The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-01-12

I Service building. was taken up with
! discussion OF the policy of the service
| In regard to settlement on the national
! forests The chief feature OF the dis
| cussion was paper read by I. b
Morse. n technical forester attached to
the Targhee national forest with head
quarters at ST. Anthony, Idaho. MT
| Morsc's paper dealt chiefly with land
values. showing by actual product OF
| the land and the revenue II produces
the basis for the use OF land for ogricul-
| ture grazing and forestry. Some very
| interesting figure were given and t1e
| conclusions arrived at clearly show tho
scientific basis for the policy of the
| service In listing land and that IL Is
! entirely justified. from an economic
point OF view, in It's policy of allowing
| settlcemncts or lands at all suitable
for the production of farm crops.
Mr.. Morse also Justified the policy OF
| listing land even when covered with
forest when such land cGn bo shown to
| be agricultural. In spite of the presnt
value OF the timber upon 1t AT the
same time he emphasized the contention
| OF the service that the future possible
value of the land is not To be taken
into account and that II land is not
now more valuable FOR agriculture than
! forestry. 1t must be retained In it's pres
ent use until the course of events show
the advisHbility of changing the crop
co which 1t Is devoted.
He also quoted +. "A Sherman, a
former chief inspector OF the sorvico.
Mr Sherman stated that the fact that
tho policy of classification upon bao-
is of present worth viii ultimately re-
suit In the classification and listing
of lands also very valuable for forest
purposes is a fact that should be un-
falteringly phrased. No attempt should
be made to avoid II by subterfuGe ror
the very policy that each acre of land
shall do the work which II can do most
effectively Is the basis and foundation
upon which the entire national forest
policy and conservation policy rest.
Tho service. therefore. comedies the
right and cheerfully relinqulshes title
to land which may be very valuable for
forest purposes If II can be shown that
such land can bc moro profitably used
for the production OF farm crops
To refuse to concedc TO agriculture
the right claimed for forestry. is to
quarry building stone from the solid
to fortify It's facade Whenever. at the
time of examination. land appears to
be chiefly valuable for permanent cul
tiVatlon. IL is tho examiners duty TO
the country and to the service TO rec
ommond that the land be listed for en-
try, But that examiner exceeds his au-
thority who attempts to anticipate tho
march OF events Future values must
be measured by their present worth and
not their prospective future dimen-
slons, This policy is certain TO result
In the Forest Service losing control Of
SONIC very desirable forest land-not.
much. however. for. upon fair analy-
sis there Is comparatively little land in
tho forests that is chiefly valuable for
agrlculture-but tho loss which may
come through u faithful adherence 10
this policy VIII be regajned many times
through the eXtenion OF the very prin-
ciple by which tho loss occurred.
Through federal purchases. such as the
proposed Appalachian Notional forest,
and through future probable and nee
essary federal or state control or prt-
vately owned tlmbcned slopes, the eX-
tension and application OF this prin-
ciple viii recruit for forest purposes
hundred times more land than will
ever DC released under the Act OF June
J. 1906.
Mr.. Morses sentiments were heartily
apDlauded and tho supervisors present
unanimously expressed their opinion
that the service. in Its policy OF liet.
Ing all lands at all suitable for agricul-
ture. was one which had proved itself
entirely proper and would hereafter be
followed
Mineral Claims.
In dealing with the subject of min
eral claims within national forest
Mr Hurst, supervisor. Fillmore for
est emphasized the necessity Of forest
officers under greatest care and con-
servation Judgment TO the end that
no injustice, even in the slightest
degree. be done to the miner or the
prospector who is Attempting 10 de-
vclop his mineral property and obtain
! a title thereto.
1T is a well known fact said Mr.
Hurst, that in the distribution OF
the different minerals within the
earth's crust no rule or regulation.
law or order. seems to have been OBJ
served. hence the multitude OF condl-
lions that are found 10 exist even
with the same metals. In different
sections OF the country, therefore, it
is very necessary that the reporting
officer be well qualified for the busl-
ness In hand The locator OF a claim
who enters thereon In compliance
| with the law and shows good faith by
| his work should not be disturbed by
eny one. Especially would this be
| true of the prospector.
Since there is no regularity in tho
distribution OF the metals in the earth
no fixed rule has yet been found by
which their discovery has been fixed
aud definite, therefore. the greater
| the necessity for much latitude to ba
| given the man who is spending his
time and money in his pursuit and
| development, as 1t has been demon
strated many hundred times over
that the better educated the man,
especially in mineralogy. the less sue
cessful he Is as a prospector for pre-
cious metal, the chief qualification for
such avocation being dogged persist
ency. insauble curiosity. and indlffer.
ence to hardship. therefore. much re-
| spect and charity OF opinion Is duo
10 the class of men that follow this
| business.
TT is duo to the indomitable pre-
servance of the prospector that the
mining company in the western states
has been developed TO its present
magnificent proportions, and who can
sav what would have been the position
Of the republic had not the wealth OF