Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-01-15
will increase rapidly In amount.


There Is no DOUBT at all that II
these bonds were to be allowed to
run ten years, the proceeds in the
public lands, together with the rem.
tails for water furnished through the
completed enterprises, would quick
ly create a sinking fund large enough
to retire the bonds within the time
specified, hope, that while the
statute shall provide that these
bonds are to be paid out of the re-
clamation fund, 1t will be drawn in
such a way as to secure interest al
the lowest rate ana that the credit
of the United States will be pledged
for their redemption.
urge consideration Of the recon-
mendations of the secretary of the
interior in his annual report fol-
amendments of the reclamation act
proposing other relief for settlers on
these projects.
Respecting the comparatively
small timbered areas on the public
domain not included in national for
ests because of their isolation of
their special value for agricultural
or mineral purpose. it is apparent
from the evils resulting by virtue of
the imperfections OF existing laws
for the disposition of timber lands
that the acts of Jane 3, 1878. should
be repealed and law enacted for
the disposition of the timber at pub
lie sale, the lands after the removal
of the timber to be subject to ap.
preparation under the agricultural or
mineral land law. What I have said
is really an epitom- of the recon-
mendations of the secretary Of the
interior in respect to the future con-
servation of the public domain in
his present annual report. He has
given close attention to the problem
of disposition of these lands under
such conditions as to invite the pri-
vate capital necessary to their de-
velopment on the one hand, and the
maintenance of the restrictions nee
essary to prevent monopoly and
abuse from absolute ownership on
the other These recommendations
are incorporated in bills he has pre-
pared, and they are at the DISPOSE
ton of the congress. l earnestly
recommend that all the suggestions
which he has made, with respect to
these lands shall be embodied in
statutes, and, especially, that the
Withdrawals already made shall be
validated; for as necessary and that
doubt as to the authority of the
secretary of the interior to with
draw lands for the purpose of sub
hitting recommendations as to fu-
ture disposition to them where new
legislation is needed, shall be made
complete and unquestioned.
The forest reserves of the United
States, some 190,O00,0O0 acres, in ex-
tent, are under the control of the de-
partment of agriculture with author
ity adequate to preserve them and to
extend their growth; far as that
may be practicable. The Importance
of the maintenance of our forests
cannot be exaggera led. The posi-
bility of a scientific treatment of for
ests in order that they shall be made
to yield large return in timber
without really reducing the supply
has been demonstrated in other
countries and We should work to-
ward the standard set by them in
as far as their methods are appli-
cable to our conditions
Upwards Of 400 100000 acres of
forest lands in this country are in
private ownership, but only three
per cent of it is being treated scien-
tiflcally and with. a view to the
of the forest. The
part played by the forests in the
of the supply of water
on watersheds is a matter of discus
sion and dispute, but the general
benefit to be derived by the public
from the extension of forest lands
on watersheds and the promotion of
the growth of trees in places that are
now denuded and that once had
great flourishing forests, goes with
out saying. The control to be ex-
ercised over private owners in their
treatment Of the forests which they
own is matter for state and not ma
tional regulation, because there is
nothing in the constitution that
authorizes the federal government
to exercise any control over forests
within state, unless the forests
are owned in proprietary way by