Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-01-06

the people," and proceeds to grow
eloquent over the improved methods
Of logging under federal supervision,
but We are at loss to know where
1t Is practiced. Out of a total area
Of forest reserves in the state of
Washington Of 11,6s4,36O acres. or
more than one-fourth the area of the
state, but IS million feet have been
cut in IA years, less than 100000
annually, or about a months supply
for one Aberdeen mill. The amount
received for this timber is not at
hand, but it is safe to assume that it
cost the government (Which Is the
people, friend Jacob would protect)
not less than So per M feet by the
time it was sold.
Grays Harbor has an object lesson
in the study Of conservation, as it is
practiced, right at hand. Nearly one
half of the richest part Of Chehalis
county lies within the reserves of the
Quiniault Indians. the Olympic For
est Reserve and the Olympic monu-
ment.. OF the two latter, fully 20 per
cent is arabic land, capable of sup
porting hundreds Of settlers, who are
now migrating to the free lands Of
frosty Alberta and the deserts Of
Eastern Oregon. The ban is placed
upon wagon roads In this region, lest
they might induce opening the farm
lands to settlement, and permit the
logging of timber by small operators
before the big fellows get ready to
take. it over.
If Mr.. Jacob will take a map and
figure the number of acres of tillable
land in the national reserves in Che
halls county, on basis of 20 per
cent. of the total acreage: take the
average assessed valuation of, say
North River farm lands, he will have
no difficulty in arriving at the cost
of the system to the revenues of this
county, to say nothing of the business
it's settlement would create. If, con-
tinuing this process, he will find the
percentage the assessed valuation Of
his property bears to the county total,
he will learn just the sum this lauded
practice is costing him. As shown in
the article, Mr.. Jacob criticizes, near
ly 100000 acres belonging to the pub
lie schools are included in reserves
in this state, valued at not less than
$12,O00.0OO, which the people Of the
state are as capable of managing as
are the bunch of high brow loggers
at Washington.
No, friend JACOB, the Herald is not
opposed to conservation, but it oh.
jects to hysteria in any branch Of gov
eminent, and prefers to have theories
worked out in the class room of a
college rather than by the interior
department. The theory advanced by
those high brows is all right. 1t is
in practice it fails. It Is an utter alb.
surdity to hobble the great state Of
Washington bl placing one-third of it's
area in reserves and withhold them
for many years from settlement with
out any attempt at the proper classi.
fication of the lands SO held.
The reckless method of logging on
the Pacific Coast fourteen years ago,
owing to the low price Of stumpage,
doubtless justified the creation Of
these reserves, but the entire area in
reserve should have been held no
longer than was required to classify
the lands, in forty-acre tracts and
throw open to settlement all that was
found adapted to agriculture.
The creation of the Olympic Monu-
ment was a piece Of historical abuse
Of power by President Roosevelt, by
which he isolated more than 100000
acres Of the richest mineral belt in
the Northwest without the shadow Of
right according to any written law.
Again, Friend Jacob, the Herald be-
lieves in conservation with the hys-
terra left out, and is in hope that the
incoming democratic administration
will promptly right the wrong done to
the Pacific Coast by his thoughtless
predecessors in this, to this region,
very important matter.-(Ed.)