The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1909-03-24
Mr.. Pinehot And Tho Legislature

Good results should, and probably
will. follow Mr.. Pinchots address be
fore the Colorado Legislature last
Tuesday evening. for among the gen
eral public there Is little OF the I'M
tense bitterness and distrust of the
Forest Service that seems to actuate
its journalistic opponents in Denver
and its equally violent opponents. Ger
the latter former State Senator Elias
NJ. Ammons, made what purported 10
be a reply to Mr.. Pinchots address
but 1t was so devoid of reason and
argument and SO full of demagoguery
and silly charges of ''czarism" that
1t scarcely deserves the few minutes
which the Chief Forester devoted 70
his answer.
A large proportion of the area OF
this State, about one-fourth we be
ueve, Is now included in the National
Forests, and that territory is admin
istered under the laws and rules
governing the Forest Service. This
condition Is here to stay whether the
politicians and the selfseekers like
1t or not, and Mr.. Pinchot declared
natly that GIN no salutary policy adoI
ted and maintained by the Forest
Service will there be a single back
ward STEP"
He admitted that mistakes have
been made, as is inevitable in the
conduct of any great enterprise, es-
pecially one OF such great magnitude
and newness of organization as the
Forest Service. But he insists that
these either have been or will be
corrected wherever injustice has been
done, and In this connection makes a
further declaration which is of inter
est IN connection with the charges oil
"czarism' brought against him.
But remember two things: In
the first place, the forest service is
not responsible for the law as IL
exists or for the rulings of the de-
partment Of the interior. but it is
governed both by the law and by
these rulings. With both, in most
particulars, 1t Is In hearty accord, but
n either Is wrong, 1t isn't within the
authority of the forest service to cor
rect it. Secondly, during the last fis-
cal year, timber worth more than So
100000 standing on invalid mining
claims was saved to the people OF
the United States by the examination
Of mining claims. The forest SER
vice has no apologies to make for
having defeated the men who tried
to get this timber under color of the
mining laws. Where similar illegal
attempts are made in the future, 1t
proposes to defeat them II 1t can, in
every single instance. whether the
attempt Is to take the claim for tim
Der. for power. or for any other than
legitimate mining purposes. On the
other hand 1t will do its best to help
the legitimate prospectors and min
ers and to give them advantages and
protection which they do not enjoy
on lands outside the national forests.
The Chief Of the Forest Service is
bound by the laws governing his of
Ice. just as any other official is. No
trustworthy evidence has been pro-
duced to show that he has exceeded
their authority. 1t is perfectly natu-
raj for persons whose illegitimate in
terests conflict with those of the
Forest Service TO accuse him of be-
ing a car, but II he dealt with them
less gently his leniency certainly
would be at the expense of the pub
lie welfare. The milk in the cocanut
Is found in his statement that with
In the last fiscal year theforest of
ficials have prevented what was vir-
tually the attempted theft of timber
worth more than s6.OOO,00O standing
on so-called mining claims which
were proved invalid. When a man
Is defeated In an attempt to grab
valuable timber land under guise of
the mining laws 1t is not at all sur
prising to find him denouncing the
official who nipped his little scheme
IN the bud.