The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1907-03-08
.hOTlON WIS
NOT WISE
Wholesale Creation Of
Forest Reserves
STOPS GROWTH OF COUNTRY
Have Been Most Prolific Cause
OF Ihi6V8rU
STOPS GROWTH OF COUNTRY

The Oregonian takes this deserved
whack at President Rooseyelt's whole
sale creation Of forest reserves:
I The most enthusiastic supporter Of the
/ presidents forest reserve policy will
I hardly approve of the wholesale with
drawal from settlement at this time Of
more than 100000 acres Of land in
Oregon and Washington. The original
/ purpose Of the forest reserve was TO
hold and protect substantial areas of
heavily timbered land for the retention
Of moisture at the head of our large
streams. The forest reserve was also
invoked for withdrawal from settlement
Of large tracts OF very mountainous and
scenically beautiful land without great
value for agricultural purposes. Public
land was plentiful when the forest re-
serve idea was first put into effect, and
the ease with which legitimate forest
reserves were created awakened the Gu
pidity OF land thieves Of both high and
low degree
The immense grants Of the transcon-
tinental railroads embraced considerable
areas of land which were practically
worthless for anything but forest re-
serves. In due season the men in
charge OF these grants discovered that
it was comparatively easy matter to
have the limits OF forest reserves ex-
tended to take in this worthless land.
In effect this amounted to confscation
of private property of the railroads. and
as this of course was wrong, the govern
ment remunerated the roads By offering
them the choice Of other lands TO the
amount OF the same area in lieu of that
confscated. This lieu-land act was the
most powerful weapon that could have
been placed in the hands of the land
thieves. 1t led to creation OF forest re-
serves for no other purpose than to fur
nish base from which lieu-land scrip
could be secured. But land thievery
OF this nature has been pretty well
and the heavy Withdrawals
made this week by the president were
all OF lands which were not affected BY
the lieu-land laws
The injustice OF the proceeding lies in
the fact that. scattered throughout Ore
gon, Washington and Idaho, are thou
sands OF honest settlers who. failing to
find homes TO suit them in the surveyed
have entered these lands now
embraced in this sweeping forest reserve
withdrawal and have hewn out homes
in anticipation of the opening OF the
country and recognition OF their squat
ter's rights Withdrawal Of such an i'm
mense area at this time will not only
work a hardship on these settlers, who
are entitled TO consideration, but it will
also retard immigration to this country.
There is, OF course. considerable good
and vet available for settlement. but
much OF It IS of a pOore rcharacter than
hat included in these latest Withdrawals.
The rich Colyille country is an exam
)le OF the development-st sitting effect Of
his policy. The new reserve will take
learly 100000 acres from the Colville
indian reservation, and the hundreds OF
,Oor settlers who have been camping
or years on the borders OF this rich
egion awaiting its opening for settle
nent will be compelled to move on and
axe something OF an inferior grade
Oregon and Washington have suffered
much through the land frauds, though it
S perhaps the iniquities OF some of our
wn people that has brought on US the
unishmeut now being administered It
Gems strange, however, that the vast
inber regions Of the south and south
rest are immune from this forest
eSeTve mania.
With their public domain still open for
ettlement while so much OF ours is
losed the other states and territories
ill profit BY the influx of settlers who
re barred from the Pacific Northwest
'osterity may rise up and bless the
resent administration for stunting our
eyelopment now in order that 1t may
ave an opportunity to expand later,
1t the policy is working all injustice on
large number Of legitimate home
.ekers, on whom the gates nave been
osed.