The Glenwood post., 1909-02-13
Notice Of Discontinuance
Saturday. February Is. 1909.
PNIcHoT FOREST POLICY
FINDS NEW DEFENDER

In a letter written by Fort Collins
man over the signature "W- B. ST.
and which appeared in the columns OF
the Denver Republican, on Tuesday
morning, the forest policy of Mr.. Pin
chot finds another strong defender. The
writer lays no claim to being a friend
of President Roosevelt, but he does be-
heve the policy of conserving the for
ests is a good one, and should BIO fol
lowed for the future In speaking OF
the kickers he brands them as being
purely selfish. We do not believe this
true in all cases, but it does apply to
a great many, and facts disclosed in the
presents legislature prove the claim.
In speaking of discussions on the
question of the forest system, the writer
said
"In nearly all these discussions the
chief fact is lost sight of. The forests
growing upon government land do not
belong to any individual or state or
county. No one has any natural or
inalienable rights upon this property.
The federal government is responsible
to the people for its care. Congress
may sell any or all Of it but except in
accordance with statute Law, NO one has
any more proprietary interest in these
forests than he has in his neighbor .
dooryard. 1t is only by sufferance that
any cattle or other domestic animals
state-owned forests, not hoof is ever
allowed.
1t is to be admitted that up to q
year ago all that Uncle Sam owned
was fair play to all comers, without let
or hindrance. The cattlemen overstock-
ed the range and wrought utter ruin
and devastation. The tiechoPper and
portable sawmin followed nearly always
by fire, no one to say them nay. Oil
lands and coal lands were homesteaded.
But this regime has gone never to re-
turn. Uncle Sam no longer journeys
from Jerusalem to Jericho, along the old
route, anyhow. Cattle are not barred
from the preserves, but overstocking
is prevented. Fires have almost ceased.
The only trouble is now that restriction
is irksome to those who have for 10
many years used what was another s,
as if it were their own, or rather as
they would not use it if it were theirs.
This is the real bone OF contention.
The frenzy into which no many have
been thrown cannot have, as its excit,
ing cause, the nominal charges e1acted,
If this is not correct then the hoggish-
ness of the cattlemen, for instance, is
beyond all description.
The charge of ranging the cattle on
the reserves is usually 20 cents per head
per annum. AS 90 acres are requisite,
ordinarily for each head, the rental
charge is l cent per year per acre. The
land on which each man ranges his
cattle is allotted to him outright and
he can enforce his claim to its use as
against any other. He could not af
ford to take this land az gift, for hs
could not maintain his fences about it,
for the amount of his grazing fee, to
say nothing of taxes. If he bought
outright, he would pay at least $3.50
per acre, or $50 for 90 acreA Interest
on this at only per cent would be 81
or ten times what he is asked to pay
by the forest service. And he would
have to maintain fences and pay taxes
besides. The case of the cattlemen is
typical.
Too much emphasis cannot be laid on
the fact that the sole aim Of the forest
service is to prevent destruction. The
prospector, the miner, the honest eader,
the lumberman, have on the whole no
really valid or serious cause for com
plant. Of recent years have never
heard from anyone q "kiek" that
would bear the slightest examination.
Ninety-nine per cent. at least Of The
complaints are found to be merely the
squeals that are emitted by people whose
big or little graft has been interfered
with who have used and abused the na-
tion $ property so long that they would
have us believe that they have acquired
some sort of title to it, or some vested
right in it.
To be sure, the old wanton dostruc-
tion and swinish disregard Of every
thing but selfish interest have been in
terfered with. Theft il NO longer Oh
a wholesale basis, but rather the retail
and may eventually cease altogether.
But this 10 not an evil to tho nation