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

dents address yesterday and one of
his sentences struck me very forcibly.
lie said: I'VE want to change the
hope Of accomplishment to the sknowl-
edge Of things done." If we are go
ing to do that we must have a clear
cut idea of what we are going to do
and of what We want Congress to do
$50 plain and clear that there is no
possibility of any man being so stupid
that he cannot understand 1t,
We have listened to these gentlemen
here today telling of the necessities of
the mining industries and Of the in1us-
tice brought about. by insufficient
laws. There is a most simple way to
! get all the things done that they have
Recommended, and more, too. The first
lis to- come to perfect understanding
with a business bureau of the govern
ment, If we can create such bureau,
and the way to do that is to pass the
bill consolidating the forest reserves
under the control of Clifford Pinchot.
(Applause.) And after you have done
that and he has consulted with the
lumberman and the miner and the far
mer and understands what they want,
then back him up and make your con-
gresham help to get 1t done.
A Case of Mastery Inactivity.
Let us look at the business end Of
that proposition. Other things be-
number of years the president of the
United States, the secretary of the in
terror and the commissioner of the
general land Office have been trying to
impress upon congress, without sue
cess, the necessity of repeating the
timber and stone act. l want to give
the exact facts. The president, in De-
cember, 1902, more than two years
ago, called the attention of congress in
the strongest possible language to the
necessity of doing something to stop
the frauds and depredations upon the
public domain under the timber and
OF
annual report more than two years
ago, ,,, :.
not repealed or radically amended, re-
suit ultimately in the complete de-
struction of the timber on the unap-
propriated and unreserved pubic
lands"
find these words in the report of
the senate committee on the public
lands, and the date is February ~,
ut can be plainly seen that all the
valuable timber lands of the United
States will be owned by spectators
within three years If the opportunity
to acquire them at $3.50 an acre is
continued"
now pretty close to February 10, 1905
and one year from that date the three
years will be exhausted and all the
timber land will be gone according TO
this official statement.
Has the bill been repealed? No!
Has the house of representatives
done anything to stop this shameful
waste of the public property under the
timber and stone act? Mol
They have done nothing whatever to
stop the abuses and frauds constantly
being committed under that act.
president Sees the Necessity.
Again the following year the presi'
dent in his message to congress made
substantially the same recommends
tions. They were reiterated by the
secretary of the interior. The senate
mended a bill to repeal the timber ant
stone act and the senate passed thu
bill in the last session OF congress. l,
went to the public lands committee o
Walker appeared before that commit.
tee and waved his magic wand ant
they gave two votes for the repeal o.
the bill out of eighteen members &, o
the committee. Two votes! And tn
bill is lying there in that COMMITTEES
yet.
In this session of congress withou
waiting for anything, or for anybod!
to do anything, they passed a resolu
ton in the public lands committee o
the house continuing this whole sub
feet over until the next session
congress.
convene at time within two month
of the expiration of the three year
within which the senate committe
told congress that all the timber Ian
would be gone unless they got action
In the two years that have exp eXpir r.,
since the president has called the al
tention of congress to that timber an
stone law there have been located undo
the timber and stone act over 5000 500,
600 acres of timber land, the create
mart of it the magnificent timber {
the northwest which, according to IN
report of the secretary of the interls
and the commissioner of the genera
land office, is worth anywhere frol
! $40 to 500 an acre for the mere vais
. of the stumpage to say nothing OF u
young timber or the land itself.
Four Million Dollar Loss.
In other words. as a result Of Il
delIberate delay OF the public iant
conSnittee of the house instead
havinr the &aIue OF the stumpage fro
that 8 e0o, 600 acres of timber In 4
nations1 treasury We have parted WI