The Washington herald., 1907-03-04
THE FORESTRY QUESTION.
Is Money Appropriated Merely to
Protect the Live stock Industry

Is Money Appropriated Merely TO
Protect the Live stock Industrys
Editor The Washington Herald:
The public have listened with great in
terest TO the discussions pro and con In
the United States Senate ON the forestry
question. \ question which President
Roosevelt has said, and the American
people agree with him. is in many ways
the most vital internal problem Of the
United States"
II appears now that not only the forest
reserves are to be controlled by the
Forestry Bureau, but the entire resources
Of our country Water privileges granted
to business men OF firms by the States
prior 10 the setting aside OF lands TOR
forest reserves, are annulled by the regu-
lati0ns of the Forestry Bureau, and the
industries OF the States are subject 10 the
regulations Of the Forestry Bureau, aud
must pay for water that is not in the re-
serves, but merely passes through 1t.
BY the statement in his annual report.
the chief Of the Bureau Of Forestry has
now absolute control, financially ard
every other way. OF $4,000 square miles
y
its embrace vast mining interests, lumber
ing interests with 127O55.O00 acres OF tim
Der land. grazing interests. irTigatng IN
terests, agricultural interests, and the
hundreds of hOmesteads OF settlers
To make 1t more comprehensive one OF
the Senators emphasized it by saying
within the last few years the Bureau
Of Forestry has withdrawn from the use
full service of the people an amount Of
land which would cover, acre for acre.
the whole Of New England, the state OF
New York, the magnificent Common
wealth of Pennsylvania, and the splendid
empire of Ohio"
IN addition to this, there is 10 be 400.-
000000 acres of grazing land withdrawn
from settlement 10 be placed under the
control Of the Forestry Bureau for graz
ing purposes.
Our Congress is asked to make an ap-
preparation of s2,500, 800 for the admins
tration of this bureau for the fiscal year.
another 100000 is expected TO be realized
from the resources OF the reserves all Of
this money is to be placed at the disposal
OF one man 70 be used by him absolutely
as he chooses.
The chief of the Forestry Bureau states
in his annual report that the use of the
reserves for grazing purposes is necessary
to maintain the permanency of the live
stock industry. Are we then to reach the
conclusion that this marvelously large
amount OF territory has been segregated,
and the great Appalachian and White
Mountain reserves contemplated, and the
sin more amazingly large amount OF
money appropriated from our government
and its people, for the purpose of pro-
tecting the live stock industry?
We are told that forest reserves were
for the purpose of perpetuating and pre-
serving the forests, and conserving the
water supply, which every American is
anxious TO have done, but how can this
be done by combining the live stock in
dustry and forest reserves 1t is an undis-
puted fact that timber cannot and does
not live where large herds of stock Craze,
The ground is so injured that the trees
die and the water is evapoTated. LOcaii-
ties both in the reserves and elsewhere
which have been used for grazing are
destitute Of either timber or grass
MARY J. c. WHEELER.