The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-12-26

with the cheap stumpage prices of
| private owners anxious for ready
money, and 1t will not be disposed of
under a shortsighted policy of utili-
zation which would leave a gap be-
tween the end of the present supply
and the oncoming of the second crop:
but 1t is and will continue to be avail
able, first for the small user--home-
builder, rancher or miner-and then
| for the needs of lumber concerns.
large miners and railroads for which
a timber supply is Indispensable, and
which in turn are Indispensable to the
prosperity of the west.
Reserves Soon SeIf-sustaining.
4 The income from the reserves is as
yet but small fraction of what may
be expected as they approach full
utilization. Yet their administration
Is already on sound business basis.
Not only are they meeting from their
receipts very large part of the cost
| of their maintenance; they are even
now beginning to show "a decided de-
crease in net expense to the govern
ment. MY estimate of the appropria-
|
pense of the forest service is less by
100000 than the appropriation of last
year, Notwithstanding that the total
area of the reserves has been SUBJ
stantially enlarged by executive ac-
ton; that increasing use nccessitates
greater expense of administration, and
| that in general the work of the serv-
| ice is growing very rapidly. Though
! the administration of the reserves
| forms but a part of the field of work
| it may confidently he expected that
within five years from the transfer of
the reserves to this department the
forest service will cost the taxpayer
nothing whatever.
Loss I'm Taxes Offset.
BY the wise and Just provision of
congress in enacting at it's last session
that 10 per cent of the gross receipts
from the national reserves shall be
made over to the several states in
which they are situated. for the bene-
fit of the counties which would other
wise receive no revenue from a part
of their area, real grievance was re-
dressed. Even with the present use
of the reserves the benefits thus reaped
neighborhood are of substantial i'm
portance. AS time goes on the i'm
portance of this provision will in
crease, and eventually the counties
will find Themselves far better off than
they would have been without he re-
serves, for private ownership followed !
by exploitation would have destroyed
the sources of revenue by leaving lit
tie or nothing Of permanent taxable |
value. whereas now every resource is !
conserved and viii he made % pay its
just share of income. Since the funda- |
mental purpose for which reserves ex-
list is to secure the best permanent use
of all resources. their effect is to add |
to property value. and by turning over
10 per cent of their gross receipts to
local use they will contribute far more
to the local public needs than the taxes |
they would pay il they were private
property
Protection From Fire.
Protection of the reserves from fire |
has been the most important task aid
upon the forest service 1t is cause
for congratulation that the loss by
fire during the year was so slight. In
deed. the saving which resulted from
the organized care of the reserve force
was undoubtedly worth more than the
whole cost of administering the re-
serves. Only about eight fires of any
consequence occurred on the reserves
during the calendar year 1909, a sea-
son of extreme dryness and one which
under ordinary circumstances the dam
age from fires should have been un-
usually large. This small number was
due in large part to the system of pa
troll, which leads to the discovery of
fires before much damage has been
done. So far during the calendar
year 1906 the damage from fire has
been extremely small, even in COM
parlson with that in 1905. Increased
efficiency Of the patrol system, com
bined with favorable climatic condi-
tions, has led to the favorable result.
Lt.,r Ocaa1 Go.innG1y Ill