Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-12-05

SECRETARY Gallinger of the interior de-
~ ~ ment. has aroused a great deal OF
puhIIc interest in the subject of the
national forests.
rhe differences between these two
u.ore ms to the methods employed and
,ot the end to be gained. Mr.. Plnchoi
10 In the department of agriculture
and Mr.. Ballinger was of the opinion
thot in some. OF his operations he was
moi only exceeding his legal rights,
hi trespassing upon the rights OF the
Interior department. 1t was a cons
rl,ct of authority to a certain point.
Air Pinchot wanted to conserve the
,otural by the quickest
METHOD possible. Secretary Ballinger
insisted that it should. be done In
strict accord with the law.
The difference reached an acute
stage over the question of water rights
md the withdrawal of certain por-
lions of the public domain from pub
lie entry. Mr.. Pinchot took these
stems. he explained. in order to pre-
vent valuable rights from falling into
tho hands of n waite power trust
Secretary Ballinger insisted that nei-
,ber the department of agriculture or
The chief forester was legally author
lied to take such action. He con-
tended further that Ii was questiona-
bic whether such power resided in any
department or public official, and that
Il might be necessary to have congress
pass a law covering h matter ex-
plicitly.
Mr.. Pinchot argued that eXped-
iencv was his excuse, and he consid-
cred it Unsuitable. Secretary Balm
ger insisted that unless the matter
we're done legally it would result in
harm instead of good
Oil Poured OH Troubled Waters.
Secretary Ballinger reversed the
withdrawal acts of Mr.. Pinchot, and
then Followed rumors to the effect
that this action would inure to the
benefit of q certain clique or rich men
with whom Mr.. Ballinger had been
associated in a business way.
This was the situation when Presi-
dent Taft was drawn into the discus
sion. and after an exhaustive eXamin-
alton issued his recent letter uphold
ing Secretary Ballinger's legal con-
%tention, and acquitting him of the
yelled charge that he had been unduly
influenced by his personal connection
with the men seeking the water
rights. At the same time the presi-
dent expressed a high regard for Mr..
Pinchot and all thai he had dom to
conserve the forest and water re-
sources, and urged the chief forester
to remain at the head of the forestry
bureau.
A large number of persons who
have thought of the national forest
service in a vague sort of way nave
wondered what forest conservation
and the forest service are. To salts
fy the growing interest in the subject
the United States department of agri-
culture has issued a circular on The
status of Forestry in the United
States" prepared by Treadwell Cleve-1
land, Jr.. IN expert on the subject.
Forest conservation was but a
phrase a few years ago. Now 1t is Il
vital issue in the development of the
country, its importance being shown
in the following statements:
Every q we take from our for
ests three and a half times as much
wood as is added by the growth.
Less than one-third of the growing
trees felled by lumbermen is ever
used, two-thirds of all timber cut be-
ing an absolute waste.
One-eleventh of all the forests are
swept by fires every year. and since
1870 the annual average cost of for
est fires has been $50,O0O,0O0 in tim
Der and fifty liyes.
More than 80 per cent of the forests
in private hands is thus devasted by
fires. while less than l per cent Is
properly handled for successive crops
or effectively protected from fire.
Three-fourths of our forests are In
private hands. comprising four-fifths
Of all the wood.
The forest, as a resource, is rapidly
being obliteratcd,' with a consequent
destructive effect upon tile sources
and size of our streams.
Waste the Real Destructive Force
1T is not use which destroys the
forests the circular says, but waste.
The problem, therefore. Is not to be I
solved by disuse.a but by wise use and
protection. These together will 80
stimulate forest growth that the
needed wood may be harvested with
out depicting the stock on hand, n
will keep intact the protective V
at the stream sources
The national government took tho
1lrst steUs to bring about this intelll-
gent use in 1891. when congress au-
thorized the president to establish
forest reserves. This act provided
simply for forest reserves. but in 1897
a new law was passed giving the SER
Vice the right to conserve as well as
reserve the forests, to dispose of tim
Der. dead and growing, when such
acts would be beneficial to the re-
naming trees. In 1907 the forest re-
serves We're renamed by congress
national forests
Al present there are nearly 1885,
VOo, 600 acres of national forests, in
Guiding about 27,000. 600 acres in
Alaska and Porto Rico. There are g.
10000 acres in the state reserves,
and about 600. 600. 600 acres i'm pri-
waite lands.
The national forest service employs
nearly LOO men, as follows: 106 SUI
perVisors. 20 deputy forest supcrVis-
ors, III forest assistants, II forest
p~idnting assistants, Il lumbernlen, 1SS
forest rangers. AGO deputy forest
'angers, Ala assistant forest rangers, {,
anu l'l forest guards.
There are $50 national forests.
which are divided into six districts.
nnhh headquarters at Missoula. Mont
DenNer, Colo. Albuquerque, y. NJ.
Dsuen. Utah: san Francisco. Cal. and
rortland. ore. Only matters of eX-
,eptl0nal Importance are referred to
the chief forester IN Washington, who
Is under the secretary OF the depart
ment ~ agriculture.
tOine Builder tho Beneficiary.
me object of the administration OF
'ne national forests is to use them in
such a way that they will yield all their
seSeurccs without e~xhaustiug them,
= tlc benefit. primarily. of the home
YuHpef thu serving the public need,
nit conserving the forests. The ef-
~ OF this work is shown by the fact
ulal me revenue from the forests in
e.sased from S5s,i36 in 1904 to ST.
,so'Vll In 1905. All of the receipts
:" ifuf wer" from the sale of timber.
~ lsvh the receipts were composed