Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-02
Sen. Hepburn StiTs
Up a Hornets Nest
By Trying 10 Gut The For
est Reserve Money.
Hepburn and Clark Say East
Is "6ratling" on the West.
Forestry Friends Indignant and
Keep Original Figures Intact.

" al III I.-DtHdlOI ftty-
burn of Idaho made a futile attempt
tonight in the Senate to have the an
nual expenditures for the mainte-
nance of national forest reserves re-
duccd from more than $5,00o0o0 to
100000, by the Introduction of an
amendment to the agricultural bill.
AS result he brought down upon
his head the wrath of friends Of the
forest service. who said ne was trying
to Kill settled policy of the govern
ment.
The question arose during the con-
sideration of the agricultural appro-
priation bill. The amendment was de-
feated % to 10
This amendment comes from AN
open. frank ana aVOWcd enemy of
the forest policy of the United States"
vehemently asserted Root, New York.
"CpCn the proposal of single enemy
of d settled policy of the government
we are asked to take this step. There
has been no report of a committee in
support OF it; il comes without recon-
mendation and l protest against it."
Several senators said that they
thought the forest service was too
costly and that the appropriations
ought to be reduced but that the
amendment offered by Hepburn went
too far. Among these senators We're
Borah, Idaho. and Gallinger, New
Hampshire. To these suggestions Hey
burn said that he proposed to follow
tn amendment with another proposal,
which if adopted, would eliminate at
least II third of the forest reserves.
Reference was made by Flint, Cal,
to the disastrous forest fires of the
past year. He said the appropriation
ought to be increased rather than re-
duced so that the secretary of agri-
culture might so ON building trails
and fire brakes Attention was also
directed to the fact that it costs more
than s2,o00, 900 to pay salaries and
rentals in the city of Washington for
the forest service.
Hepburn said the Washington en-
pcnse was wasted unless it was pro-
pescd to fight fires by wireless teleg-
raphy. which lie insisted would be just
as feasible as some of the methods
that have been used. He thought the
81. 900 400 he proposed TO have expend-
ell would be sufficient for building
trails.
During his general criticism of the
forest service. Mr.. Hepburn said that
in o.le way and another Congress is
appropriating almost $Sboo,6oo annu-
ally for the protection Of the forests.
He charged the foresters with using
the deserves Tor their OWN benefit. He
said that they profit b> cellcctong
bounties for killing wild animals. They
create the reserves, prevent others
from hunting, kill the gam" themselves
and then collect from the state. They
have a private snap" he said.
Clark. Wyo., denounced the forestry
system in warm terms, and in doing SO
warned the Eastern senators that the
| time would come when they would rue
| the day that they had procured the es-
| tablisliment of reserves i'll the White
mountains and the southern Appalachian.
| He said that the Western people had been
| forced TO accept the reserves against thclr
| will With the result that they were pre-
vented from developing the resources of
| the country.
Hepburn said that the tree seeds used
| in the national nursery were obtained
| largely from robbing the nests of SPUR
| cred from that source.
Speaking of the forestcrs. Hepburn said
they were recruited from the Eastern
| states.
.'rhey are suckers-rraftcrs." he said,
and defining graftors added: The graft
| cr is not the man who pokcs his hand
| into II till and takes out what he gets
| hold of; he is the man who attaches him
| self to some other mans property and
draws ii away from him..
After the defeat of the amendment to
decrease the appropriation for forest
preservation. Hepburn offered another
| amendment to prohibit the expenditure of
| any part Of the forest service appropria-
| ton upon forests growing less than 400
| 600 feet board measure of merchantable
| lumber per acre in contiguous areas Of
| 100 acres. He said that the effect of the
amendment would be 10 eliminate more
! than one-third of the forest reserves.
Speaking in support of this amendment
Clark served notice that when another
bill is presented to the Senate the gov
| ernmeht will have to show some reason
| for the expenditure of such vast sums as
are being poured into the forests. Under
| the present policy of the government.
| clark said, "a commercial proposition
was being made of the Western states.
The committee of the whole finally ac-
cepted the amendment.
Among the various amendments adopt
ed was one appropriating $4,000 to assist
in caring for surplus elks in the Jackson
CONTINUED on Page Twelve.)