Evening star., 1922-03-12
SEES IGNORANCE
.|NFAL[:'SP0S|H0N I:
Vice President Of American
'Foresters Attack Plan for
Bureau Shift.

Secretary Falls proposal for
transfer Of the forest service from
the Department of Agriculture to
the Interior Department was scored
by H. II. Chapman, in q statement
last night, as vice president Of the
Society of American Foresters.~ This
body, Mr.. Chapman said. had gone
on record as strongly opposing the
transfer" and he added that similar
action had been taken by the
American Association for the Ad-
vancement Of Science ands many
The. Society Of American. Foresters.
he explained. is professional
organization Of foresters, and has no
connection with the United States
forest service.
showed ian astonishing Ignorance
of the facts wholly inexcusable in a
cabinet officer" He charged that the
Secretary's statements ,create a
situation prejudicial to the public
interest"
Assnils Plan for Veterans.
Attacking Secretary Falls pro,
posal to give veterans OF the world
war homesteads to develop our
was apparently not the minerals OF
Alaska, which he does control, but
the timber in it's national forests.
which is not subject to his juris-
diction, that the Secretary refers TO
by developments" He added that q
shift of those forests to the Interior
Department. which the Secretary
sought, would not suffice to permit
the timber to be given away unless
the fundamental laws conserving
the national forests also were
abolished.
The problem of timber cutting on
mining claims would not be better
solyed by transfer Of the timber to
the Interior Departments Mr.. Chap
man said, for the facts are tnat NO
timber Is ever sold by, the 1orest
service from mining claims unoer
any circumstances.
Grazing Land Policy.
Replying to Secretary Falls Dues
tion, why should there be SO muen
range land in forests" Mr.. chapman
called attention to an absolute agree
ment" between the secretaries OF m
terror and Agriculture in 1910 unoer
which "all grazing lands whfch were
not Of greater value for forest pro-
lection or production were to be elm,
mated from the national forests and
restored to the public domain. THIS,
policy had been rigidly adhered 70.
with the single exception OF the Ionto
forest in Arizona, Mr.. Chapman SAID,
! and that land had been withdrawn TOT
protection OF the Salt river irrigation
project.
Ranges should be given a rest, ao.
nNtted Mr.. Chapman. declaring tnat
sitch a policy had been carried out py
experiment in New Mexico under the
forest service Itself. and suggesting
that unde- his own administrator
Secretary Fall had 7G.U0O.0O0 acres OF
Indian lands where such a pollcy
could be put in operation.
Points to Denuded Watershed.
Replying to Secretary Falls asser-
tion that timber should be conserved,
not cut from watersheds valuable Tor
power or irrigation, Mr.. Chapman
charged that the Secretary had per
mitted cutting on the White Mountain
Apache reservation in Arizona. head
" aters Of Salt river project. ana thae
the cutting, together with resultant
fire. had "denuded the area past all
hone Of recuperatioH."
In concluding. Mr.. Chapman declared
Secretary Fall had yet to learn that
the days Of improvidence. waste and
prodiRal extravaganza with our pubic
forest resources are over. as long a.
our national forests remain where
they are, and that the sponsors of the
forest service which he seeks to con-
troll are the people OF the United
States"