BONDING NATIONAL FORESTS 61 



In short, a business statement would the most urgent cases being considered 

 be prepared which would demonstrate in the order of their importance, 

 the desirability and soundness of the The first objection which will be 

 proposed expenditiires and their justifi- urged against the plan is that there 

 cation from the standpoint of the would immediately develop a competi- 

 National Forest resources as a security, tion among different counties for ad- 

 It is not unlikely that Congress would vances from the federal government for 

 be unwilling to make such advances as road building and that there would be 

 are proposed on the basis of general danger of sectionalism developing, and 

 estimates of cost. It is probable, perhaps such a condition as is claimed 

 therefore, that the first appropriation to exist in connection with the Rivers 

 for public works in a given county would and Harbors Bill. 



be for surveys and estimates with a It should be remembered, however, 



view to making a final appropriation that the present plan is very different 



after the completion of the sur\^eys by from the Rivers and Harbors problem, 



the road engineers. In that case there is a direct contribu- 



The plan contemplates further that tion by the Government. In the 



the actual work of construction of present proposal, there is merely an 



roads and other improvements would be advance by the Government, in urgent 



under the direction of the Government cases, of moneys which later on will be 



engineers. The Department of Agri- returned to the Treasury from the 



culttire is well equipped for such work in resources, held and fully controlled by 



its Office of Public Roads. The pui-pose the Government itself, and a portion of 



of this provision would be to guarantee which Congress has already decreed 



to Congress that the work would be shall ultimately be appropriated for 



carried on in accordance with con- these very purposes. Handled as a 



sistent engineering methods and stand- proposition of public business, with the 



ards and with the highest possible expenditures guaranteed by existing 



efficiency and economy. resources, and with the certification of 



One of the first questions that will be the Secretary of Agriculture as to the 



asked is how a beginning is to be made public need and as to the engineering 



in setting this plan into motion. Prob- features, there should be ample safe- 



ably the best plan would be to request guard against unwise projects being 



general authority for the Secretary of undertaken. 

 Agriculttu-e to report to Congress from 

 time to time, with necessary siurveys and 



estimates of cost, his recommendations It is evident that the plan would not 



concerning the construction of public be applicable by any means to all of the 



works in the National Forest counties National Forest cormties. Many of 



where, in his judgment, the public need the National Forests are already being 



requires it and there are resources developed and used to such an extent 



within the National Forests lying with- that the receipts are now bringing into 



in the counties sufficient ultimately to the counties very substantial simis, in 



repay the cost of such improvements, some instances fully as great as would 



With such authority the Secretary of be received if the lands were under 



Agriculture, through the Forest Service, taxation, and these are receipts which 



could take the initiative in recommend- will be constantly growing for an 



ing legislation. If such general author- indefinite period. Examples of Forests 



ity were granted,- it would necessarily yielding large revenue are the Kaniksu of 



carry a recognition of the fact that ap- Idaho, with a gross revenue of $54,000, 



propriations would be made only upon the Kootenai of Montana, with a gross 



a showing by the Secretary of Agri- revenue of $41,000, the Deerlodge of 



culture of their justification and need. Montana, $80,000, the Coconino of 



Such a procedure would be an effective Arizona, $100,000, the Whitman of 



guarantee against the initiation of ill- Oregon, $72,000, the Lolo of Montana, 



advised projects and would result in $40,000, the Sierra of California, $22,- 



SOME ILLUSTRATIONS. 



