THE FOREST SERVICE APPROPRIATION 



585 



little of his time to working out of the 

 plan. 



"I don't know when I have found a 

 more interesting feature of my work," 

 says Mr. Oates. "The boys have found 

 in it an occupation for usefulness which 

 makes their camp life and their trips 

 into the woods of vast interest to them. 

 I believe it will work out into one of 

 the best movements for the boys and for 

 the State generally that has ever been 

 attempted. Michigan is the only State 

 that has ever tried such an experiment, 

 and I believe I see in it the seed which 

 will make Michigan eventually stand 

 out as one State in which the dreaded 

 forest fire is most nearly removed. We 

 are receiving the earnest co-operation 

 of the lumber interests, protective asso- 

 ciations, newspapers and school boards 

 all over the State. The boys are very 



enthusiastic and deeply interested in the 

 work and I feel sure that they will 

 render us considerable practical assist- 

 ance in the suppression of forest fires if 

 we are unfortunate enough to have any 

 this year. 



"It also seems to be unanimously con- 

 ceded that the movement has splendid 

 educational possibilities, not only along 

 forest fire lines, but reforestation and 

 other work which makes for good cit- 

 izenship. We believe that the school 

 boy can assist this department im- 

 measurably, not only in the matter of 

 reporting and suppressing forest fires 

 but conserving our wild life. As will 

 be observed, we offer awards for 

 stories of bird life, etc. We are hope- 

 ful that we will have the boys of the 

 State pretty well organized by the end 

 of the summer." 



THE FOREST SERVICE APPROPRIATION 



CHE passage of "An Act mak- 

 ing appropriations for the De- 

 partment of Agriculture for the 

 fiscal year ending June 30, 1913," was 

 delayed until nearly six weeks after 

 the beginning of the new fiscal year, 

 during which time appropriations were 

 made for short intervals pending the 

 passage of the bill. The chief cause 

 of the delay was a dift'erence of opin- 

 ion between the House and the Senate 

 on an amendment affecting the Forest 

 Service. The Senate wished to direct 

 the Secretary of Agriculture "to se- 

 lect, classify, and segregate. * * * 

 all lands within the boundaries of the 

 national forests that are suitable and fit 

 for agricultural purposes." in order that 

 such lands shall be open to settlement 

 and entry. The conferees having 

 charge of the bill reported a substitute 

 for the Senate amendment limiting such 

 lands to those "that are chiefly valuable 

 for agricultural purposes and that are 

 not needed for public purposes or for 

 use by the public," and further pro- 

 posed that the lands thus segregated 



"shall be open to settlement under the 

 homestead laws applicable to the na- 

 tional forests." The Senate, however, 

 refused to adopt the substitute. The 

 conferees finally reported the following 

 amendment, which was agreed to by 

 both the House and the Senate : "That 

 the Secretary of Agriculture is hereby 

 directed and required to select, classify 

 and segregate, as soon as practicable, all 

 lands within the boundaries of national 

 forests, that may be opened to settle- 

 ment and entry under the homestead 

 laws applicable to the national forests, 

 and the sum of twenty-five thousand 

 dollars is hereby appropriated for the 

 purposes aforesaid." 



The "homestead laws applicable to 

 national forests" at present consist of 

 the Act of June 11, 1906, and its 

 amendments, which provides that the 

 lands open to agricultural settlement 

 shall be chiefly valuable for agriculture 

 and, which, in his (the Secretary of 

 Agriculture) opinion, may be occupied 

 for agricultural purposes without in- 

 jury to the forest reserves, and which 



