The Washington herald., 1922-06-14
Fight May Bring Wallace
More Power, Says
Rep. Haugen.
SUSPICION FOLLOWS
INTERIORS EFFORTS
Transfer to Agriculture
Believed Will Allay
Scandal Charges.

Continued efforts OF Secretary OF
Interior Fall to secure control Of
the United States Forest Service
from the Department OF Agriculture
may not only lose for him that bu-
reau. but. according 10 Representa-
Z tive Gilbert n. Haugen. chairman
I Of the House Committee on Agri-
culture. will result in all public
lands being taken from the Interior
! Department and placed with Secre-
tary Wallace.
Aroused by reports that the
Presidents Endorsement OF Secretary
Falls proposal would be followei
/ by the resignation OF Secretary
| Wallace. agricultural elements in
! Congress are said to be solidly op-
I posed TO any move to partition the
| Agriculture Department. Not only
/ have the efforts OF the Secretary
/ OF Interior angered members. but
his insistence that the Forest Serv-
/ ice be placed in his control. IL Is
/ reported. has aroused suspicion as
Z to its disposition For this reason.
I II is stated, there is considerable
/ agitation in Congress TO remove
I that part OF the national wealth
/ represented by the public Lands
| and place il with the Department
/ Of Agriculture.
Would Remove Charges.
Should this be done. Representative
Hsugen pointed out Il would not o.lfr
remove the charges OF public LAND
scandal from the Department OF In
terror. but would allow the AgricUl-
ture Department to apply the same
methods Of development to puplic
lands that il has to the forests
Whereas the Forest Service pays into
the United States Treasury Tres r-g
ss.ooo,ooo annually. IL is stated TIE
public lands furnish no revenue On
the other hand. says Mr.. Haugea.
their administration costs several
times that OF the forest LANDS.
| While this move has been under
consideration for some time. Re--a-
sentative Haugen indicated yesterday
that recent efforts 10 transfer con-
i troll OF the forests to the Interior
Department have increased the proh7-
httty o. attempting to turn the tables
On Secretary Fall And accord
| ing TO TIE chairman Of the AEr-~l. o.
tural Committee there is suflc.oat
support in the House 10 pass a uiu
| removing the public lands from tn..
/
] VI fhe-n is arv shsu~o To hn r---r -
IL should be to take public lands frov,
Fa. and place Ehe.a Iu the r,... .-
lnent Of Agriculture Eepresenlat.yg
Haugen said.
Falls Plan 10 Fail.
Whether the proposal. to trans
Ter the forests comes bv Wa % q
reorGanizstio bnl y th.u,fgb on.
Of the bills now in Corr-..s In
rese5tative Haugen made ~ ri.f-
that f. has small chance ~ pa ..
| appl a. Of the measure g.. rrr
| PreSid "rt. he stated wnufH 's.a
little effect 50 strongly arc mam-
| bers elTosed To- the change.
The recent indorS"m,nf by tie
| President Of SeCre sry I'a.I'S a.
tiol in leasing the naval oil r.-
serves is reported to have cary..I
uneasiness among ConCrcssior.-I
leaders. Inasmuch as the ronrrn-
versy over the oil lands has br.a
linked with efforts to Obtain a..
forest lands. fear is express, 1rst
| this indicates that the preSlrus.
also will approve the plan 70 tFars-
fer and open the forest reserves 20
| exploitation.
According to Representative Har-
| gen. Secretary Falls repeated ~
1 forts to gain control Of the natural
| Resources have strengthened deter
| mination Of members Of Congress "a
have his motive revealed. Moreover,
u. was stated. his attacks on the rr-
| hcIency of the Agriculture Depart
| ment have not been substsntIatcd
Secretary Fall has made charEc-
against the Forest Service. which
do not believe can he supported. II
] ' q. al =.
! to partition the Agriculture Depart
ment: il Secretary Wallace is being
| forced into an embarrassing situa-
tion. we want 10 know the reason"
i Representative Haussn declared.
! VIII Embsrr... wallace.
! Commenting on the reported g..
! tention Of Secretary wallace % re-
sign in event the proposal Of Secr--
tary FAN to acquire the forest lands
rs approved by the President, ReprsN
sentative Hsugen said: While I 10
| not personally know this is Mr..
Il Wallacs's intertion. I recognize the
position he would be in should the
! President take sides with Secretary
Fall. / feel howSv@r. that regard
less of whether Secretary Fall has
the approval of the President the
\ transfer will not he made. And ~
j this Is true. the freslOenl = apI1foNaA
I could mean nothing less than a re-
| quest for the resignation OF secre-
i tary wallace"
Support for the Department OF
/ Agriculture in it's hEht to retain
1 the Forest Service Is contained in
q letter from the National Lumber
Manufacturer Association to the
1 American Farm Bureau Federation
made public last night The letter
states In part:
we believe that the American
Farm Bureau Federation. other
farmers Organizations and the
farmers press are right in Insist
ing that the Forest SerYioe shall
remain in the Department Of Agri-
i culture. Two decades ago we
might have considered this less i'm
portsnt. Standing timber was not
then Of sufhcient value to invite
refereststion. Now. however. the
first growth of timber is being
cleared. The national problem OF
reforeststion' is upon us. The IA
cilities and economic ideals Of the
Department OF Agriculture are
clearly much better suited to ef-
Loctive progress toward a souna
national progress than those Of the
department Of the IntsrT.-