The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-02-27
REJECTS PROPOSED INCREASE
IN APPROPRIATION FOR DE.
PARTMENT WORK.
CARTER AMENDMENT AXED.
Montana Senator's Proposal to Re-
duce Amount of Bureaus Allotment
Is Laid Upon the able-Senator
Teller Of Colorado Pays His Re-
spects to Clifford Pinchot.

Washington. Feb. 26.-After an en-
tire day devoted to discussing the
forestry provision of the agricultural
bill the senate tonight passed the
measure. The senate rejected the in
crease of 100000 in the appropriation
for the forestry service as recon-
mended by the committee, and then
curious parliamentary situation
arose. Mr.. Hepburn had offered an
amendment directing the secretary of
agriculture to eliminate from all for
est reserves the public lands not tim
bered and to restore such public lands
to location and purchase under the
land laws of the United States and
the amendment had been accepted by
Senator Warren, in charge of the bill.
When the amendment was laid be-
fore the senate Mr.. Flint of Califor-
mia made point of order against it,
which was sustained by the vice pres
ident.
IF / had known that the amend
ment would be voted on, I would have
never concurred to the unanimous
consent agreement" declared Mr.
Hepburn.
The vice president then put the
question to the senate, which declared
the amendment out of order.
Laid on Table.
Senator Carter's amendment to re-
duce the forestry appropriation from
1886, 900, as passed by the house, to
SO, 100, ,000 was laid on the table by a
vote Of 80 to 26.
During the discussion of the bill
Senator Teller called attention to the
denunciations made against men who
had cut timber on the public lands in
mining districts. He declared that the
timber had been cut legally and had
yielded the government in minerals
many times the value of the timber.
He said he had drafted and procured
the passage of the act of 1878. which
allowed the people of the west to do
what they had been doing without
any law in the cutting of timber on
public lands for mining camps.
Not Robbers.
'The men who swept these hills bare
of timber" he said, were not public
robbers, but they acted in accordance
with statutes and they returned to
the government much more than the
timber was worth. There has been no
wilful destruction OF timber in Colo
RADIO. The people of the state are
more interested in the conservation of
their timber than any people outside
of the state could possibly be-
Condemning the forestry bureau
system, Mr.. Teller said if Pinchots S
plan had been applied to Colorado
during the days of its development
that state would still be the home of
the coyote. the panther and the bear.
The system, he said, was destroying
the prospects for settlement in the
future.
failure in Colorado The farmers
raise more timber in that state than
is raised by the forest bureau.
II would rather" he declared, have
an American home and an American
family than to have a forest as big
as all out of doors. l do not believe
there is a moral and any other claim
upon me to postpone the use of what
nature has given me-
Far From Correct.
Mr.. Teller insisted that the predic-
lions concerning exhaustion OF the
coal supply are very far from correct.
Colorado alone, he said, could supply
the world with coal for $50 or 200
years
Mr. Smoot defended the service, de-
claring the cost of all lectures before
various societies last year had been
)nly $5,022. The lectures he regarded
as entirely justified.
Every time" he said, information
s given about lengthening the life of
l railroad tie the American people
are benefited"
Mr.. Smoot took up the cases cited
n the senate to show injustice TO set
.lers who had disposed Of their land
within the forest reserves, and in so
lOing became involved in a contro-
yersy with Senators Clark, Carter and
,thers.
Mr.. Smoot said the forestry service
lad saved $4,000, 900 worth of timber
through its fire protection system.
System Not Good.
Mr.. Clark of wyoming declared that
Ir. Smoot's system of estimating fire
osses were fallacious, as it was based
IN the idea that a fire once started
would burn Until extinguished by
orester, whereas many of the fires,
ven in the reserves. are stopped by
ettlers.
Senator Flint of California asserted !
hat in his state alone the losses in |
he past year from forest fires would |
love amounted to $4,000, 900 if it had |
ot been for the exertions of the for |
sters