Semi-weekly herald., 1908-10-26
DEMOCRATIC MisREPREsENTA.
TiON.

In their efforts to attack the forestry
service the Denver Post and Demo
cratic speakers are resorting to all
sorts of lies to mislead the people
1t will be remembered that when Pres
ident Roosevelt issued the proclama
tions for forest reserves the Post and
other Democratic papers endorsed the
proposition and this was especially so
in La Plata county, and the Democratic
nominee for state senator, George
West, has repeatedly stated that it
was a wise move on the part of the
government For argHamsTeeEntt 1asTeEt fake Has pess The
done in some instances, but this will
be righted by the same party respon.
sible for the work. Mr.. Shafroth paint.
ed an entirely erroneous picture and
this the people of La Plata county
know. The forest reserves were Gre
ated solely for the benefit of the peo.
pie and the public and all wrongs will
be corrected.
The cry has been made that it is
necessary for prospector to have a
permit to go onto a forest reserve
for the purpose of seeking mining
claims. This is absurd and untrue.
No permit whatever is required of
the prospector and half the regula-
tions of the forestry service are for his
benefit. He has a right to go onto
the forest reserve, stake out his claim
and use the timber on it for develop
ment purposes. He does not even
have to consult forest officer.
1t is true that the forestry service
enforces the mining laws and this is
Just the manner in which the pros
pector and the legitimate mining man
is protected. There are continual ef-
forts to abuse the forestry regulations
by people desiring to start saloons
and summer resorts on the pretense of
taking up mining claims. 1t is in
stances Of this kind that have given
rise to the complaints from disgruntled
persons who wanted certain rights
that were denied other people. Wher.
ever the cry has gone up against the
wise regulations of both forests and
agricultural land by the government.
investigation reveals some sort of a
selfish interest behind the criticism.
The country has grown too rapidly
and settled up to fast to permit any.
thing like lax regulations. If the laws
were not rigidly enforced, saw mills
would soon strip every tree from the
forest reserves and illegitimate inter.
ests would override the rights of hon
est people of good intentions.
There are countless instances
where the government officials have
shut out certain individuals from the |
forest reserves. A recent case was
that of a man who wished to main. /
tain fish lake and reservoir under
pretense of stalking out placer claim.
Other efforts of this kind are con-
stantly being made 20 get control of !
lands without payment of any money
for them. People who have
been frustrated In such attempts nat
lrally criticise the government and
It's officials.
But the legitimate mining men and
he homesteader know the advantages
,f the present system and fully en-.
iorse the present government policy.
t is worth something to these men
o have their rights protected by the
and to have the advantage
# constant improvements In the re.
erves in the way Of good roads, tele.
hone service and other facilities not
ound outside of the reserves. The
asst appropriation made by the gov. I
for such permanent improve ]
lents In the reserves In the way of I
ood roads, ETC., was $500, 900 and this t
ioney has been expended to open up q
ne forests and make them accessible. b
The regulations Of the forest re-
srves and agricultural lands are not /
ct perfect, but they protect the in. \
|vidual with rood intentions against q