New-York tribune., 1921-12-23
Pinchot Condemns
Bills to Transfer
National Forests
Says Service Belongs Under
Agriculture Department,
Where Roosevelt Put
1t; Sees Interests at Work

The Tribune received yesterday a
letter from Clifford Pinchot condenning
The bills TO place the Forest Service
under the Department of the Interior
instead OF under the Department of
Agriculture, measures which The Trib-
uae criticized editorialiy in Mondays
issue.
Mr.. Piachot characterizes the De-
par.ment of the Interior as the gov
ernment's real estate agent and the
Department of Agriculture as its crop
expert, pointing cut that the Forest
Service manifestly belongs in the lat
ter department. The sole excuse Of
fared for the attempt to transfer the
service, he says. is that Alaskan rev
enucs arc decreasing. In reality. he
SAYS. Alaskan exports Increased 36s
ner cent between 1910 and 1920. while
in the same period the exports of the
entire country increased only $40 per
cent, despite the war boom. The true
purpose behind the bills, he asserts.
Is 'sto gobble up the natural resources
Of Alaska" His letter, in part. fol-
lows:
zone Of the great constructive
achievements of President Roosevelt
is in danger. A serious attack on the
United States Forest Service will soon
be in the news from Washington. In
The House the Curry bill H. r. 1864
and in the Senate the King bill Is.
s74o1 and the New bill s. 23S2l provide
for transferring the Forest Service in
whole. or in part, from the Department :
OF Agriculture to the Department of the
Interior. Hearings have beex held and
viii shertly be continued.
Forest Service Well Managed Now
IN the Department OF Agriculture
where they are now, the Forest Service
and the national forests are safe, and
50 we'll managed that (except tor GER
tain special interestsl they have won
the unanimous support Of the nation.
Their purpose is TO grow trees, and
they belong naturally IN the depart
ment which has to do with growing all
crops, including tree crops, from the
soil. Forestry is part OF agriculture
and is so recognized the world around.
''The Interior Department is the real
estate agent of the government. 1t IS
rot the business OF a real estate agent
TO grow crops on forest or farm. AS
matter of fact, when the Interior De-
psrtment had charge of the national
forests. years ago. they were so badly
handled that President Roosevelt was
forced to insist upon their transfer
TO the Department of Agriculture. The
modern progress OF forestry in Amer
ica dates from that change.
"tThe Forest Service has little busi-
ness with the Department of the In
terror and what it has is rapidly
diminishing. 1t has many times more
business with the other bureaus of the
Departnient Of Agriculture, and that
business is rapidly increasing. 1t is IN
constant and intimate cooperation
with every branch of the department
where it is now.
sThe Department of Agriculture has
much forest work to do outside the
national forests There are more acres
by twenty million in woodlots on farms
than in all the remaining pubic 90
r,airs II which the Interior Depart
ment has charge. If the Forest Service
we're transferred the Department of
Agriculture would be compelled to oulld
IN a similar organization, thus leading
to more duplication in the government
service instead Of less.
forestry is doing admirably where
it is. There is not one sound reason OF
any kind for the proposed transfer ~
is neither good administration, gooo
business nor good politics to undo
Raosevelt's work.
Denies Alaska Is Going Backward
SIT is we'll understood in Washing
ton that the same interests that at
tempted to gobble up the natural re-
sources of Alaska in Secretary Bal
linrer'g time are at it again. The best
stalking horse of the men behind the
grab is the claim that Alaska Is going
backward. The fact is that from 1917
to 1920 the exports from Alaska have
increased from si3,608,394 to $62, ,46S,-
096, or $50 per cent, while during the
same ten years the exports from tne
United States increased from Sl.eoo,-
25S,904 to $3,228 ,016,307, or $40 per
cent. Alaskan business has actually
been growing faster than the business
Of the United States, although the lat
ter has been increasing at rate With
out precedent in the worlds history.
"The national forests in Alaska, 1T
they can be saved, will produce two
million cords of puIpwood annually
Iva al tii1ict w CtiOOSh ~ S0FF@'-
third of the present needs of the
United States. The Forest Service in
the Department of Agriculture has
completed plans fer developing this
great resource in way to open 1T to
the public, but keep the grabbers out.
More than half our timber is gone
already. Only one-sixth of our virgin
forests remain, and they are being cut
at rate that will destroy them en-
tirely before twenty-five years Only
little more unrestricted forest devas-
tation will bring down upon US the
dangerous hardships of timber fam
me. The cost OF pulpwood and lumber
. already proof enough of the stage
70 which the scarcity has already ad-
yaneed and of what is still ahead.
Little has been heard OF all this
outside Of Washington. Unless the
trends of forestry take up this mat
Ter in earnest, it's enemies will win
out. Il they do. it will mean the ruin
o. the Forest Service, the wreck of
me movement for forest protection in
america and higher prices for forest
Iroducts Of every kind. 1t would seem
70 ne the wrong time to take chances
Wy, WIN forestry just now, when every
esesr-headed citizen knows that with
.ae utmost care we can hardly escape
.iost ..st serious trouble from the exhaus-
s'oh OF our forest supplies"