, 1907-02-05
MoNDELL'S CAUSTlC CRITICISM.

Congressman Mondell has been keen.
she people in the policy of forest re-
serve extension n loses no oppor-
tunity to stand up for what he believes
to be exact justice In this respect. On
January Goth the general question of
forest reserves was up for discussion
in the house, when Mr.. Mondell deliv-
cred the following brief but pointed
remarks:
Mr.. Mondell. Mr.. Chairman, before
we entirely leave the subject of forest
reserves l desire to submit a very few
further remarks. 1t is a very impor-
tant subject to the western country.
We have now in forest reserves an area
OF over three times the size of the
great state of New York. We have of
land reserved. with a view to estab-
fishing further reserves, an area near
ly as large as the state Of Indiana.
Several gentlemen have called atten-
ton of the large number Of people en-
ployed in the Prussian forest reserves.
They have not been able to give the
comparative areas. l would call atten-
ton to the fact that our forest reserves
and reserved forest land owe an area
larger thai the entire German empire.
Now. Mr.Chairman, l am not opposed
tothe policy of national forest reserves.
I ha1iaun that toliny int ,nnsiJoro
ton the arid condition Of our western
country, forest reserves are in the ma
ture of a necessary evil. No one can
deny that the forest reserve policy is
a policy of paternalism and centraliza-
ton. and a policy which should not be
extended in this nation further than
is absolutely necessary. In carrying
out this policy, l care not how intelli-
gent, how careful, or how patriotic the
men may be who are charged with
these responsible duties, there must
be and there will be the hardship and
irritation incident to pa~ternalism. We
can not get away from certain tenden-
cies under bureaucracy toward vexa,
tious and oppressive practices, but we
of the west object to having the re.
serves used as a means for largely in
creasins the cost OF the products of
the reserves to the people of that re |
gion. They should not have been and
were not established for the purpose of
swelling the surplus in the national
treasury. They should be administer
ed for the general good of the country.
The people of that region should have
the right, under fair n reasonable
regulations, and on fair and reason
able terms, to use whatever products
the reserves contain.
From the time of the landings at
Jamestown and Plymouth Rock down
10 the present day American citizens
have had the right to use the products
of the national domain, or did have Up
TO the time OF the establishment OF
these reserves, without let or him
drance. In the development of every
new region in the country the pioneer
has drawn upon the nationa, forests,
upon the grasses of the public lands.
without expense, to aid them in the
development of their regions, and un-
der this system We have grown and
prosperel nightly as Il people. A few
years 6 We ~naugurated a new policy
in regard to the forests of the west,
and l have no quarrel with that policy
if carried out in the spirit in which l
assume it was conceived, for the bene-
fit, not the oppression. of the people
n with due regard to the interests
and needs and rights of the people of
the region in which the reserves are
situated. The products should be sold
at a fair price, and further efforts
SHOULD be made in the administration
ot the reserves to make the products
Of those reserves IS easily obtainable