The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-17
A MENACE.

A NATIONAL MENACE.
Attempts are being made, both in
and out Of congress, to turn control of
property of the whole nation. over to
the governments of the several states
in which they happen to lie. These
attempts were started because most
of the openings through which the
public lands and their had
been stolen have been closed by action
Of the national government. The men
who have grown rich, and those who
desire to become rich, by footing the
public domain. are facing hard lines.
These men regard any change from
national control as a change for the
better, for t them the present situa-
tion could not we'll be worse. Not all
those who advocate the change from
national control r dishonest, and not
all of them have any desire to rob the
public. But it may be said with per.
feet safety that every nan who had
an interest in appropriating to HIM
self improperly any portion Of the
property of the nation which lies in
its public lands, its public forests and
its water power rights. is earnestly and
enthusiastically in favor Of making the
change from national to state control
just as quickly as it can be made.
The national forests, like the timber.
the water power. the grass where the
forest is open. and the minerals they
contain, do not stop, and the use Of
them does not stop, at state lines.
They can be protected and used with
success only under q policy that is
alive to the interests Of the whole peo-
pie, and not merely to the interests OF
any one section or state.
The heart Of the conservation policy
is development and use. The United
States forest service, now bitterly at.
tackled by those who nit has prevented
from grabbing public resources, has
always stood for prompt development
of the national forests. and the Use
of them by the small man first.
Six hundred thousand people use
the national forests every year.. The
sheep and cattle which Craze within
their boundaries supply one-sixth Of
the American people with meat. Every
man, woman. and child in the United
States owns six thousand feet Of lurn.
her in the national forests. Much of
the timber in them is still too remote
and difficult of access to be saleable
now; but as rapidly as it can be sold
without loss and without injury to the
forest, 1t is cut and used. The service
has built more than eleven thousand
dred miles Of road and over thirteen
thousand miles Of trails. Forty thou
sand permits for the use Of timber free
by settlers are issued every year. For
ty-five thousand miners operate in ma
tional forests, and the forests conserve
the water supply Of 1,175 towns and
cities. and 324 water power projects
which furnish light and power for in
dustries Of every kind.
Four-fifths Of the standing timber
in the United States is in private
hands. Thirty-seven private owners
her as the other ninety-four millions
Of us have in the national forests.
What the nation has left must be pro-
tected for the use of us all against the
coming time OF need. and only the ma
tional government can do that.
rh4 <4pa~k ,Ar,,;A> - a oI>o~ o~S
efficient organization almost entirely
made up OF western men. 1t has al
ways been and is today wholly free
from politics. Why should the Ameri-
can people run the risk of political
mismanagement and private monop-
oily by splitting up the national forests
between fifteen or twenty separate
states, most of which have no forest
services to take charge of them? It is
bad business to multiply organizations
when n will do the work, especially
when that one is doing it we'll al
ready.
If this movement were to succeed
two billion dollars worth of public
property in the national forests would
be in danger of passing by way Of
state ownership 'nto private hands.
But the greatest danger lies in the
monopolies of coal, water power, tim
her. and other natural resources to
which such private ownership inevita.
bly, leads. The proof Of this statement
is the story Of how the western states
have Suuandercd the lands already
granted to them. and the monopolics
which have resulted therefrom. There
is a similar record in many of the
eastern states as well.
LOYALTY IN CANADA.