Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-12-25


Pinex or will get it for you. If not,
send to The Pinex Co., Ft. Wayne, Ind.
the Nebraska, national forest, $4,000
acres from the Rainier in Washington,
and 413,770 acres from the Deschutes
and Paulina, in Oregon. About 100000
acres in small isolated tracts were
listed for settlement during the year.
The areas now being examined for
classification have a total area of
about three million acres.
Water Power Development.
The development of water power up,
on the national forests increased rapid
ly during the year, particularly in Cal
ifornia. 1t is the purpose of the serv-
ice to encourage power development in
every possible way, while safeguarding
the interests Of the public The mini
mum output from the permits now in
force is nearly 800 thousand horse
power.
Regulations now in force aim to safe
guard the interests cf the public, pre-
vent speculative holding of power sites,
provide for complete and proper devel-
opment and continuous operation, Sc
cure a return to the government for
the privilege granted, provide means
by which states and municipalities may
acquire power permits and prevent un.
just charges being placed on the con-
sumer.
improvements on the Forests.
The forests are being made increasing
ly accessible. More than $50 miles of
road nearly 300 miles of fire lines,
nearly 1000 miles of telephone lines,
and 1900 miles of trails were built.
The present value of all public i'm
provements on the forests is somewhat
over $3OOO,OOO, two-thirds of this
amount having been put into lines of
communication and protection.
Receipts from all sources for the
year were slightly under S2,5OO,OOO,
showing an increase of IA per cent
over 1912, while expenditures for ad-
ministration and protection were slight
ly over $46O0,0O0, showing decrease
from 1912 of two per cent. 1t is
pointed out that the work of examining
and appraising timber prior to sale is
seriously behindhand in some regions
and that larger receipts from timber
are contingent upon the funds that can
be made available for this purpose.
Although money for timbersale work
is necessarily substracted from what
is needed to protect the forests against
: fire improved organization of the fine
protective system has increased its
efficiency. Owing partly to favorable
weather conditions the total fire loss
was only $4,000, less than 10 per cent
Of last year, which was the best to
date.
The resident population Of the for
ests is given as nearly 100000, and the
transient population as over 100000
Recreation use of the forests is in
creasing greatly, and is in some places
giving rise to the need for careful
sanitary regulation in the interest OF
the 1900 cities deriving their water
supplies from streams protected by the
forests,
Money for the States.
Under existing law, 9j per cent Of
the gross receipts from the forests /,
is paid over to the states by the fed
cral government for the benefit Of
county schools aud roads. An add
tional 10 per cent is expended in
building roads and trails for the bcnc
fit Of the public. About $5S7OOO will
be available 70 rthe states during the
current year from last years receipts
besides $235,OOO provided for in the
road fund Altogether including spe.
cial funds to Arizona and New Mexico
the national forests provided nearly
$S67 900 to be expended for the benefi,
OF the states in which they are sit
uated
Appalachian Forests,
More than 100000 acres have been
acquired for national forest purposes
in the southern Appalachians and
White mountains Of which eonsiderab,
ny more than half was secured during
1918. These lands are being protected
against fire and the work Of the gov.
ernment has greatly strengthened local
sentiment against forest fires Some
$50 miles Of trail, to help in fire con