Evening star., 1935-07-15
P|NCHOT WARNS
OF FOREST DANGER
Says Bill Putting Control
in Interior Will Prove
Harmful Move.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
a-x,eal to YOU because the national
forests are again in serious danger.
Another attempt is under way to get
the national forests and the forest
work of the Government transferred
from the Agricultural Department,
where the forests are safe and the
work well done, back to the Depart
ment of the Interior. from which they
were taken because of wretched man
agement.
The present attempt is made under
cover of an effort (Senate bill 2665)
to change the name of the Interior
Department to the Department OF
Conservation and Public Works. The
transfer of the national forests and
the forest service is not mentioned in
the bill, but is planned for later on.
Sees Scheme Illogical.
Conservation is too broad subject
TO be confined to any one department.
Nearly all of them deal with it in
one form or another. A department
of conservation would be almost as
illogical as department of typewrlt-
ing or department of wastebaskets.
which everybody has to use.
The conservation policy itself, and
about every important conservation
movement for the last 80 years origi-
mated in the Department of Agricul-
ture. It has shown practical horse
sense in dealing with natural resources
intellieently. uprigntly and without
fraud or loss.
In contrast, the record of the In
terror Department is far and away the
worst in Washington. Every natural
resource. without exception. that has
been held for disposal by the Interior
Department-public lands. Indian
lands, coal, oil, water power and tim
ber-has been wasted and SQuandered
at one time or another. 1t is one
long story of fraud in public lands,
theft in Indian lands and throwing
the peoples property away.
Most of the fights for conservation
have been made to save natural re-
sources belonging to the people which
the Interior Department was throw
ing away. The national forests must
not 60 the same road.
Secretary of the Interior 1ckes is
sincere and honest, but he cannot
live forever.
Officials Are Friends.
1ckes is my friend Wallace is my
friend But the national forests could
not be better handled in the Interior
Department than in the Department
of Agriculture where they have been
safe for 80 years. What is the use
OF rocking the boat?
The Forest Service is completely
free from politics where it is. Ickes
himself is straight, but the whole
history of the Interior Department
is reeking with politics. The tradi-
tion of the Interior Department is
to put private interests first. The
tradition of the Agricultural Depart
ment is to put public interests first.
Wood is crop. Forestry is tree
farming. 1t belongs in the Depart
ment of Agriculture with all other
farming and production from the
soil
Undoubtedly if Secretary Ickes got
the national forests he would do his
level best. But he has more work
now than any other cabinet officer in
Washington. The national forests
are bigger than all the Atlantic States
from Maine to Virginia, inclusive.
Why put this additional load on
man who has too much to do already?
Let the national forests stay where
they are.
CLIFFORD pINCHOT.
Milford, Pa.