Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-03-30

this right of investigation gives an out
side check and prevents any wholesale
grabbing.
GUGGENHEIM
SCHEME UNCOVERED.
1t was through this function that the
Bureau of Forestry uncovered the Gu
genheim scheme several years ago and it
was able to- arouse sufficient public in
terest to Illustrate the 'plans Of that min
ing syndicate which were not questioned
by the Department Of the Interior.
The Forestry Bureau, its officials say.
has followed a strict policy Of preserving
the national forests, allowing timber to
be cut only in amounts that would not
Cenude the forests for the future. !
One result Of turning this bureau over
to the Interior Department would be,
they allege, to OPEN it up to homestead
settlement which, unless rigidly re-
.stricted, would nibble away the precious
timberland and leave the country short
of lumber in future years.
DISTINCTION
BETWEEN FUNCTIONS.
The Interior Department functions as
a real estate bureau interested chiefly In
lawful disposition Of the lands, forestry
officials say, whereas the Department of
Agriculture is interested in the land from
a productive point of view. This funda,
mental difference Of function, 1t Is al,
legged, is sufficient reason for leaving the
forests in 'the hands Of those who are
chiefly concerned with~their preservation
rather than their disposition,
Fab charges 10 this Forestry Bureau
keeps the forest lands locked UP tight
against development is denied by De-
partnent Of Agriculture officials. How
ever, in the Alaskan forest reserves alone
~lOO,OO0,000 million feet of lumber is being
cut yearly under the direction Of the For
estry Bureau, it Isl said. Private indi-
yiduals md lumber concerns buy humber
designated by forestry experts and cut II
Government supervision which
aims at perpetuation Of the forests. Ex-
perts estimate that 500,0 900 feet, five
times the present annual cutting, could
be safely cut without impairing che per
-manency of the forests. Lack Of demand
Is the only thing now that holds the an
nual lumber yield down, they assert.
PLACE TO SECURE
LUMBER IS ALASKA.
III Secretary Fan wants more lumber
cut, they argue, he is perfectly free to
have 1t done on the % per cent of the
Alaskan forests which are under his ex-
elusive jurisdiction and which the For
estry Bureau has nothing whatever to
do.
X One of me reasons advanced most FIRE.
quently for the shift Of the Forestry
Bureau is that II would reduce the over
tapping, and divided authority in Alaska
and bring all the forests under one head.
O~yer-thirty Government bureaus and de-
partments have to do with Alaska, and
Secretary FAN believes this fs a serious
handicap to development and admins
tratisn there.
Forestry officials reply that while this
seems like a reasonable complaint, that
In practice it is impossible to get away
from overlapping and division Of author
ity.
Both sides agree on one point-that
there is too much long range govern
ment in Alaska and that government
routine ought to be simpnfed so that
the MAXIMUM amount df business could
be transacted on the spot without appeal
to Washington for approval.
RESERVES PLACED
IN INTERIOR IN 1891.
The Forestry Bureau claims this has
beer done with its businessl so far az
the law permits. Digging back into
ancient history, forestry officials say
that the forest reserves were originally
placed under the Department Of Interior
back IN 1891. but after fifteen years
experiment. Congress decided to place
them In the Department OF Agriculture.
whore they have since remained. One
OF the first reforms instituted after the
transfer. It ia claimed, was to aboIish
the system Of passing on grazing per-
mits at Washington and allowing the
forestry agents in the field TO authorize
them.
Charges are made that the Forest
Service IS inconsiderate in dealing with
settlers, refusing TO stretch regulations
where individual cases warrant excep-
lions to prevent undue hardship.
Local settler are allowed to Craze
milch cows and work horses on the ma
tlonal forests free Of charge wit bout
permit or formality OF any kind" W. b.
Greeley. CHIEF forester, declared in deny
ing these allegations. 1.-THE whole
grazing policy Of the Forest Service IA
vors the settler and requires large own