The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-11-02

as applied to Indian timber and
Federal forest reserves.
Clifford Pinchot, the eminent
authority, declared that this bill
was a model forestry measure.
But model forestry measures
often mean a few cents extra on
the cost of logging by the power
full lumber barons. It seemed so
in this case. Henry Oldenburg.
of Carlton; confidential attorney
and agent for the Weyerhaeuser
interests, tinkered with that bill
until it resembled the original no
more than Sen. Nelson resembles
w. G.. Calderwood.
Vulpine Oldenburg's bill pro.
vided for a state forestry board,
consisting of nine members, ap'
pointed by the governor. Provi-
sion was made for a chief forester,
an assistant forester and such
rangers as money and inclinationi
of the board made possible. With
out going into details, the revised
act gave the chief forester and his
assistants almost unlimited discre-
tionary power as to burning the
slashings of the lumbermen and
providing fire breaks, either
around slashings or around towns
and villages.
In passing, it may be remarked
that the chief forester and his as
sistants usually have made it high
ly obligatory on farmers and small
loggers to burn their slashings
but the big lumbermen, the barons
Of the business, have done greatly
as they pleased. AS stated, town
ship after township can be shown
in Northern Minnesota where
slashings have laid a needless
length of time and not only never
have been burned but are not like
ly to be burned unless God sends
another tragic forest fire.
AS stated, the act was men.
datory in it's provisions as to rail
road companies. The Duluth, Mis-,
sabe & Northern Railway and the
Duluth & Iron Range R. R. have
closely observed the law as to
keeping right-of-way clean, patrol.
ling the tracks and installing
|spark arresters on the locomotives
The 500 Line, from Moose Lake
westward, has not properly OBJ.
served requirements. Ten days
before the terrible tragedy at
Moose Lake, Kettle River and
other points, Forest Ranger w. P,
Swedberg sent a most insistent
report to headquarters in St. Paul
as to danger from fires. He made
a most exact prediction as to what
would happen if prompt action
were not taken. The disaster came
in time and manner as predicted
by one faithful ranger. It is al
legged that either the governor or
the forestry board showed the re-
port in a pigeon-hole without any
further action.
Senator Cheadle is credited with
being father of the revised act of
1911 in the state senate. z. D.
Scott, Duluth lumberman, was
prominent in the formation and
passage Of the bill, if memory fails
not.
In 1913 the membership of the
board was, viz:
e. G. Cheney, St. Anthony
Park: W. B. Douglas, St. Paul :
John Lind. Minneapolis; Henry
Oldenburg. Carlton; q. D. Scott,
president, Duluth; w. H. Tomlin-
son, LIE Sueur; A. G. Wedge, Jr.,
Bemidii: A.. F. Woods, St. An
thony Park; G. c. Andrews, Sec
rotary.
Messrs. Woods and Cheney were
connected with the state forestry
school. Henry Oldenburg, j. H.
O'Neil, q. D. Scott and A. G..
Wedge, Jr., either were powerful
lumbermen or trusted agents Of
lumber corporations.
W. T. Cox was appointed chief
forester. He then was an assist
ant in the national forestry serv-
ice, stationed at Washington and
drawing only 81, 800 a year. He
was given a salary Of 50, 900 a year