The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1922-06-22
WASHINGTON LETTER
BY j. E. Jones.
4 ROW IN THE ADMINISTRATION


1t was the original policy of the
United States Government to vest the
control of the public lands in the
Department of the Interior. Sec
rotary Fall of that Department, has
asked for the transfer of the Forest
Service from the Department of Agri-
culture to the Interior Department.
There are 12O,OO0,0O0 acres of miner
ais and timber lands in the Forest
Service, and the Department of Agri-
culture boasts of the fact that this
Service pays into the United States
Treasury nearly $3,000,000 annually.
The Department of the Interior is
chided because it has no appreciable
revenue from the handling of public
lands.
President Harding has indicated
that he approves of the transfer of
the Forest Service to the Interior
Department. The Secretary of the
Agriculture. has been threatening
to resign if this "indignitv" is placed
upon him. 1t has also been reported
time and again that the Secretary
of Interior would resign uless it
was done. These gentlemen, Messrs.
Fall and Wallace have many support
ers, and considerable of a political
issue has been made out of the
controversy. The fact that this is
one of the biggest matters that was
contemplated in the REIMBURSEMENT of
Government Bureaus in connection
with the plan of the Administration
put into effect when the Budget sys-
tenn was adopted, appears to have
been lost sight of. One would sup
pose from the reading of the daily
press reports that nothing was in
volved except the personal feelings
of the Cabinet officers. 1t is be-
Eeved that the President is looking
at the matter wholly from the point
of view of obtaining the best re-
suits in the manner of administration
irrespective of the personal feelings
Of his Cabinet ministers. But Con-
gress is not so liberal ,and the de-
bates bristle with charges and count
er charges about attempts to "steal
the natural resources of the coun-
try" manipulation "-and even
graft"
LOCKING UP NATURAL
RESOURCES
Secretary of the Interior Fall has
been accused by careless politicians
and writer's of being unfaithful to
his trust, because of the leases of
naval oil reserves, and an investiga-
ton has been started in the Senate
Inasmuch as it will proceed under
the direction of SenatorS LaFollette
it is certain that the worst will
out" President Harding has in
dorsed the action Of Mr.. Fall, and
this has apparently served to break
the force of the attacks upon the
Interior Department. Evidently Sec
rotary Fall is willing to accept every
responsibility that falls to the
head of the Interior Department. If
the Forest Service properly belongs to
his Department then he insists that
it should be lodged there. Not only
does he demand these things for
his Experimentation having them,
he wants these resources "put to
work" He believes that simply
because oil lands belong to the Gov
eminent is no reason why they should
not produce. This same frame of
mind caused him to make an exhaus-
tive report some months ago favor
ing the supper-power proposition
that would harness the waters along
the Atlantic coast and put them to
work in producing power.
For half a century most Of the
natural resources Of the country have
been successfully kept under lock and
key by men in public life who pro-
fesses so much honesty on their own
behalf that they could not permit
these resources to be utilized since
if they were the resources would be
stolen by somebody. In consequence
Alaska was not "looted'-it was de-
populated and ruined. Therefore
the great natural waterpowers have
been undeveloped, and the waters
are still singing their sweet songs
in competition with the birds, instead
of turning water wheels to relieve
the coal situation.
Whatever else one may think Of
Mr.. Fall there can be no doubt that
he has constructive plans. Appar-
emily he will insist on show down.