Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-17

recommend that the Secretary of the Treas
ury be authorized to advance to the forest
service, upon the security OF the standing
timber. an amount. say, $5.0O0.0o0. sufficient
to provide a reasonable working capital for
the national forests. to bear interest and to
be repaid In annual instruments beginning
I'm ten years.
Transfer Of the National Parks.
The national parks of the west are forest
ed and they lie without exception within or
adjacent to national forest reserves. Two
years ago the latter were transferred 30 the
care of the Secretary of Agriculture with
the most satisfactory results. The same
reasons which led to this transfer make ad-
visa BILE a similar transfer Of the national
parks now in charge of the Secretary Of
the Interior, and l recommend legislation
to that end.
Indian Lands.
Within or adjoining national forests are
considerable areas Of Indian lands of more
value under forest than for any other pur-
pose. 1t would aid greatly in putting these
lands to their best use II the power to ere
ate national forests by proclamation were
extended to cover them. The Indians
should be paid the fun value OF any land
thus taken for public purposes from the
proceeds of the lands themselves, but such
land should revert to the Indians If 1t is
excluded from national forest use before
full payment has been made.
Government Control Of Grazing.
The control of grazing in the national
forests is an assured success The condi-
ton of the range is improving rapidly.
water is being developed. much feed for
merly wasted is now saved and used, range
controversies are settled opposition to the
grazing fee is practically at an end. and
the stockmen are earnestly supporting the
forest service and cooperating with it eff
fectively for the Improvement of the range
The situation on the open government
range is strikingly different Its carrying
capacity has probably been reduced one
half by over grazing and is still falling.
Range controversies in many places are ac-
tive and bitter. and life and property are
often in danger. The interests both of the
live stock industry and of the government
are needleSsly impaired. The present sit
uation is indefensible from any point of
view and it should be ended.
l recommend that a bill be enacted which
will provide for government control of the
public range through the Department of
Agriculture. which alone is equipped for
that work. Such bill should insure to each
locality rules for grazing specially adapted
to it's needs and should authorize the col
lection of a reasonable grazing fee. Above
all, the rights of the settler and home
maker should be absolutely guaranteed.
Much of the public land can only be used
to advantage for grazing when fenced.
Much fencing has been done for that reason
and also to prevent other stock owners
from using land to which they have an
equal right under the law. Reasonable
fencing which promotes the use of the
range and yet interferes neither with settle
ment nor with other range rights would
be thoroughly desirable if it were legal.
Yet the law forbids it. and the law must
and will be enforced: l will see to 1t that
the illegal fences are removed unless Con-
gress at the present session takes steps
to legalize proper fencing by government
control of the range.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House. December is, 1906.