Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-05
FIGHT ON FOREST SERVICE
Mondell, Smith and Cook Make
Attack on Its Administration.
MANN AND SCOTT IN DEFENSE
Charge that Principal Objections
Come from Men who Formerly
Got Timber and Pasture
Free.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4-The forest serv-
ice got its usual annual drubbing today, the
criticisms against it coming principally from
Mr.. Smith (Cal.), Mr.. Cook (Colo) and Mr..
Mondell Cwyo), all of whom charged ex-
travagance in administration and the ex-
tortion Of money from miners. farmers and
even the owners OF the beehives. Mr.. Cook
attributed to Mr. Pinchot, the chief forester,
the Interior motive of scheming for Secre-
tary Wilson's seat in the cabinet. Both
Mr.. Pinchot and the forest service were
vigorously defended by Mr.. Mann Qll.) and
Mr.. Weeks CMass.).
All attempts to amend the bill in any i'm
portant particular failed. Its consideration
was about two-thirds completed when the
house, at $50 p. m, adjourned
MOndeII Opens Fight.
The forest service today in connection
with the consideration of the agricultural
appropriation bill came in for further criu-
cism. Mr.. Mondell CWyo) charged that the
forestry bureau was administered with wan
ton extravaganza.
His statements were controverted by Mr.,
Scott, who said the Keep commission had
found that the forest service employees were
paid less than those of other departments.
Bitter denunciation was heaped on the serv-
ice by Mr.. Smith (Cal). 1t was, he said,
the greatest outrage that had been perpe-
trated upon any people.
'The effort of the forest bureau" he de-
clared, lis to grind every dollar it can get
out of the people of the west" There was,
he declared, no kind of an activity carried
on in any part Of the national forest that
the people were not compelled to yield
money, money. money" all the time to the
federal government. He charged that the
forest service had illegally extorted fees
from miners, stockmen, farmers and 9TH
ers. He spoke particularly of a case in
which fee of 10 cents each had been levied
on beehives. There was" he vehementy
asserted, neither sense nor justification
for filching these pennies from the pocket
of the poor bee man." Unless a halt was
called "in this grinding Of the people" he
said, a reaction would occur and the forest
system would be destroyed. If the forest
service, he said, would confine itself to its
proper functions 1t would rank as one of
the great institutions of the government
Cook Attacks PinchOt.
Mr.. Cook (Colo.) expressed his approval
of all Mr.. Smith had uttered, and said that
Mr.. Pinchots sole purpose was to get
Secretary Wilson's position in the cabinet"
Mr.. Weeks (Mass) defended the forest
service. He said the difficulty with Mr..
Pinchots critics was that their constitu-
ents in the past had been in the habit OF
going upon forest reservations and remov-
ing timber without paying anything for 1t,
and that was true Of raising herds on pub
lie grazing lands. He denied that anybody
had been fmilkedr
Declaring that he would not be under
stood as making a harsh statement. Mr.
Mann Qll) said that for many years IL
| had $50 become the custom to loot the
public domain that when the government
endeavored to come into its own it looks
like robber'' to the people of the west
Applause and exclamations of Hear
Heart" followed this utterance. He said
when he first came to the house the com.
! plant was that the forest service would
not be administered along business lines
| but that now the complaint was that here
| was too much of a business administration
| 1t was not necessary, Mr.. Mann declared
to defend Mr.. Pinchot against the assaults
which had been made upon him.
His work. he said, will stand for al
| time"
Both Messrs. Smith and MondeII declared
the people OF the west were not opposed tC
the forest service itself, but said their OBJ
jections were based on the policies of tha
| servtce