The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-19
WOULD PROVIDE
HOMES FOR THE
LANDLESS ONES
Agricultural Areas in Forest
Reserves Will Be Restored
to Public Domain.
HEPBURN'S SUGGESTION
MEETS WITH APPROVAL
IDAHO SENATOR PLACED FACTS
BEFORE SECRETARY WILSON
WITH HOPE OF RESULT.
Especial to The Heraid)

J Washington, April 1S.-lt IS the eX-
F pectatiOn of western senators and con-
: gressmen that areas Of agricultural
lands now embraced within forest re-
serves will ultimately be restored TO
the public domain. This expectation
grows out of the fact that Secretary
: Wilson has ordered the forest service
/ TO make an examination and classifica-
/ tion Of the various western reserves,
/ setting forth by maps and by descrip-
ton those areas. now reserved, which
are purely or largely agricultural lands
as distinguished from purely timber
lands.
/ This order was made at the sugges-
ton of Senator Hepburn of Idaho, who
/ urged Secretary Wilson to eliminate
from the reserves of Idaho al lands not
chiefly valuable for their timber The
secretary was not possessed of sufficient
data to enable him at this time to elimi-
nate agricultural lands i'm Idaho or
I other states but i'm informing the seua-
/ tor that he had called for a classifica-
/ ton Of lands in all reserves, he stated;
B 1t seems 10 me q fair proposition that
lands which would make good homes
/ for our people and have no timber upon
them, should be returned 10 the public
domain
Action Significant.
ne rfLlOl OF secretary w AtctM -
more significant than appears on its
/ face. During the Roosevelt admins
/ tration. Secretary Wilson had no say
/ whatever regarding forestry affairs.
Notwithstanding the forest service was
a bureau in the department Of agricul-
ture. 1t is true that many forestry
matters were handled over the sigma
ture of Secretary Wilson, but IL is a
matter Of fact that the letters signed
service, and his signature was affixed
merely in a perfUnetory manner. and
in order that the action taken might
literally be in conformity with the law.
for under the law certain things must
be done by the secretary of agriculture,
and not by any official Of the forest ser
vice.
Now. for the first time, Secretary
Wilson is giving orders TO the forest
service. He is superior to the chief for
| ester, as the law intended, and is exer-
I cising general supervision over the for
est service. just as he dominates all
other bureaus of the department Of ag-
Ticulture.
Believer in Forestry Policy.
President Taft and Secretary Wilson
are both earnest believers in the for
estry policy built up by the Roosevelt
I administration. but while they believe
in the principles Of forestry, and in the
main support the forest service. they
I both begin to realize that in the past
administration the forest service was
allowed to operate with too much free
I rein-in fact. was virtually unchecked.
/ President Roosevelt was as much an
/ enthusiast as Clifford PinchOt. and
I whatever PinchOt wanted. that ne got;
/ President Roosevelt saw To it that he
did.
4 As the situation is surveyed and as
western senators and representatives
; are consulted. the new administration
finds that there is much complaint
I about the manner i'm which the forest
/ service has been arbitrarily handling its
. vast system 81 reserves. and the more
these complaints are gone into. the
stronger the conviction that some re
straint should be placed upon the forest
service. That is why Secretary Wilson
has taken heed of the protest voiced by
. Senator Hepburn. but indOrsed by
many Of his western associates.
demonstrating in Reserves.
At the instance of the forest service.
] congress several years ago passed a
1 law permitting the bomesteading Of ag-
ricultural lands within forest reserves,
ana after this had been accomplished,
the service was very reluctant about
. eliminating from forest reserves any
agricultural areas that might be found
within their borders. It was pointed
out that under this law settlers could
. homestead agricultural lands within
the reserves just as well as if the agri-
cultural areas were eiimina ted. But 70
is the experience Of western men that
/ homesteads. under that law. are more
difficult 20 make taan homesteads on
the open public domain, and the figures
show that comparatively small areas
within reserves are being homesteaded
' Secretary Wilson. it is stated, is in
sympathy with western men who are
anxious to open up these agricultural
lands to settlement. and it is the hope
Of those who have appealed 10 him that
in time many eliminations viii be made
& especially Of large areas Of agricultural
lands which often occur along streams
traversins forest reserves.
+ II the records OF the forest service had