Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-08-11
GENERAL NEWS OF NATIONAL HAPPENINGS
TROOPS TO SAVE TIMBER.
Plan to Station Regulars in Forest
Reserves During Summer.


Reserves During Summer.
Spokane, Wash. President Taft, al
commander-in-chief of the army, and
Secretary of War Dickingon have been
requested by the Western Pine Manu-.
facturers' association, of which ]. P.
McGoldrick of Spokane, is president,
acting in behalf of timber owners, lum-
bermen and settlers in the Northwest
ern and Pacific states, to station gov
ernment troops in the national forest
reservations from May l, to September
30, OF each year. to the end that the
timber resources of the United States
may be saved from destruction.
"The fire losses in the forests in
the Western states during the last 60
days will amount to at least $3.50, 000,-
600, said George M. Cornwall, of
Portland, Ore, who presented a resolu-
tion embodying the foregoing at the
semi-annual meeting of the associa-
tion, and it is likely that in addition
millions of dollars worth timber will
be destroyed during this and next
month unless heavy rains come before
the end of the dry season."
Statistics compiled by A. w. Coop
er, secretary of the Western Pine
Manufacturers association, show that
fully so per cent of the standing tim
ber in the United States is located in
Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon
and California, where fire patrols are
maintained by lumbermen's associa-
tions and the state departments.
These, however, are inadequate to
cope with the fire element.
"Thele exists a grave menace to
standing timber in the national forests
on account of fres," Mr.. Cornwall said
in discussing the use of troops in
fighting and prevention, "and this car
ries with it heavy losses of life and
valuable property.
"There are stationed at various
posts in the United States thousands of
disciplined men, known as government
troops, who could be instructed in the
methods of fire fighting and patrol duty
in the various forests not alone in the
Northwestern and Pacific states but
throughout the country where forests
exist.
"The plan, if carried out, would be
to place the troops under the direction
of the department of the interior or
any other department of the govern
ment in the national forsets, where
they could be instructed in the methods
of fighting forest fires, which are u.s.
ually started as the result of careless
ness on the part of hunters, campers,
land clearing, lumbermen and rail
roads.
"These forests require an adequate
patrol, regularly established and main
tanned during the so-called dry season,
from May to September. Forest fire
fighting is a science and should be |
taught to the troops as part of the mil
ltary tactics. Besides no better en-
oloyment could be found for the SOL
liers than to utilize them as protectors
If life and property during part of the
year when men are most needed in the |
forests of the country.
"We are hopeful that the president
# the United States and the secretary
# war will look upon our request as a
tep in the direction of actual conser-
vation of one of the country's chief re-
ources; also that an order will be is
ued to send the nearest troops into the
lational forests, which, in several of
he northwestern states, are not unlike
urnaces at the present time"
Reports from various parts of Idaho,
Washington and Montana received in
spokane show that fires have broken
ut anew in the various reserves,
vhere in addition to more than 1000
nen now at work with dynamite, axes
nd mattocks, there is an urgent de-
nand for more than double that num-
er to cope with the flames.
In the Lolo national forest in West
IN Montana and Eastern Idaho, more
han 600, 900, 900 feet of white of white
nd yellow pine timber in the path of
res and other districts in various
arts of the Northwest are threatened. /
representatives of timber companies
eturning to Spokane from Montana
nd Idaho say that the fire lines are !
rom eight to 10 miles in extent in !
places. 8