnish all the moisture
necessary fol the proper irrigation of
crops. There is some other motive
for the forest reserve efforts besides
the anxiety over the moisture and the
timber. Some times the suspicion
even steals over the casual thinker
that the reserve promoters may be in
league with other influences to have
prospective settlers keep moving to
our northern neighbours domain
where every fnducement is held forth
to get people to locate and where the
forest reserve bugaboo, is strangely
absent. The results Of the reserve
policy is becoming manifest more
strongly every day. Canada is secur-
ing the homeseekers while our state
is given the go-by. The land north
of us is not a whit better than our
own.
State Auditor Iverson short time
ago attempted to stem the tide north