The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-18

est reserves unavOtdediy inclu~N tain valuable timber lands not owMsu ss,s by the government. Important among them are the land grants or vattous railroads For more than two years narotiations with the land grant raii- roads have been in progress looA.ns toward an arrangement py Whlen Whs sne forest on railroad lands within me hA. tional forest reserves may De sss. nt by the removal of the present erep VI timber under rules prescribed by the forest service, and It's perpetuation may he assured by the transfer or the ianu to the government without cost.
 The advantage of such an arrange ment to the government lies Tn the ac- auisition of lands whose protection Is necessary to the general welfare. The advantage to the railroads is found n the proposal to allow them to com solidate their holdings -of timber with. in forest reserves by exchange. after deeding their lands to the government and thus to cut within limited tinAa solid bodies of timber instead of iaiter- nate sections, although the amount Of timber in each case would be the same It is possible that legislation would be required to authorize this or similar arrangement with the railroads and other owners. If so, recommend that 1t be enacted. ~
 Working Capital tor Forests.
 70 ests committee reserved for the use and benefit Of the people excesds cor- siderably the sum of one thousand mil lions of dollars The stumpa8e valHe of the standing timber approaches sAy-. en hundred million dollars. and to- gether with the range and timber lands, the water for irrigation and power. and the subsidiary vasaes, reaches al1 amount equal to that of tho naticnal property now under me immediate c0n- .trol of the army and navy together.
 But this vast domain is withheld from serving the nation as fueeiy and as fully as 1t might by the lack or capital to develop it. The yearly run ming expenses are sufficiently met py the annual apprc priatfon and the pro eeeds of the forest, Under the, care of the forest service the latter are ln- creasing at the rate or more than half a million dollars year; the estimate of an appropriation for the present year is less than for last year and 1t is con- fidently expected that by 1910 the for est service will be entirely self sup porting.
 In the meantime there is the most urgent need for trail. fences, cabins for the rangers. bridges, telephone lines and the ether items of equipment with out which the reserves cannot be han dled to advantage and cannot be pro- 
 the Secretary of the Treasury be au- thori2ed to advance to the forest Ser vice. upon the security of the standing timber, an amount, say s5,000,000, suf- ficient to provide a reasonable working capital for the national forests, to bear interest and to be repaid in annual IIl- stallments beginning in ten years.
 Indian Lands,
 Within or adjoining national forests are considerable areas of Indian lands of more value under forest than for any other purpose. It would aid great Iy in putting these lands to their bast use If the power to create national for- ests by the proclamation were extend ed to cover them The Indians should be paid the full value of any land thus taken for such purpose from the pro- ceeds of the lands themselves, but such land should revert to the Indians if it Is excluded from national forest use before full payment has been made l
 The control of grazing in the na~ tional forests is an assured success. The condition of the range is improv- ing rapidly. water is being developed. much feed formerly wasted Is now saved and used, range controversies are settled, opposition to tho grazing fee Is practically at an end and the stock men are earnestly supporting the for est service and corporation with 1t effectively for the improvement Of the range.
 The situation on the open Govern ment range is striklngly different Its carrying capacity has probably been reduced one-haif by over grazing and i Is still falling Range controversies In many places are active and bitter, and life and property are often in dan ger. The interests, both of the live stock industry and of the Government are needlessly impaired. The present situation Is indefensible from any point of view, and 1t should be ended.
 recommend that a bill be enacted which will provide for Government con- trol of the public range through the Department of Agriculture, which alone is equipped for that work. Such a bill should insure to each locality rules for grazing, specially adapted to its needs, and should authorize the collection of a reasonable grazing fee. Above all, the rights of the settler and hcme- maker should be absolutely Suaran- teed.
 Much of the public land can only be used to advantage for grazing when fenced Much fencing has been done for the reason, and also to prevent other stock owners from using land to which they have an equal right under the law. Reasonable fencing which promotes the use of the range, and yet lnterferes neither with settlement nor with other range rights, would be thor oughly desirable if it were legal, yet the law forbids it and the law must be enforced. will see to it that the illegal fences are removed unless Con gress at the present session takes steps to legalize proper fencing by Government control of the range.
 Theodore Roosevelt.
 Thn White EJoueA TAe IT 1908