The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-03

The lOng-standing an! formerly BIT
ter differences between tae s:,clsMen
and the forest officers a"e nearly all
settled. Those which remain are in
process of settlement. Hearty COOPER
alton exists almost everywhere be-
tween the officers Of the Forest Ser
vice and the local associations OF
stockmen, who are appointing advisory
committees which are Systematically
consulted by the Forest Serbia on all
questions in which they are CONCERN
ed. This most satisfa tory condition
Of mutual help will We AZ welcome 10
you as 1t is to the Administration AMI
to the stockmen. To the stockmen 1t
means more, and more certain, grass;
to you, because of the better prOtec-
ton and wiser use Of the range, 1t
means steadier stream flow and more
water
The sales of forest reserve timber
to settlers, miners, lumbermen, and
other users, are increasing very rap
idly, and In that way also the reserves
are successfully meeting a growing
need.
Lands In the forest reserves that
for forest purposes are being opened
to settlement and entry as fast as their
agricultural character can be ascel-
tanned. There is therefore no longer
excuse for saying the reserves retaru
the legitimate settlement and devel-
opment of the country. On the con-
trary, they promote and sustain that
development, and they will do so in
no way more powerfully than through
their direct contributions to the
schools and roads. Ten per cent of all
the money received from the forest
reserves goes to the States for the use
of the counties in which the reserves
lie, to be used for schools and roads.
The amount of this contribution is
nearly $4,000 for the first year. 1t
will grow steadily larger. and will
form certain and permenent source
of income. which would not have been
the case with the taxes whose place is
taken. -.
Finally, body of intelligent, prac-
tical, well-trained men. citizens Of the
West, is being built up by men in
whose hands the public interests, in
GLIDING your own, are and will be
safe.
All these results are good but they
have not been achieved by the Forest
Service alone. On the contrary, they
represent also the needs and sugges-
tons of the people of the whole West.
They embody constant changes and
adjustments to meet these suggestions
and needs. The forest policy of the
government in the West has now be-
come what the West desired it to be.
1t is National policy-wider than the
boundaries of any state, and larger
than the interests of any single in
dustry. OF course It cannot give any
set of men exactly what they would
choose. Undoubtedly the irrigator
would often like to have less stock on
his watersheds, while the stockman
wants more. The lumberman would
like to cut more timber, the settler
and the miner would often like to have
him cut less. The county authorities
want to see more money coming in
for schools and roads while the lun-
herman and stockman object to the
rise In value of timber and grass. But
the interests of the people as whole
are, repeat, safe in the hands of the
Forest Service.
By keeping the public forests in the
public hands our forest policy sub
stitutes the good of tn ewhole people
for the profits of the privileged few.
With that. result none will quarrel
except the men who are losing the
chance of personal profit at the public
expense.
Our western forest policy is based
upon meeting the wishes of the best
public sentiment Of the whole West.
It proposes to create new reserves
wherever forest lands still vacant are
found in the public domain and to give
the reserves already made the highest
possible usefulness to all the people.
So far our promises to the people in
regard to it have all been made good;
and I have faith that this policy will
be carried to successful completion,
because believe that the people of the
West are behind 1t.
Sincerely yours
Theodore Roosevelt.