Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1906-02-16
SCENE IN MINNESOTA.

" blu rnc. |
of $4,000 a day-$2,000,O00 month
$25,O00,0O year, and it is much more
than that-will go right along and
continue until all the timber land OF
the government has been stolen. That
will be a little over a year, according
to the report of the senate public
lands committee And after the land
Is all gone-after the horse has been
stolen--the house public lands COM
mittee will awaken from its Rip Van
Wrinkle slumbers and close the stable
door with a bang.
Some Things to Do.
Before l close l wish to specify
some definite and specific things which
should be done:
First-Repeal the timber and stone
act.
Second--Pass the consolidation bill
| putting the government forests under
the management of the bureau of for
estry.
Third-Provide by national legisla-
ton that every acre of agricultural
land that can be reclaimed under the
NATIONAL irrigation system must be
saved for the homemaker who will go
there and make home upon 1t.
In that way you can break up the
timber combinations, and in that way
only; because the land thieves of
North Dakota. under the communication
clause; the land thieves of Montana,
under the desert land act; the land
in-well, perhaps l might be permitted
to mention oregon Qaughter) are
working together You will have to
explode some of those Japanese shells
among them to break UP the combi-
| nation.
To show you why we cannot depend
upon congressman from the timber
states of the west to correct this enor-
nous evil a year ago both oregon
senator's and both representatives
from Oregon were bitterly opposed to
Iany change in the land laws. Repre-
sentatives Hermann and Williamson
protested against any change Mr..
Hermann was before the committee.
At that exact moment the Oregon
grand jury was in session in the city
by lot from all over the state, and that
grand jury urged the repeal of all
those laws-the timber and stone act,
the desert land act and the commuta-
ton clause--and sent a memorial to
the public lands committee to that eff
feet. Now the grand jury has had
some business with Mr.. Hermann since
that time daughter and applause)
In all those western states the state
has the power to form districts for
local public improvements, such as ir-
rigation districts, sanitary districts,
drainage districts or levee districts,
is the right policy that the national
government should assume the burden
of protecting from fire forests now
owned by men who have gotten them
their value. The state and nation
should cooperate to form forestry
, districts and have assessments levied
on all private lands in the district, and
every acre should contribute it's pro-
portion to the cost OF preserving 1T
from fire, (Applause.)
There is one more thing that ! was
: going to urge as a mere matter of per-
| In m SupGeS-
: tion 1 do not speak for California or
for the National Irrigation Associa-
tion,. but for myself alone. have
been all my life a republican ana rh IN
? lican doctrine of tariff for protection
: in many political campaigns in my ma
I tive state of California from the Or
egon line to Mexico; but because l be-
lieve in preserving our industries and
! not in destroying them believe that
I in order to preserve the forest indus.
tries of this nation we should repeal
. every tariff law imposing tarln upon
timber or wood or wood pulp, at any
: rate for limited number of years and
until we shall have planted forests
:. enough to harvest annually from ouI
I own forests all the wood and timber
. we may use in any one year.
There are number of other things
:, that 1 have in my mind to suggest
q that ought to be done;
$ Pass the Appalachian Bill.
g One is to pass the Appalachian for.
u estry bill, which is ready to be passed
a Another is to stop now and for al
= time all exchange of lands in fores
a | reserves for other lands. If the gov
~ eminent needs any such land let 1t blu!
them and pay for them their fair valu'
:, and no more. All lieu land scril
" should be called in and cancelled ant
u no more ever issued under any circum
&c stances. The forest lieu land ex
:, change law should be repealed
!. The bill providing for the consolida
~ ton of the government forestry inter
,e ests is ready to be passed by tn
ie senate and should be passed in thi
session of congress. 1t has alread,
passed the house; and If this session
OF congress adjourns without the bill
re being passed by the house which ha
is passed the senate, repeating the tim
Of Der and stone act, every member o
m the public lands committee ought to b
ne held up to popular obloquy an
h whipped atst the carts tail with las