The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-03-30
The Peoples PatrimOny.
Washington Post. J

The inquiries made by the Commission delegated
to map out a reorganization of the executive depart
ments arc said to have many glazing incon-
sstences and inexcusable sources of extravaganza
The report of the Commission is in the hands OF
President Harding and when published it is expected
Ito create sensation because of its recommendations
for sweeping changes.
single example Of inconsistent grouping of
activities and the evils resulting therefrom is furn-
Forest Service in relation to the Department of the
Interior. The Forest Service is in the Department
Agriculture and the principal arguments in favor
of its retention there that it is allied with agri-
Iculture and is in touch with other bureaus of De-
partment of Agriculture, such as entomology plant
industry, etc But the bureaus of the Interior De-
partment in closer touch with those bureaus
lof the Department of Agriculture The Reclamation
Service aside land for model farms to be de-
Iveloped by the of the Department of Agrcu
ture and the Indian Office General Land Office, Geo
logical Survey, and other Interior bureaus I'M
constant with the Department of Agriculture
Inconvenience of all sorts results from the attempt
Ito administer public lands by two executive depart
ments. The Forest Service fails and refuses to CO.
loperate with bureaus in the Interior Department.,
with serious damage stockmen lumbermen, miners,
formers and others who have right to expect
square dcai from the government. The lack of
central authority in Washington makes it impossible
to coordinate the activities of the bureaus that
lcreated lCr the public welfare.
The Department of the Interior created for
the purpose of administering and developing the
parimony of the people of the United States Broadly
speaking, the chief duty of the Interior Department
is to look after the public lands 1t has jurisdiction
over homesteads, mineral lands, non-mineral lands,
Indian reservation, irrigation projects surveys,
tonai parks Alaskan lands, etc The evident intent
Iof the creators of the Interior Department to
place under jurisdiction all authority over the
public lands. But the Forest Service gradually
expanded in the Department of Agriculture and trans
formed from research into administrative bureau
with the result that constant friction has prevailed
The Forest Service dictates the course of roads
within the national forests. prevents the con-
struction of highways which required in the
public welfare 1t halts farmers COW in search of
drink OF water at a spring lying few feet within
forest area 1t denies to pioneering farmer the
right to acquire few feet timber adjoining his
homestead 1t sells off the timber a mining
claim, denying the timber the miner who must
send sometimes thousands of miles for few sticks
OF timber which might have been cut from his
claim 1t disposes of timber to foreign countries at
time when domestic needs unsupplied. 1t does
additional forest to replace that which is
cut, but clngs to lands which not foresed AT all
and refuses to permit them to be opened for homes.
The chaotic conditions resulting from divided
authority ever the public lands should be ended
with. The reorganization commission has recon-
mended that the forests be administered by the De-
partmont OF the Interior just other lands are ad
nllnlstered, whether mineral, desert obearng agri-
cultural or Indian lands. The commission takes the
positicn winch seems to be logical unassa able
that one authority should be exercised over public
lands without regard to the particular nature of the
lands Only by this method there be coordination
| IN the various services When the question arises
whether particular piece OF land is forest agricul-
tural mineral what not central authority
should decide. The question surveys is most i'm
portant in connection with the public lands and it is
most damaging to the public interest that the Geo
logical Survey and the Forest Service survey should
! follow conflicting systems
IL 10 nlgh time that political and personal aims
should give way to public interest the reorganiza
ION OF the bureaus pertaining the public lands of
the United States Alaska Is locked IN useIase
treasure house, while thousands of enerprisng Am
eflcanS are deprived Of the opportunity to build them
serves MONIES IN that great region. A few million
acres remain which could be transformed into homes
in the continental United States the lands sutabIa
ior agriculture could be wrested from the dead
grip oil the Forest Service which neither utilities rho
aha -or permits others to utilize them Roads should
De Du.it 10 accommodate growing populations throush
out the western areas mines should be opened which
are nov closed because of imaginary forest uses ar
because timber is denied to the miners forests should
De started in areas which the Forest Service claims
10 De unsuitable fer forests; water supples now
lnaValple should be made available to the naona. |
forests IN watersheds and catchment areas shouId no
projected ana the so-called national forests should
De oVerhaued for the purpose excluding from them
ehe lands that are not forested and never win he
orested. i VIII NC
congress VIII have the reorganization commissions
report IN due time, with the Presidents recomma,ao
uons 1t is to be hoped that the people win he qven
IN opportunity to make their land heritage avaahla
for proper use. 'o'e