Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-03-07
FOREST POLICY
BRINGS CLASH
Of AUTHORITY
Secretary Of Interior
Charges Propaganda
Campaign Under Way
Controversy Hinges on
Bills Now Pending for
Development of Alaska

Washington, March 6.-The public
lands Of the United States should be
under the full control of the depart
ment of the interior or Of the agricul-
ture department and not partially un-
der both. as at present, Secretary Fall
said Monday, discussing the contro-
versy over the question Of jurisdiction
over the forest service.
Bills now are pending in congress
for the transfer Of forest reserves, es-
pecially in Alaska, now controlled
through the forest service by the de-
partment Of agriculture. to the inter-
ior department. because of the oil and
mineral deposits in the reserves. This
legislation has led to considerable con-
troversy.
Secretary Fall, in making his posi-
ton clear on the question, attacked
what he termed propaganda cam-
paign" Of ythe~.American Forestry as
sociation against his policy with re
gard to forest reserves on the public
domain in Alaska. Secretary Fall
said he did not want it understood that
he opposed the forestry policy of the
forest service. He said, however, that
he was opposed to selling timber from
the public domain to China and Japan.
that he would not permit any of the
timber thus cut to be taken out of
the United States. and that he would
not permit the cutting of timber at the
head waters of rivers.
Makes No Charges
The secretary added that he did not
charge that the forest service was
cutting timber for the purpose of sell
ing it TO China and Japan, but that this
was the ultimate disposition OF much
timber that had been cut for com
mercial purposes in this country.
The interior department, Secretary
Fall said, under the law has jurisdic
ton over all public lands Of the Unit
ed States with the exception Of the
forests on such lands, and has control
even over these forest lands with re-
spect to everything except the tim
ber.
As the dual control works out in
practice, he declared. two surveys are
made whenever mineral or oil land
which happens to be on a forest re- |
serve comes up for entry or lease, !
one by the land office and one by the |
forest service, before the patent can |
be granted by the interior department. |
The forest service he said. will not |
accept the land office survey. AL
though the interior department has full
control over all Of its lands, he said,
the forest service "steps in TO deter
mine whether there is oil or not
One Of the Other
IF congress does not think the inte
rior department should do this work,
then it should give the work to the
department of agriculture, SO only one
department would have it." the secre-
tary added. The secretary of the in
terror. Mr.. Fall said, recently has
been the target of the American For
ice Of the agricultural department in
connection with the bills before con-
gress for development of Alaska and
The transfer of all control Of the pub
lie domain to the interior departm ent.
In letter written to the chairman
Of one of the principal committees
OF the house Of representatives 1.-THE
name was withheldl, Secretary Fall
disclosed that recently. when out of
the city, he had given telegraphic per-
mission to his assistant secretary at
attention of President Harding the
impropricty ito say the least) Of the
activities of the forest service and
Clifford pinchot of the American For
estry association in making a vicious
and unwarranted attack upon the head
of n coordinate department Of the
government"
Quotes Colonel Greeley
Secretary Fall quoted in the letter
nm article by Colonel f. b. Greeley,
chief Of the forest service. appearing
in press sheet from the American
association, with the headline
to the effect that Colonel Greeley
challenged a plan to get control over
Alaska forests" !
mot content with such ridiculous ]
and plainly vicious efforts" Secretary
FaI! wrote, propaganda has been con-
tinued."
The entire conflict he said, in ex-
olanation of his letter, was brought
lbcut through his approval of bills now
before congress authorizing the presi- e
lent to coordinate the duties Of the j
bureau which now have jurisdiction
,yer the property and activities of the c
ederal government in Alaska and under n
me bill transferring them to the inte- io
i0r department. d
He asserted that his department had e
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