The Alaska daily empire., 1922-01-21
THE FORESTRY BILL.

Hearings opened before a House Committee Janu- ary S. on bill to jurisdiction of the Forest Service from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Interior attracting much attention throughout the country. In quarters there has been an attempt made 10 show that this is fight between the conservation interests represented by Pinchotism" in 1909 private ownership In real ty there is such fight. Those in favor of the transfer believe in all sincerity that inasmuch the Department Interior is charged with the control of public lands, coal, oil and areas it should have also jurisdiction the timer lands and in fact the water power sites There has been hint any time that under the Department of Interior any re inquishmen is contemplated of the rights held for the Federal Government under the Department of Asriculture At any rate, centralzaton seems to be the present aim rather than relaxation of Federal control As between the departments there seems be little choose either should be entirely cap able of carrying out the nations forestry policy.
 However, both lumbermen and paper and pulp interests opposed the transfer The argument advanced by both is in effect the same, that is for estry is essentially function of agrcuture-the growing ot trees crop from the soil-and thai view should be encouraged. Recently Clifford Pnchot is said to have made statement that lumber back bill for the transfer Dr. Wilson Compton, Manager of the National Lumber Manutact- urers' Association denied that assertion and said: While MT. Pinchot may know of individual lumberman CT timber who may favor the l, none. The lumber industry, far I informed is satisfied with the present administration of the Service Under Col William B. Greeley, Chief For ester, the Forest Service has been efficiently con- Gucted, with great benefit the public and in entire fairness to the lumber industry" Continuing the statement said:
 The lumber industry wants the Forest
 Service let alone It is doing a conspicuously
 effective service for the nation, and what
 ever MT Pinchot or others may think about
 it. the National Lumber Manufacturers As
 sociation would like to every unnecessary
 handicap and embarrassment removed from
 the work of the Forest Service The effort
 to separate the Forest Service from the De
 partment of Agriculture is regrettable. Sue
 of such effort would I believe be a
 misfortune
 On December 19, the American Paper Pr Association through its executive committee passed resolution opposing the proposed transfer for ( that believed that such a transfer " make for neither efficiency economy but rather disturb the present development forestry the working out of forestry problems that the ndu tries dependent upon the forests would suffer fro such dstuIbance' It declared that the scienH | problems confronting the Forest Service in handi forest lands and in developing better t forests are problems involving other bureaus Department of Agriculture close cooperation wi waieh could not be easily maintained with the Fore Service under the Department of Interior
 In substance these the arguments adyanc" by supporters and opponents of the transfer II Is more than unfortunate that what Aaskans knf as "Pnchotism' Should have been injected into t'i question. It does not lend strength to the case be made out for the Department of Interior nor does create sentiment for the Department of Agricutur
 The bill now under discussion should not be cc fused with the New bill the Curry measure, bot of which would the Alaska district of the Fore Service from the main bureau and place it under t. Department of the Interior regardless the Of the first mentioned bill. If the Alaska nation forests are to be continued such to be G&rded In the country's national forest policy, th unwisdom of such to be clearly parent. The Alaska district of the Forest Serv has not within itself the machinery handle the fey ostry problems. IL necessarily must rely on tl laboratories and experts of the parent bureau solution of many of them. The Department Of l. tericr does possess these facilities present will not unless the entire Service is transferre for Congress will hardly make provision for dupl cation in the Department of Interior of facilite already possessed by another department. The pense would be heavy for the benefits it i claimed would result.