The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-10-14


.-4..A~, reported Aug. Ii, 1927, to
the lnIerlm commission on refOresta-
ZION that 1t eiAr.oys an average of
I.Uoz men at its mills and 5,lS6
men IN the wOOus. paying them an
nually in wages $z,4oU,UU0.
should Encourage Industry.
Such business Is neither to be
taken nightly nor .lgntly hampered
or destroyed. Such an Industry,
vitality affecting the welfare of the
state and the nves, prosperity and
OF so many peonin should
be encouraged anu not extermi-
naLeu.
If, therefore, you propose to
save In its primeval condition all
stanu.ng timber in some sections of
minnesota you should deslg iate
InaC secIlon at once, selecting an
-. -. ..4se enough so That your pro-
position will be of moment and
small enough so .nat it will be
feasible.
"navlng designated such an area
you should secure the legal descrlp-
Clon OF each unit, where the tract
is privately owned, the name and
ADDRESS of the owner and the value
OF his holdings. Then you should
secure from congress an approprla-.
ton sufficient to acquire these pri-
vate holdings through purchase or
condemnation. This should be fol-
lowed or preceded by congressional
action setting apart the tract you
designate for the purpose you have
In mind and similar legislative &C
Clon as to state-owned lands The
next step should be to secure from
congress and the legislature appro-
priaJions sufficient to make good to
the counties and lesser units of
government their loss in taxes and
TO the state trust funds their loss
in receipts from the sale of state
lands and forest products there
from.
"trivate owners. whether tinlber
operators or settlers, should be ade-
quately reimbursed. They have paid
for their land and their timber, pro-
tected their holdings from fire and
paid their taxes. 1t would be
grossly unfair to permit them
10 buy and maintain property and
thereafter deny them it's use and
enjoyment; to encourage logging
operations only to incite popular
clamor agaills. them; to foster the
timber industry only to destroy it.
Must Amend Laws.
eff you elect to adopt the first
named method and secure distinct
forest area in which trees shall be
grown but never cut, you should
select the area, get the appropria-
lions, acquire the lands, have them
set apart, and then amend tie fed
eral and state laws so that the tim
Der will be preserved and settlers,
timber operators and the public
alike will be informed and not de-
ceived.
"a second way to accomplish
your purpose will be to set apart
the desired tract as national park.
To do this your procedure will be
much the same as TO secure the for
est reserve, Your problems, your
results, and even your purpose, how
ever, will be different. If you de-
eide to secure a national park, you
will select a different area from
that you have discussed as perma-
nent timber reserve. You will seek
to preserve the beauties of lake and
stream as we'll as those of forest.
Whatever your ultimate views may
be, your representative thus far
have centered their efforts upon the
preservation of certain timber in
the northern part of Cook county.
If you favor national park. you
will not confine your attention to
the main section of the Superior
National forest or to Cook county.
but will study also the scenic
beauties, the wonders of lake and
stream and forest, along the inter
national boundary from Mountain
lake westward past Gunfint TO Saga
naga and Lac La Croix, including
territory in Lake and st. Louis
counties as well as in Cook county.
The creation of such a national park
will preserve for you and nosterity
the chief beauties of Minnesota's
wilderness. 1t will preserve the
timber, the lakes and stream, and
the wild life. all cherished elements
in any public domain and valuable,
tangible assets in the development
of tourist business. 1t will solve
the irritating problem of power
dams along the international bound
airy:
Therefore, your purpose in seek
ing a national park will be to save
all the beauties of the northland
rather than the Der alone, and
the result, if you succeed, will be
to preserve selected area in
Northeastern Minnesota, supervised
by the national park service of the
department of the interior and dedi-
Gated to recreation, instead of for
estry alone. An immediate, definite
result will be that you will receive
the support of many Thoughtful peo-
pie who approve the timber indus
try and resent attacks upon it but
will favor creation of a national
park which doesn't jeopardize Su-
perior National forest but will CO.
ordinate with it.
Face Many Problems.
whatever your decision, you will
be confronted with perplexin" prob
lems requiring solution before your
end can be obtained. Among them
are these:
81. Just what lands do you wish
set aside? When you have decided
YOU should confer with the
owners that logging operations
thereon may be postponed until
the federal government has had an
opnortunity 10 consider and act
"2. Whether you favor national
park or a forest reserve with log
gine forbidden, will you permit
the cuttin~ of mature, diseased,
fre-killed or blown down timber, or
do you favor letting it rot, total
loss to the unit of government
which owns it, fire menace and
detriment to the young growing
timber?
"3. Will you approve any agri-
cultural dorrn1 rrrif hin the 1-lr