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 it 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 aiming.
| The income from the reserves is as
yet but a small fraction of what NAV
be expected as they approach full
! utilization. Yet their administration
| Is already on a sound business basis.
Not only are they meeting from their
receipts a 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 nv
100000 than the appropriation of last
year, Notwithstanding that the total
area of the reserves has been sub
stantially enlarged by executive ac-
ton; that increasing use neeessitates
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 in Taxes Offset.
BY the wise and just provision of
congress in enacting at its 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, a real grievance was re-
dressed. Even with the present use
of the reserves the benefits thus reaped
from them by the communities in their
neighborhood are of substantial inn
portance. AS time goes on the i'm
portancc of this provision Will in
crease, and eventually the counties
will find themselves far better off than
they would have been without The re-
serves. for private ownership followed
by exploitation would have DESTROYED
4
tie or nothing Of permanent taxable
value, whereas now every resource is,
conserved and Will 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 If they We're 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 1905, sea
son Of extreme dryness and one which
under ordinary circumstances the dam