Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-18

work. and to take such mea assures as will
contribute most effectively to the public
welfare. and. at the same time. TO re-
quire all persons who use the forest re-
serves for profit to pay price that Is
consistent with the value Of the privilege.
Anoher very important feature of the
service is the construction OF roads ana
trails through the forest reserves for the
use of the public as well as the officials
of the service. 1t has made many hith-
erto inaccessible regions easy to reach
and has shortened the journeys between
points beyond the boundaries of thel
reserves.
Cost of Protection.
For the administration and protection
of the national forests in seventeen states
and territories and Alaska the govern
ment spent 81 526 O9S.o2, or about one and
one-half cents an acre in 1908. Perma-
nent improvements including the con-
struction of :40O miles OF trails leo miles
of wagon roads, 800 miles of telephone
lines, 900 cabins and barns. 900 miles of
pasture and drift fences, 30 bridges and
IG miles of fire lines cost S!92, 169- 10
In his. report Mr. Pinchot says Al
though many needed improvements could
not be undertaken. the benefits of what
has been accomplished are seen In the
more convenient and economical manner
in which the forest officers are enabled
ing up of territory hitherto inaccessible.
The remaining S297 $40 40 of the total of
So Ii. 10I 81 disbursed on account of work
of the forest service. was used in lnVeStl-
cations costing $50 ,S.,5. IA, I'm diffusion of
forest information and in federal coop
GRAFTON.
The forest service is one of the branches
of the government where everything is
not outgo. Last year the receipts from
sales of timber. grazing fees and permits
fz, ,in1 Of a
amounted to $1.S42 ,2S1.Sl an increase
of S271 2:2,22 43 over the 1897 figures. The
receipts from the national forests were a
little more than one cent per acre, less
than five mills less than the cost per acre
of administration and protection OF the
forests.
The grazing receipts for 1908 were
$685.. S2!. 40 and were paid, by the holders
of 1885 permits TO Craze 1,:'S2.2 21 cattle,
horses and hogs, and of 4.2S2 permits to
Craze 7.0S7.1l1 sheep and goats. Receipts
of $S49,027.24 from the timber sales were
paid by Approximately 11S9 purchasers,
who cut the equivalent of 800 10000 board
feet of timber The receipts from spe-
cial uses amounted TO $50. .23, and We're
paid by 2.Ut5 pernittees. The years re-
ceipts represent tie profitable use of the
forests by some 10000 individuals or con-
Germs, in addition TO more than 10000
persons who had the free use of timber
and other resources. About one-fourth of
ests was under free-use permits.
The total receipts from timber sales
each year since the national forests have
been under the administration of the for
est service have been as follows: 1903,
$50, 1862 1906 $40 O1:;. 40; 1907 $685.
STRIP: 1903. $S49.027.24
The average area to each officer theO-
reticaily available for patrol duty was
Is G65 acres. But more than three fourthS
of that time is now required by the fast
,-,Ir of hug
ness. so that in point of fact the force on
duty at the close of the year provided
about one patrol officer to each 900
acres of forest. This is considered in
adequate for the proper safeguarding Of
government property against fire.
Replanting the Forests.
Experimental broadcast sowings were
made i'm Idaho, Montana. Washington,
Oregon Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and
New Mexico About 100000 trees were
planted last year in Nebraska. Kansas.
Colorado. New Mexico. Arizona, Utah,
Idaho and California. There are now
growing at the plantation stations over
o 900 trees. which will be ready for
planting in 1909. Sufficient seed was sown
in the spring of 1908 to produce 1900, 900
seedlings.
While there may be good reasons for
some of the complaints of the regulations
Of the forest bureau it will not be denied
that people have been accustomed to
treat the public domain as their own pri-
vate property. While the ofacials OF the