Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-27
Colorado Miners, He Says, Had Right
to Take Wood for Fuel.
MR.. SM0oT DEFENDS SERVICE
Utah Senator Becomes Involved in
Controversy with Two Others.
AGRICULTURAL BILL IS PASSED
Measure Carries Little Over Thirteen
Million DOllars--Mr. Frye VIII
Call Up Rivers and Har-
bors Bill Today.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 26.-The passage Of
the agricultural appropriation bin by the
senate tonight followed an extended de-
bate on the forestry service. which occu-
pied the entire session. AS passed. the
measure appropriates SlS,O75, ,7ls which is an
increase Of s1sl,Ss over the bill as passed
by the house.
Senator Frye gave notice that he would
call up the river and harbors appropria-
tion bill tomorrow morning at II O'Clock
Calling attention TO denunciations that
have been directed toward men who have
cut timber on the public lands in mining
districts. Senator Teller OF Colorado in
the senate today declared that this timber
had been cut legally and had yielded the
government In the precious metals many
times the value Of the timber used. He said
he had drafted and procured the passage
OF the act in 1873. which allowed the peo-
pie of the west to do what they had been
] doing without any law in the cutting OF
timber on public lands for the use Of
mining camps.
Cutting Timber Legal.
THE men who swept those hills clear OF
timber" he said, were not public robbers.
but they acted in accordance with statutes
ana they returned TO the government much
mere than the timber was worth. There
has been no wilful destruction of timber in
Colorado. The people of that state are
more interested in the conservation OF
their timber than any people outside of
the state could possibly be-"
Condemning the system used by the for
estry bureau, Mr.. Teller said II the Pin
chot system OF forestry had been applied
to Colorado during the days of its develop
ment that state would still be the home of
the coyote, the panther and the bear and
he said that system was destroying the
prospects for settlement in the future
Refcrestation. he said. had been fail
ure IN Colorado. The farmers raise more
timber in that state rhan Is raised by the
forest burezu.
81 would rather" he declared, have an
American home and American family than
have forest as big as ali outdoors. do
not believe there is moral or any other
claim upon me TO postpone the use of what
nature has given me" Mr.. Teller insisted
that the predictions concerning the exhsus-
tion of the coal supply are very far from
correct and said Colorado alone could sup
ply the whole world with coal for $50 or
300 years.
smOOt Defends Service.
Mr.. Smoot defended the service. declar-
ing the cost of all lectures before various
societies by employees OF the forest service
last year had been only $S.O22 He said the
| lectures before various societies on the
ground that they were for the purpose of
conserving timber by teaching economies
were entirely Justified.
Every time" he said. information is
given about lengthening the life of a rail-
road tie the American people are bene-
fitted"
Senator Bailey said he would like to
vote with the senators from the northwest
for an amendment to the bill TO turn over
| to the several states the national forest
reserves contained within their borders.
Mr.. smoot took up cases that had been
| cited on the floor OF the senate to show
the injustice to settlers who had disposed
OF their lands within forest reserves and in
50 doing became involved in a controversy
with Senator Carter and others.
Mr.. Smoot declared that the forestry
service fire patrol system had saved Ssl,-
0c,O0o worth Of timber.
Senator Clark Of Wyoming declared that
Mr.. Shoots system OF estimating fire
losses was failscious. as It was based or
the idea that fire once started would
burn until eKtinguished by a forester
whereas many OF the fires, even IN the re-
serves are stopped by settlers. Mr.. Film
! OF California asserted that In his STATE
alone the loss in the past year would havs
amounted 10 ssO.OOoOoo from forest fires, Il
IL had not been for the exsrtion OF III,
foresters