The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-05-08
On This
Occasion
A Few Observations on Matters
Material and Immaterial by
the Editor.

We don't know, but fully believe
that the fine Italian touch of the
Quetico-Superior Park people is notice.
able IN the letter written by a Min
neapolis man to Senator Shipstead
predicting the destruction of the prim-
tive area Of the Superior National
Forest at the hands of the Forest
Service who have authorized the cut
ting Of mature and down timber ON
100000 acres Of the 100000 acres IN
the wilderness or the roadless area
in the forest. Following this letter,
editorials appeared in the Twin City
papers along the same lines as spoken
Of in the letter and it appeares as if
the same person had his fingers in
the mess stirred up by some paid
agent to discredit the Forest Service
and other agencies not in favor Of
the park scheme.
The editor Of the Miner fully be-
Geves that the United States Forest
Service is doing valuable work on the
Superior National Forest and is con-
serving this eminent domain for the
benefit of all the people of the United
States. We are not in sympathy with
the movement TO place the Superior
along with the Quetico National Park
on the Canadian side, into one vast
park system, and excluding everyone
from its use, either commercial recre-
alton or industrial, in order to ap-
pease the ambitions Of high salaried
residents Of the Twin Cities, Illinois.
Indiana and Ohio, for a private recre-
alton spot.
It is also our opinion that an entire
new method of attack is being waged
by the park proponents. At a hearing
we attended two years ago when the
question was aired, We distinctly re-
member that it was stated by the
park adherents that "even if the
Superior National Forest becomes a
part of the Quetico-Superior scheme,
the status of the Forest Service would
not change and it (the Serviee) should
administer its part Of the domain
then, the same as now" After the
hearing, the editor suggested that if
the administration of the American
part of the set-up was satisfactory and
We have nothing to say Of the Cana
dian set-up on the Quetico, why organ
ize other hampering agencies with
their plethora of officers and COM
mittees but let the matter rest under
the present administration.
We thought that the matter would
be thrashed out on its merits by the
park pushers and that a give and
take attitude would govern with the
result of stopping the pickering. The
battle on the part Of the park bunch
has broken out anew and attention
has been shifted to attacks on the
Forest Service and its system OF a
sustained yield basis of timber farm
ing and selling TO maintain timber de-
mands of the mining industry, pulp
nils and wood working industries en-
ploying large forces of labor, not only
in the woods but in industrial centers.
The National Park laws are not
conducive to fostering industry in
either timber, farming. or mining.
According to park laws, those who have
built resorts in the forest would prob
ably lose their investment and the
resort properties would be farmed out
10 a concessionaire who could exact
high prices for privileges. Mining IN
a national park also is taboo. 1t would
be administered as park and not as
an industrial investment in timber.
mines or water power common to
National Forest.
Having been in the publicity bust
ness in this section Of the state Tor
the past 81 years we know that much
timber was wasted by the old timers in
making a living. were they employed
IN the woods; hewing a home out OF
the wilderness; in the logging camps or
in the mines. We can also state
that this waste" went on, up 20 the
time President Theodore Roosevelt
set aside several million acres into
what is known as the Superior National
Forest and the forest service, with its
sustained yield" basis of selling and
cutting mature timber came TO adj
minister the forest for the good or
the entire people; the same as Sweden.
Norway, Finland, Germany and other
European countries have done Tor