Show LOOT PUBLIC FORESTS the recent controversy in th house of representatives between gifford alfford Phi chot chief of the forestry bureau and congressman smith called attention to the fact that the umber timber thieve who are trying to loot what la IF left of jhb national forest forest domain havo have carried their fight from tho ibo senate to the lower charn chamber bee says the san francisco call it seems to havo have been committed in the lions bouso 0 to the hands bailas of 0 congressman avondell of wyoming by whose side smith was fighting when pinchot swooped down upon him the preservation of the national forests es is Is a matter of vital interest inhere st but in in order to tako take an intelligent part in the battlo to bavo bave them from the urn tim ber b or thieves it la Is necessary to know first of all who the timber thieves aro are how they are operating and what la a being done to circumvent their rapacity those particulars wore were explained by stewart edward white the well known novelist in an article entitled the fight for the forests I 1 published in the january american alag magazine azine tho the fol following loving extracts are taken from that article national forestry in this country began with Clev elands administration when that executive under tinder authority from congress set aside certain forests from the national lands the act was a wise one handicapped harI capped by an unfortunate baptismal name the new nen creations were termed forust forest reserves Re reserves perves and on oil the word reserve I 1 the representatives of the grabbers have been building their opposition over eyer since recently the official title has been changed to national forests a more accurately do 1 script lve term pop for the national forests are not reserves in the tha strict meaning of that word A true reserve Is a national park we have 10 of the latter comprising about acres the best beat known are areef of course the yosemite arid yellowstone Yellows tono in them no timber la Is cut no water power howo r la Is utilized no game Is killed they are kept virgin as mighty play grounds for the people f t but the national forestie fo forest ate are dedicated to no sueh pa demly paly esthetic eath etlo pur pose rather leather are they national farms of wood of water irater power of grazing all lor for the public benefit every stick of timber fit to cut Is there tor for cutting every acre of pasturage urage is IE there for grazing every natural advantage of any kind whatsoever la is there to be utilized absolutely the I 1 only restrictions are those to safeguard waste and to prevent the permanent injury of the forest cover nor are these deterred benefits for the future only they are for immediate use now as soon as ag the consumer big or little needs thom jhc thc m or their products the sedulously fostered belief that they are not has done more to help the land grabbers than any other on one e thing any man living near a national forest can obtain batain scot free all the timber he needs for his private purposes up to the value in one year of 20 which amount will buy a little timber on the stump he can get it of a forest officer on the spot without having to unwind an inch of red A tape the tre trees es are marked and he be goes and cuts them IC he wants more than 20 worth he has to make application in form this privilege seems to be to cover all legitimate free use of a forest by a pioneer he should have what ho he needs for his i home hom c use there Is no reason why he should have more last year over 14 00 0 such free use asb permits were issued and the senatorial representatives of the land grabbers were unable to instance a single case or of legitimate application being refused over and above the demand for free use every stick of timber in a national forest Is for sale and at a reasonable price the sole lestric tiong are arc that only ripe trees are to be cut and in such a manner as to protect the young g growth from destruction st that bat whenever necessary the brush and tops must be pled piled and burned and that the work must pe be undertaken within six months and completed within a specified time the first two provisions prevent the tearful fearful desolation that follows 11 skinning a forest and the fires that succeed the piratical process the last provision eliminates holding for future speculative values some of the more rapacious of the lumbermen would have it believed that these restrictions aro are prohibitive that they so cut down profits that the private manufacturer cannot afford td buy and cut government timber it t is certainly more ex pensive to buy than to steal but the margin of profit is still greater than that which would satisfy almost any other line of industry in california for instance many lumber companies whose private holdings are far from exha exhausted uste d are at al tho the present time supplementing each seasons reasons cut by bv large purchases sef of government timber one such I 1 have in mind first tried to grab then to steal and finally frustrated in both these amiable ln in tensions tent lons ions decided to buy and has been buying boxing ever since another firm was caught trespassing tres passing in the hell gate fori forest and was mulcted mulched some som e in damages it paid but immediately med lately bought worth more of the timber it had been stealing |