The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-04-04
CONTEST ON
FOREST. ITEMS
AMENDMENTS OF WESTERN MEM.
eERs VOTED DOWN eY
EASTERN MEN.
SERVICE IS ATTACKED
CRITICIZED BY CALIFORNIA, COLO.
RADIO, WYOMING AND WASH
lNGToN coNGREssMEN.

shinston.-Western members re.
,ewed their fight in the House Tues
lay against the forestry service items
n the agricultural appropriation bill
charging the administrative scope and
authority of forest offcials but with
out the success which marked Mon
laws efforts.
! Friends of the service from Eastern
and Southern states were on hand and
roted down practically all propositions
idvanced by the Western opponents OF
he service.
Messrs. Mondell OF Wyoming and
smith Of California continued their at
acks on the bureau and in this they
we're supported by Messrs. Bonynge of
Colorado and Cushman of Washington.
These embraced charges that the
bureau had created timber monopolies
Il favor Of large corporations, illegally
assumed jurisdiction over water rights
belonging to the Western states. and
iuegled with figures in order to OBJ
ain large appropriations from Con
sress.
Mr.. Bonynge offered an amendment
providing that no part of the money
appropriated for the forest service
should be used in the efforts of the de-
partment to secure control of waters
| If natural streams in reserves. Mr..
8onynge contended that the natural
waters in reserves should remain I'M
Ter control of the states in which they
are situated.
/ MI Bonynse read from a number OF
authorities to show that the govern
nent did not own the waters OF non
,avieable streams. On the other hand.
le declared those waters were the
property of the states. and the govern
nent had no right to make a charge
or them.
This contention was combatted by
Nr. Scott, who said there was nothing
profound or unusual in the PROPOSE
Jon Stripped of IFS legal phraSeol-
,gy. the proposition of Mr.. Bonynge, he
said, was to allow any individual or
corporation to use any land of the
United States to the exclusion of any
other individual or corporation, with
out money and without price.
THE present conduct of the for
,stry service" said Mr.. Scott. lin re-
luiring a reasonable fee to be charged
when a corporation carries its works
over land owned by the United States
S only such conduct as every private
.itiZen exercises in the management of
ais own business
Mr. Bonynse's amendment was de,
eated
Mr. Mondell was by this time ready
With another attack on the forestry bu-
eau. He charged that in its admins
ration citizens were in man, instances
3enied right Of way across forest re-
terves.
THE proposition is. said he,
whether the states of Maryland, Nir-
sinia, West Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina and even the great
Itate of New York. are to become fed
sral provinces or remain part of the
sovereign states, and whether this for
sstry bureau shall persist in denying
he citizens the rights granted by Con
SreSs."
| He offered an amendment providing
hat no part of the appropriation
should be used in such manner as to
deprive citizens of rights of way for
irrigation canals across reserves. He
called attention to the fact that the
! ,orestry bureau was forcing a large
aumber OF citizens to accept revocable
permits for rights Of way, when they
we're entitled under the law to per
nanent easements.
| Mr.. Mondell also offered amend
nents cutting off 100000 from the gen.
sral forestry appropriation and $500.
/ 100 for permanent improvements and
general administration but these. as
veil as other amendments offered, were
aot adopted.
+ Mr.. Mondell said the committee on
agriculture had been in a reckless state
u mind when it allowed to the forestry
bureau 100000 more than had been
estimated for. He charged that, being
1 lump sum, it would be used for any
purpose Including advertising"
MIR. Hepburn. with much fervor criti-
:ised wha: he said were "the chrp-
ngs" against economy AS to the for
.st service. he charged that the prin-
:ipal opposition had come from the
committee on public lands, of which
Hr. Mondell was the head. Twelve of
is members. he said. were from the
public land states, but he questioned
heir right to control the public domain
" the United States.
Mr.. CushmEn (Washington) made a
rigorous reply to Mr.. Hepburn. He held
Up map showing that the states in
rolved were all located in the far West,
md said:
| II think the gentleman would .,ot
ook with much complaisance on the
'orest service If that service would go
INTO his state and take twelve or fif-
zen counties out Of the middle OF Iowa
Ind build a federal fence around it,