The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-08
HEPBURN ROASTS
FOREST SERVICE
Idaho Senator Says Last Admin
iStratiOn Conducted With
out Regard to Law.
SAYS BEST USE FOR LAND
IS TO PROVIDE HOMES
Men of the West Claim Right to
Handle Lands TO Make
Them Valuable.

WASHINGTON. March THE for
estry reservation question was dis
cusscd and the forest service was crlti-
cised by Senator Hepburn Of Idaho to-
day during consideration Of the agri-
cultural appropriation bill before the
senate. The measure carries an appro-
priation of S5.7O3,1o0 for the forest
service. or about $4,Oo0,000 III excess
of the receipts from the service Mr.
Hevburn contcudcd that the appropria-
ton was increasing from year to year,
whereas assurance had been given tnat
the service would be self sustaining.
He said the last administration had
been conducted regardless OF the rights
of the settlers of the west and bad gone
upon the theory that. where there was
no law there should be license. lie eX'
pressed confidence. however, that the
country was now entering upon a dlt-
fcrent system.
Rights of Settlers.
Mr., Hevburn contcuded that the best
use for the land was settlement. and
declared he would rather bavc one man
on an acre of ground than to have
10000 trees. and one COW than whole
herds of spotted fawns,
Answering objections that the pubic
lands were owned by all the people,
those of the east as well as of the
west, be said that they were only
owned by the eastern people to the
extent that they utilized them.
'FIf they own the public lands let
them come west and take possession OF
them he said. "We will welcome
them. but we of the west claim the
right to administer our own affairs and
we want the lands so utilized as to
make them productive.
Slap at Forester.
off, when the settlement of this
country first began, there had been some
English forester 10 tell the people that
they could nor go upon the land or
take the lumber the line of settlement
would not vet have extended more than
ten miles from the Atlantic seaboard: -
withdrawal Of the lands IN a given
community. Mr.. Heyburn said that
while two-thivls of the land iu Bonner
county. idaho. was in forest reserve
and owned by the government u con.
tributed oulv 500 TO the support OF
public institutions, while the private
owners of the remaining ope-thlrd PAID
Sl90 900 IN taxes.
Quoting from 4 newspaper state.
ment that million dollars worth OF
lumber soon was TO be cold by the
forestry officials in Idaho. Mr.. Hey
burn argued that toe timber did not
conserve the snow supply. Indeed. he
said. his observation has taught him
that the snow living under the trees
melted much more rapidly than that on
the bare ground.
Swamp Land Question.
While The agricultural bill was un;
der consideration there was extended
discussion Of a provision approprlahng
SIS 900 for tbc Investigation of drain
age of swamp lands. Senator Gallinger
found iu the paragraph the possibility
of entering upou the reclamation OF
swamp lands aud said that if that was
10 be done it would involve an expen.
diture of millions of dollars. Later,
when MI Hcyburu suggested that the
expenditure Of the money should be
continued TO lands over6owed by lrri"
cation Mr., Galliuger said
eff the government Is going into
this sort Of thing. 7 wish il would take
.he rocks of the land up in New Hamp-
shire.
lie said such a policy would "swamp
the government - and he warned sena-
tors that if they expected to curtail
expenditures TO the extent of $500,
OO0, ,0GO, as Sesator Aldrich bad said
might be done. they would not go
Confined on Page Nine.