The Alaska citizen., 1913-12-15
By Congressman Humparey,

Ai. ltAt.a fAE a| N--. 4n-E.u. Etr Speaker. on Ea-t T.ar~17y I introduced resolution ,a.r.H- sar aa 5us,~tt-t- tion af H. iar'-f z,r.5er.. .au4 H .< upon taat r.~4-....a laat wash ta speak today
 Was one rr00 'sum t.a sar West that favored r.a sr,at.ag ur t'.,. forest reser.e~ T. Is MI. .ra..ra r,-r.. that I ttT' h-rn fvr-,3 ra- 'G=e s-n...- sion that their creation auI afmin.~- tratjon tay.- been '.a .4r.at.-t -a.'.. wrong ever permitted i. .- story of this country I a-l,-.t. ..-.a | favored t.H= "o'.y that '"..- of to-r~. rr~.-.- -=-+ a- -s---...- and fncr.a-, f.. -...... .......rt ..,r-, -,..- United Sf.-,- r- r. a,.5s .-r s..-- public. I..-r ms. ..a. a 5.- nprant 'ues-. to -... .- '-.. a .....-t r.~erre +e.#srl .#.,, '#..-4- Wat a. s. ...
 on'-tEia' "r t.s ,otHr~ .=a. ..a 16o forest resers.s Ha- m e..a,sf s..sn it. net'r Las. aal ua.,r w5t have Millions er acres or fra ,a-.. -f,t far,s- reserves are ~-,ra aaa cattle pastures of Httl" 2aE4"- .ttuans oC acrss ara barren sand a.aas. lrees.ss deserts. and saeohrnsa ifaga~ absolutely worthless for any p5rFe>e. Eut 5f Inc only thing to criticize was that the forest reserves had no forests uron them. that w. are ray3n@ several IHiII- ions dollars year ta t4r. Ecr tZt.-- worthless lands, and tLat IL las coe, the United States two dollars for every dollars wort oC timber tfa. has he,n sold off of tHss. forest re- serves then uaa'a ra. raw talk. ,l... time of tAe hons. to ~r.ak ot i,
 W" were told, and thin's tat mo-t of Us believed. jhaf tEe rUrfo.a of the establishment or tE, natfanaf forest was, ftt~r 'o saE, to all th. people tEe forests tHat remained .l.,au the ruhhr domain. s'eaud. to pre-. uf monopoly If t#" timber supply rx powerful TrisaIe interests: thirl In give [" the people of tlc tnltcI states cheap forest rtolaets. What has baea the result, -ud in HoW far has tris promts" been kept.
 assert tire fu'1owtr-s First the Forest Service las ban largely re- sponSihle for t..e great timber aun- opolv in the West. Second. t has always worked from tHc scry begin ming, and is sttll working. in the interest of tie railroads by p,rnitttn. them to acquire large tracts Of the public domain aHI hv vastly fucr.as- ing their heldanas. THira. fl Las eie- cn to the railroads directly. wItf.out money and Witaout price. millions of acres af tAe hest ;imlerrd Iauls in the United Statrs Fourth. | is today more largely responsible for the htgh cost of forest products than any ather on eauso TiftH in the name of conservation il annually keeps millions of dollars worth of timber off The rHa1z,t an1 permits it tn rot in tne forests
 DISTRIBUTIONS or TIMsER.
 Speakins in sfHef1f 'ermS, aua=i ,if of all lie sftume rfmrar in .H., United States is in ra1farHia ora4on. and Washinatpn tna-taerth or ta5- amount is n fur,st r.~.rgss. one fourth is own.l ry IT. rrilroaf> and the WcycrAaeu~er s.Htreate. -, rest by small private owners I,-. aii these people s't ttl.t1 vat tE.--a-s" IL is q most iut,rr~ttn- ..arY, in which the Ferest S~rzioe has playe5 the leadius rart The Wsy'rhaeus"r syndicate secured most of its timber from the railroads. How did tn" rail- roads get tteirs2 In tu-n ways First. a part of the railroad lands came ly government land grants given for tho building of these reads Whether tho vast domain that was given for this purpose was wisely given it is now to late to discuss. Many of tine lead ing men thought so at tlat time and many believe so today. In any event, there was som" consideration for eiv- in9 this land to tire railroads. Sacun2, a mighty empire, consisting of miil- ions of acres of land, has been given to the railroads practically for no consideration hy the Forest Service, in the name of conservation, bY what is known as the Iieu-iaHj system. It Is this last proposition that l wish to discuss. and I hope that. aS there are many members of this body who believe as l once believed, that these forest reserves have been established and conducted in the interests of the public and that they have not been run as privat" enterprises to slnrify certain bureaus and departments and for the benefit of the railroads, they will for a few moments listen to tn facts that am going to present
 l reterate that millions of acres of the most valuable of all our public domain has been given to tn" rail- roads in the name of conservation" How was this done? The story is written in the records of the govern ment and there can be no dispute as to the facts. Why these facts have not been exploited it is not hard to understand.
 In an evil hour congress passed what is known as the leu-land law applied to forest reserves. Con- gress gave to the President the power to create forest reserves Congress gave To the secretary of tn" interior the power to exchange land in fGaest reserves, acre for acre, for any un- appropriated land in the United States. Congress supposed that this law would cry of those who were clamorinS for forest reserves that the timber surily of the United States must be saved from monopoly. It was with tt,.s "otto tat they commen ae1 to l,'1 mister the lieu-land law al create forest reserves. What dil they do under the pretense of acting m the interest of the people under this laW which congress had so unwisely plac- ed upon the statute books? IL is the most amazing story in the Nations life. The facts that I shall use are taken from public documents. except where I indicate that they are taken from other sources.
 By executive order vast forest re serves were created in Arizona. Os