The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-01-28
BORAH WANTS LAND
OPEN TO SETTLEMENT
LANDS IN FOREST RESERVES
SHOULD BE OCCUPIED
BY SETTLERS.

The Withholding from entry of large
agricultural land, by reason OF their
Inclusion in forest reserves, was Sc
yerely condemned by Senator Borah
Of Idaho, in brief speech made re-
Gently in the senate. The senator
condemned the reservation of agricul-
tural lands, not only because they
made the lands unavailable for settle
ment and development, but because
their inclusion in forest reserves in
creased the cost of forestry admins
tration. The remarks were made dur
ing consideration of the deficiency APP
ropriation covering the cost of fighting
forest fires.
Would Protect Forests.
Senator Borah declared that he had
never voted against what he believed
TO be a sufficient amount of money to
really protect the forest reserves. He
said he favored liberal appropriations
| for legitimate use in protecting the
forests But" he added, 1--WE discuss
here the protection of forests which do
not exist; that is to say we are guard
ing and surveillancing and superin-
tending thousands and thousands OF
acres upon which there are no forests.
These agricultural lands ought not to
be in the reserves, they ought to be
producing wheat and hay and fruit
and other things which people stand
in so much need of"
Service Acts Slowly.
Senator Borah admitted, under
questioning by Senator Chamberlain
that the forest service is now releasing
some agricultural land from the re-
serves, but releasing them slowly
But the senate, will recall" contln-
Iued Senator Borah addressing Sena-
tor Chamberlain, that when we be-
gan to demand the release of such
lands we were met with the statement
that there were no agricultural lands
to be released, and it has only been by
persistent presentation of the question
time and again that we have been able
to secure action in releasing agricul-
Itural lands.
Need of Open Lands.
"In my state there are counties
which are practically covered by for
est reserves; and it becomes ques-
ton whether or not the counties car
exist unless the land can properly b.
settled by homesteaders and people
can be induced to live there who are
willing to acquire title and to pa!
taxes to help sustain the government
and therefore we are persistently ask
ing that the agricultural lands be ex.
cluded from the forest reserves. WheT
you shall have done so you will re-
duce largely the amount of expendi-
lures which are now being made Fol-
that we contend and nothing more.
People Seek Homes.
1.-THE senator from Oregon contendet
that these lands belong to the people
/ agree with that proposition thorough
ly; but find that within the last five
years 100000 of these same people
who are as good citizens as we had II
this country, have gone into foreign
country and taken the oath Of allegi-
ance to a foreign government in order
to get lands upon which to build Their
homes, while we have thousands ant
millions of acres tied up in forest re.
serves. do not think l am opposing
the interests Of the people when ! in
sist upon the right of dedicating oul
agricultural lands to those who desire
to plant homes upon them. The bes'
service can give the people is to helr
the people get homes"