The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-05
HEPBURN AFTER
LAND GRABBER
Chief Sinner Is Vice President
of National Forest Reserve
Association.
SOME SEVERE CRITICISM
NEWLANDS OF NEVADA DE-
FENDs ADMINISTRATION.


Washington. Feb. 4-Continuing his
speech today in the senate in criticism Of
the administration of the public land
laws. Senator Hepburn said there was no
necessity for and no likelihood that con
gress would loan the forestry bureau So
100000 "a. asked by the president.
Hc said the last report OF the bureau
showed $4,000 10 the credit Of this bu-
reau. land yet the proposition is 10 pawn
the forests by the government 10 the gov
eminent for $5.OO0O 900. These gentlemen
seem 20 treat these forests as their own
private enterprise
Home county's Hard Luck.
Mr. Hepburn said the government had
gone into his home county i'm Idaho and
taken 50 per cent Of the county as n for
est reserve, The county had previously
made public improvements. but these had
all been LOST to the county and acquired
by tie government
Senator Depew asked if the senator's
contention would destroy the whole sys-
tenn OF forest reserves.
The system Of forest reserves as now
operated responded Mr.. Hepburn. lis so
vicious that anything that would destroy
50 would be welcome
Mr. Depew asked il IL was not true that
combinations Of eastern capital had gone
into the west and grabbed up large tim
Der holdings.
The Largest Land Grabber.
THE largest land grabber is one Of the
vice presidents Of the National Forest Re
serve association of the United States
answered Mr.. Hepburn. He owns more
land. the title to which was illegally OBJ
tanned than any other man or all other
men in the United States. and ne is one
of the vice presidents Of the forestry as
ISOLATION. the president OF which is our
worthy secretary of agriculture.
1 read IN the paper yesterday that this
vice president of the forestry association
is going TO build in the neighboring coun-
tn huf I'm rrr1rf nnn 4 81.
mill Ia the world for the purpose of work
ing mp these vast areas OF timber that
have been wrOngfully obtained in the
state of Idaho
Smoot Asks Question.
Were not these lands occupied by the
vice president spoken OF before the re-
serves were created?' askd Mr.. Smoot
NO. number of them were acquired
while we sat here i'm the vain suppositon
that we We're heading off these land grab
beers, while in another branch Of the gov
eminent contracts We're being rushed
through with all speed that the ink might
be dry on them before we passed the act
which shut out the exchange of lands"
answered Mr.. Hepburn.
OF the greatest points for criticism said
Mr. Hepburn. was that two acres Of graz
ing land 10 one OF timber had been with
drawn as forest reserves.
The remedy. he said. was 10 take the
administration Of the public land laws
flom the interior department and put it IN
the hands Of special land court, provi-
sion for which he had made in a special
bill now pending.
Hale lnjects a Few Remarks.
When Mr.. Hepburn had concluded Mr..
Newlands secured the floor to address
himself to the same subject Before he
proceeded Mr.. Hale remarked that the
secretary OF the interior had been very
sharply censured ali through the debate
My impression about that official" ne
continued lis that he is capable and
honest public servant. and that whatever
mistakes he may have made do not ia any
way touch his integrity or his capacity
as an administrator. But over and above
all, the Jurisdiction which ne exercises is
the control of these matters by the Dresi-
dent. l want to ask the senators whether
president
Mr.. Hepburn said at once that he did
rot think either the secretary of the in
terror or the president was or could be
guilty OF doing wrong act. but that
they had been misinformed or were unin-
formed as To the facts and had thus been
led into doing the things which he mad
suggested We're harmful Answering a
further suggestion Of Mr.. Hale as To
whether ne had talked these matters over
with the president. Mr.. Hepburn said he
had discussed the forestry matters but
that he had TO intimatiOn that the presi-
dent contemplated preventing the issuance
OF patents to settlers on the public lands
until the message had come to congress
Newlands in Defense.
Mr.. Ncwlands defended the secretary of
The interior.
The secretary. he said. was patriotic and
a friend Of the west
Senator Newlands insisted that the pro-
per remedy was FOR amendments TO the
public land laws. and that western sena-
tors should meet the situation By getting
together on the terms OF a revision
Senator Carter remarked that the lurn-
her trust was the result of the administra-
ZION or the lieu land laws by the present
secretary OF the interior lie said that
railroads We're allowed 10 exchange large
holdings Of land i'm Arizona. from which
tney had cut the timber. for timbered
lands ~ the northwest. and IN this way
immense tracts had come under the own
ership of few persons
No action was taken on the Carter reso-
luton. on which the speeches were based