The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-04-02

BUREAU IS
ASSA|LED
Hot Attack Made
On the eAppropri-
alton Juggling Of
Books Charged

WASHINGTON. April After
having undergone many changes. the
paragraph of the agricultural appro-
priation bill relating to the bureau
of forestry was finally passed by the
house of representatives. Messrs.
Mondell of Wyoming and Smith of
California continued their attacks on
the bureau. and in this they were
supported by Messrs, Bonynge OF
Colorado and Cushman of Washing
ton.
These embraced charges that the
bureau had created timber monopO-
lies in favor of large corporations,
Illegally assumed jurisdiction over
water rights belonging to the western
states. and juggled with figures In
order to obtain large appropriations
from congress. The work of the bu-
reau was vigorously defended by
Messrs, Hepburn of Iowa and Scott
of Kansas.
Mr.. Bonynge of Colorado offered
an amendment providing that no part
of the appropriation shall be used
by either the secretary of agriculture
or the bureau of forestry in the en-
forcement of any regulation which
prohibits or attempts to prohibit the
citizens of the states wherein the ma
tional forests are located from appr0-
priating for beneficial uses the wa
ters of the national streams thereon
according to the laws of said states
and the statutes of the United States.
Mr.. Bonynge read from number
of authorities to show that the gov
ernment did not own the waters or
non-navigable streams. On the other
hand, he declared those waters were
I the property of the states, and the
government had no right to make
charge for them.
This contention was combatted by
Mr.. Scott, who said there was moth
ing profound or unusual in the prop
osition." Stripped of its legal
phraseology, the proposition of MIR.
Bonynge, he said. was to allow any
individual or corporation to use any
land of the United States to the ex-
clusion of any other individual or
corporation without money and with
out price. The present conduct of
the forestry service said Mr.. Scott,
lin requiring a reasonable fee to be
charged when a corporation carries
its works over land owned by the
United States, is only such conduct
as every private citizen exercises in
the management of his own busi-
ness"
Mr. Bonynge's amendment was de-
feated.
Mr. Mondell was by this time ready
with another attack on the forestry
bureau. He charged that in its ad-
ministration citizens were in many
instances denied right of way across
forest reserves.
The proposition is,' he said.
whether the states of Maryland,
Virginia, West Virginia, North Caro-
lima. South Carolina. and even the
great state of New York, are to be-
come federal provinces or remain a
part of the sovereign states, and
whether this forestry bureau shall
persist in denying the citizens the
rights granted by congress.
An amendment to meet this criti-
cism was lost.
Mr. Mondell next directed his at
tentioh to the committee on agricul-
ture, and said it had been in reck-
less state of mind when it allowed
to the forestry bureau 100000
more than had been estimated for.
He charged that. being a lump sum.
1t could be used for any purpose.
including advertising.
The statement was controverted
by Mr.. Scott. who read letter from
Continued on page two.)