The Mena weekly star., 1907-06-27
THE PURPOSE OF
 NATIONAL FORESTS
To Encourage the Growing and Presef' vation of Trees for the People Deprivation Only for Timber
 Grabbers.


 h,e information in relation to the meaning to the people of this sectioh of the National Forest Reserve, has' through a representative, inter viewed Dr. A. W. Wright of thls city, who through his assoclation with the work and the government agents is probably the best posted on the subject of any man m tnls part of Arkansas. Dr. Wrighe speaks with conviction based on a full knowledge of his subject. lie says that the movement IS belng nromoted and conducted by men oI the highest integrity whose efforts are guided by a thorough knowl- edge of the conditions that have been brought on by the timber grab bers and the protection that they know is absolutely necessary to save to the people of the country even a small remnant of what few wears ago were considered as ln- exhaustible forests. He says that the movement is not only a good thing, but it is the very best thing that could happen. Also that 1t would have been much better had It been done ten years ago when the geological survey of this region was made.
 How will it effect the develop ment of this immediate country?' was asked.
 ''It will not effect the agricultural lands. Practically all the lands that can be taken up for agricultural or pretended agricultural purposes have already been taken. Most of them have in reality been taken for the timber only and the timber has been sold off and the lands deserted.
 Wherever there is a reasonable amount of good agricultural land the government will extend the rights of homesteaders by leaps and bounds. In other words, when a 25 or 30 acre farm can be found in 5 or 10 acre pieces number of these pieces can be homesteaded, even though they are not joined or even near together.
 "All fallen timber can be had free of cost for fuel or other purposes by settlers on adjacent lands provided that it is secured without trespass- ing in such manner as to destroy young timber.
 Timber will be furnished free for all public buildings and structures, such as school houses, churches, bridges. etc,
 Any reasonable timber that is needed for the actual use of settlers and for the maintenance of their homesteads can be had free under direction of the forest reserve off, cers.
 In other words it is the policy of the government to protect the for ests for the USE of the actual settlers and the people and from DESTRUCTION by timber grabbers and the wealthy corporations whose great gains have come through plundering the peo- pie and the nation of their natural rights and wealth.
 Should the government at any tune see fit to sell any timber it will do so to the highest private bidder and it will be cut only under the closest supervision of the forest re- serve officials and in such manner as to preserve the young timber so that 1t may in few years replace that taken off. The revenue thus secured goes, 90 per cent to pay the cost of the forest reserve service and 10 per cent to the school fund of the county from which the tim Der is sold.
 "ltisp pointed out that the fires that apparently burn out little but the underbrush and leaves are in reality most harmful to the growth of tim Der. That in addition to doing great harm to the large standing timber by often burning trees sufficiently to sap their vitality and making them subject to attacks of borers and insects, they do not kill the young shoots and underbrush, but kill the tops, and for each one killed a number will shoot up, adding to the substance taken from the ground and detracting from the chance of any one being able to survive and really take the place of the older trees. Then again, the ground needs the protection and nolrisb- ment of the fallen and rotting foli- age which is destroyed by the fires.
 Tn this matter of fires the govern ment Is very strict. It will have its