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Show MONDELL ON FAKE FORESTRY. Wo print this morning on this page the closing of a speech dolivered by Mr. Mondcll of Wyoming in tho House of Representatives ou Wcducsday, Fobrli-ary Fobrli-ary 3rd, on tho operations of tho Bureau of Forestry. Mr. Mondcll makes the same charges against tbo forestry service that havo boon made from time to time editorially edi-torially in The Tribune. Mr. Mondell cites as tho first thiug to bo eliminated from tho control of tho forestry service, ser-vice, tho areas of unforoslod land; that is, tho forestry scrvico should not bo a grass-selling service or a grazing proposition, but should attend to tree culture and forestry. Tho forestry service, ser-vice, however, has brought within its control practically all of the mountain moun-tain grazing areas of this western country. Thoro aro not now ou theso grass areas anj- trees; thoro wore novor any trees on thorn, so far, at least, as tho kuowlcdgc of the prcsont inhabitants in-habitants extends; there is uot likely to be any trees on fhem. Tho forestry scrvico does uot plant trees on them, but busies itself with collecting a grazing graz-ing tax from. tho owners of herds of sheep and of cattle, that eat thp growing grow-ing grass. No doubt the forestry scrvico scr-vico would consider tho foYcstatiou of these areas a great cnlamity, for tho forests very naturally would kill that grass and tho revenue from tho grazing graz-ing lax would cease. But a forestry servico which would thus necessarily lament the growth of trees is surely a misnamed service. Next, Mr. Mondell would have the forestry service "give less attention to a score or more of commissions for the general uplift with which it has been associated, and pay moro attention atten-tion lo the forestry business." But that is precisely what the forestry service ser-vice is determined not to do. It takes up all sorts of fads, getting its revenues from tho owners o'f livo stock, and being determinedly opposed to the growth of trees on the grazing preserves. pre-serves. Nominally a Forest Bureau, it is, in fact, a bureau to prevent tho forcstatiou of vast grazing areas of tho mountain country. To bo sure, thoro never woro any trees on these grazing areas, but if the forestr' service serv-ice wero true to its name it would relcaso those areas, or endeavor to havo trees grown on them; tho .very thing which it is determined to prevent. Mr. Mondcll considers, further, that tho forestry sorvice "ought lo stop trying to maintain its popularity by lending a laboring oar to every man's fad and fancy, and by attempting attempt-ing to stand in with great interests, and pay its attention to looking after the common, c'verydaj' citizen who lives in aud around and adjacent to its reserves." Which is all true enough. But if it did that, whcro would iho Forestry Bureau get its tremendous sentimental support among tho -Eastern peoplo upon which it so confidently relics re-lics for its approval, perpetuation, and, in fact, for its very existenco itself ? And if tho Forestry Bureau did this that Mr. Mondell recommends it lo do, what would bo the use of tho tremendous tre-mendous clipping bureau and tho cx-ploitaton cx-ploitaton of its "great work" through tho press? Mr. Mondell seems to bo of tho opinion that tho Forestry Bureau should depend for its approbation and support upon the approval of the peoplo peo-plo of this wostern country, with which it has, or ought to have, inti-mato inti-mato connections and relations. That, however, as the forestry officials know full well, is an utlor delusion. The real business of the Forestry Bureau is to set up a pretense that will capture cap-ture tho Eastern sentimentality and mako tho owners of stock in tho West pay for tho boosting of the forestry work which thus appeals so forcibly to tho Eastorn people, and is so exasperating exasperat-ing to thoso who actually come in contact con-tact with it. Finally, Mr. Mondcll says of tho forestry service that "above all, it ought to cease its propaganda on behalf be-half of a variety of meddlesome, paternalistic, and centralizing schemes and policies which aro offensive lo a large number of people, and pay more attention to its own particular knitting." knit-ting." Good, common senso talk, that, but not suitable for the actual work of the bureau. For where would tho bureau get its support if it did not lend its ear to every man's "fad aud fancy," stand in with tho great interests, in-terests, engage in propagandas on behalf be-half of "meddlesome, paternalistic, and centralizing schemes and policies," and all that sort of thing! It is plain that Representative Mondoll has a wholly different idea about what tho -Forestry Bureau should do than tho idea ontertained by Mr. Pinchot, who is at the head of that bureau. We commend tho plain, straightforward, straightfor-ward, common-sODSC talk of Ropresen tative Mondell to all concerned. Tho Sheep Growers' Association of Idaho spoke practically on the same lines, and tho outgiving of the National Sheepmen's convention was to the same purport, and all of these, including includ-ing Mr. Mondell 's protest, arc in di- ' roct line with the criticisms that i Tho Tribune has been making on this forestry servico for two or three 3'ears past. And we rejoico that others are coming to a practical knowledge of the things that we have been criticizinc. aud arc giving expression to prolcsls ' agaiust the evil meddlesomeness of the forestry service and its lack of atton- ' tiou lo the work for which nominally ! it was instituted. j |