Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-12-17

EDITION
ment with the railroads and other own
crs. II So / recommend that II be
enacted.
WORKING CAPITAL FOR NATION
AL FORESTS.
The money value OF the national for
ests now reserved for the use and BEN
eft OF the people exceeds considerably
the sum OF one thousand millions OF
dollars.
The stumpage value OF the standing
timber approaches S70Q,000,000, and
together with the range and timber
lands. tho water for irrigation and
power, and the subsidiary values,
reaches an amount equal to that OF
the national property now under the
Immediate control OF the army and
navy together. But this vast domain
Is withheld from serving the nation as
freely and fully as II might by the
lack OF capital to develop It, Tho
yearly running expenses are sufficient
~ met by the annual appropriation
and the proceeds OF the forests. I'm
der the care OF the forest service the
latter are increasing at the rate OF
more than 100000 a year; tho esti.
mate Of an Appropriation for the pres
ent year Is less than for last year
and 1t Is confidently expected that by
1910 the forest service will be en-
tirely self-supporting. In the mean
time there is the most urgent need for
trails. fences, cabins for the rangers,
bridges, telephone lines, and the other
items Of equipment without which the
reserves cannot be handled TO adj
vantage, cannot be protected properly,
and cannot contribute as they should
t. the general welfare. Expenditures
for such permanent improvements are
properly chargeable TO capital ac-
count. The lack of reasonable work.
Ing equipment weakens the protection
OF the national forests and greatly linz
It's their production. This want can
not be supplied for the appropriation
for running expenses. The need. is
urgent Accordingly / recommend
that the secretary OF the treasury be
authorized to advance to the forest
service, upon the security OF the stand
ing timber, an amount say 100000.
sufficient to provide "a reasonable
working capital for the national for
ests, TO bear interest and to be repaid
In annual installment in the follow
Ing years.
TRANSFER OF THE NATIONAL
mt
The national parks OF the west are
forested and they lie without exception
within or adjacent TO national forest
reserves Two years ago the latter
were transferred TO the care of the
secretary of agriculture, with the most
satisfactory results. The same reasons
which led to this transfer make advis-
able similar transfer of the national
parks, now in charge of the secretary
Of the interior, and recommend legls-
lation TO that end
,>,n,, ,,n.
iNpi4AN LAND"'
Within or adjoining national forests
are considerable areas Of Indian lands
Of more value under forest than for
any purpose. II would aid greatly IN
putting these lands to their best use
II the power to create national forests
by proclamation was extended to cover
them. The Indians should be paid the
full avlue of any land thus taken for
such purposes, from the proceeds of the
lands themselves. but such land should
revert to the Indians n IL is excluded
from national forest use before full
payment has been made
oo,,r, ,
"oNEhNMENI CONIHOL Ot
GhaIiNd'
The control of grazing I'm the uat,onal
forests IS an assured success Tha ccn-
dition Of the range is ,mnrovtnrr ra,,-
idly. water Is beine developed. much
eed formerly wasted is now Nayed and
used. range controversies are settled.
opposition 10 the grazing fee Is prac-
ticaIy at an end, and the stockmen
are earnestly Supporting the forest re-
serve and cooperating with IL effective
ly for the Improvement of the range.
The situation on the open govern
ment range is striklngiy dilferers. Its
carrying capacity has probably been
reduced one-half by over-grazing and
is still falling Range controversies in
many places are active and bitter and
life and property are often in danger, |
The interests both of the livestock in |
dustry and OF the government ere need |
lessly impaired. The present situation
is indefensibe from any point OF view,