The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-01-15
Endorses eaIIinger's report.

WNat ] nave siiH ~ rely AZ tpit'bU7
of the recommendation Of the secre-
tary of the interior in respect To the
future conservation OF public domain
in his present annua. report. lie mas
given c!ose attention tn. the problem
of disnos ition of these lands under
such conditions az To invite the priyat"
capital necessary to prevent monopoly
and abuse from absolute ownership on
! the other. These recommendations are
Incorporated in bills he has prepared.
ami they arc at the disposition of con-
gress. / earnestly recommend that all
! suggestions which he has made with
respect tn these lands shall be embod-
ied in statutes and especially that
Withdrawal already made he validated
50 far as necessary and that the au-
thoriy of the secretary nj the interior
10 Withdraw lands for the purpose "f
submitting recommendations as 10 flu
tu-c disposition of them where new
legislation. If needed. shall hn made
complete and unHuestioncd.
Tho foreS: reserves or the United
states, some i9n.00a.000 acres in extent.
are under control nj the department
/. Of agriculture with authority adequate
In preserve them and To extend their
growth so far as that may he practir-
able. The Importance Of the maintc
nance Of on. forests cannot he cxag
gcratcd. The possibility Of a scientific
treatment Of forests in order that they
shall be made tn yield n large return
in timber without really reducing the
supply has been demonstrated in other
countries and we should work toward
the standard set by them rs far 1s
their methods are applicable To our
conditions.
Upwards Of 400. 0Oo. 600 acres Of farcst
land in this country are in private
nwnrship. hut only rer cent Of II is
being treated scientifically and with a
view to the maintenance OF forests.
Tho part played by forests in the
equalization of the supply Of water on
water sheds Is matter of discussion
and dispute. but the general benefit to
he derived by the pnhiic from the ex-
tension nj forest lands on water sheds
and the protection Of the growth Of
trees in places that are now denudcd
and tina. once had great Furnishing
forests. goes without saying. The con-
troll IN he exercised over private own
ers IL their treatment Of forests which
they own. Is 4 matter for state and not
national regulation. because there is
nothing In the constitution that an
thnrizes tho federal government IN ex-
ercisc any control over forests within
a state unless the forests arc owned
in prnprie tary- way by the federal
government.
II has been proposed, and n bill for
the purpose passed the lower house In
the last congress-. that the. National
governments. approximate. a certain
amount each year cut nj tho receipts
for forestry business of the govern
ment TO institute rcforcstalion at the
sources OF certain naNigable streams Ia
he selected by the geological survey
with n view To determining the prac-
ticahility of thus improving and pro-
,tecting the streams for federal pur-
poses. ! think moderate expenditure
for each year for this purpose. for n
period of five or ten years would be
of the utmost benefit in the develop
ment or our forestry system.
Inland WaterMavs