| Show it RES I FIR FIRES S ARE STARTED DELIBERATELY I SUSPICION M MIS ll IS CAU CAUSE OF f Government to Investigate Rumors Rumor Indicate That Fires Were Started to Improve Grazing Lands LandsA upon persistent rumors rumors rumors ru ru- ru- ru A ACTING mors emanating from Idaho to the effect that many of the forest fires burning in that state have been deliberately started for forthe forthe forthe the purpose of burning off dead range and speeding up a new growth g of ot grass government officials in this city are are cont contemplating an Investigation tion into the truth of th the charges Millions 1 of dollars In timber have been destroyed and thousands of men are working in the mountains to check th the conflagrations yet vet new fires are re constantly springing up in remote areas it is said the origin of 01 them being of 01 such mysterious nature as to strongly sug suggest est Despite the fact that frantic appeals were sent out by br the state government government government govern govern- ment of Idaho for federal I aid in money and men to stop the fires and the further fact that Davis of Idaho is now in Washington asking for special appropriations from congress for fire fighting purposes it does not appear that everybody In the Gem State is of oV the same mind re regarding regarding regarding re- re garding the seriousness of the situation situa situa- tion The following remarkable statement statement statement state state- ment purporting to have been made by E E. H H. Hasbrouck state director of Idaho for the United States employment employment employment em em- service and published in inthe inthe inthe the Boise Statesman of July 30 gives another angle to the proposition Mr Hasbrouck Is quoted as follows LABOR SITUATION CRITICAL The labor situation in southern Idaho at this time is verging on the critical The labor that is depended I upon to gather the second cutting of liny ty y and from that going into the I grain and fruit harvests is not here I and unless efforts are made to recruit outside help there may be a serious loss of crops The rhe men we have been depending upon to do this work have been taken out to fight forest fires and there are no others to take their places I The Tho dangers ers of losses in remote districts districts districts dis dis- dis- dis like Thunder mountain are greatly exaggerated and the fires in these districts are not apt to do the government or anyone else any very great damage The timber on those lands would never get to market in years and the tho fires are simply making a per cent better sheep range MORE FIRES REPORTED Coincident with the receipt of this statement sent by a federal official in Boise to other federal officials in inthis inthis inthis this city is a letter setting forth Continued on page 3 3 I I Continued from page 1 1 the fact that a great fire is raging I in Penn basin in Valley county and that another one ten miles long with front of four miles is progressing rapidly in the valuable timber on Indian creek on the south fork of the Salmon Two small fires are also reported on Pistol creek and one on Marble The letter continues that the writer has talked to many people in the I section where men are working to stem the tide of fire and It is openly charged and generally believed I that the fires are of deliberate origin I |
