| OCR Text |
Show H FOREST POLICY IS RIGHT. m j New York Sun: A few days ago B j the Sun copied from a Colorado paper 5 an editorial article declaring that p "the entire west Is Justly indignant at n President Roosevelt's forest rescrvo s policy" because, In addition to other ftm jj alleged.evlls, it '.'establishes a system BftV it as obnoxious and oppressive as Eng- I llsh landlordism In Ireland." Let us I see how this complaint woiks out ftV along the lino indicated by the com- plalnant. H Our Rico contemporary admits that BB'' the ostensible purposo of the forest BB reserve act Is "to preserve the forests BBl unci conserve the water supply." It is BBl dlfllcult to see what reasonable objec- BBa tion can be made to such a purpose. BB' Our forest areas and our water supply BB a:e matters of vital Importance to the BH entire country. Rut this complainant, BH assuming the right to speak for "the BK entire west,"" .declares that In the BH "practical application" of this act BB "the government's chief purposo BB seems to bo to squeeze every cent It BBl can out of the settlers wlio have made BH their homes in the vicinity of the for- BB est reserves." They are charged a BBB. ' fee if they graze their cattle on gov- Icrnment land, charged a fee if they cut government timber, and are charged "a fee for this and a feo for that, and these fees go to swell a surplus sur-plus in tho national treasury." These poor vlotlms of government oppression havo obtained their homesteads home-steads from tho United Statcaon easy terms. They aro now indignant because be-cause they cannot pasture their cattle on publio lands or cut trees in the public forest without paying for the privilege. Tho principle involved Is entirely clear. If government land and publio forests In Colorado or any other part of tho west aro freo for the v use of residents of their vicinity so nro government lands elsewhere. Tho logical extension or this proposition BM ' would glvo the people of Washington BB ( the right of free pasturage for cows in Bl j the White House lot and permit them, BBV j , ' without charge or fee, to chop down BB the trees on Hie Mull for, lire wood. BB i Our forest laws and Tjur public land BB , inns nro greatly In nerd of thorough BBl levisiuii, The people uro coming, al- BB though slowly, to realize this faot. BB r The movement in the direction of BB , such revision encounters bitter and BB determined opposition from thO30 BB whoso Interests, In somo cases merely BB ) selfish, and In som! cases actually BB criminal, have profited by the laxity BB h. and the confusion of the laws as they . BB now stand. H Among the opponents of legislation BB j in the publio interest are these people BH ( who arc so "Justly Indignant" becauso BB f , they are net permitted to take or to BBf I use government property without pay- BB ingforlt |
