602 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



through the poor; and this sort of evasion always occurs, as you of 

 course know, wherever anything other than a one price system is 

 tried. 



"I should say that, avoiding any doctrinaire socialism and apply- 

 ing the rough rule of common-sense ideas which express the 

 sanest public opinion, if I were a Czar to decide on the various 

 points you mention, my decision would be something like the fol- 

 lowing: I would approve, I think, of full payment for timber in ac- 

 cordance with the present practice. I would ask full payment for 

 grazing also and for special uses or rentals, as well as for water 

 power. Exceptions, where practical, might be made in all these 

 matters for new settlers of small means and timber could be, as is the 

 practice, sold at cost to such persons when dead or down if it is 

 a convenience or a public service to get rid of this any way. Also 

 where necessary to improve or protect the forest, timber could be 

 sold for less than its full value, as in the case of the example you 

 mention after a fire. Free use in specified cases might be offered 

 to help the small settler or for pubHc use, or for protection or im- 

 provement of the forest or in connection with another enterprise 

 already being paid for to obviate a double charge, or for temporary 

 or transient use, or for Indians who used to own the land of the 

 West. 



"I think I should charge full rate for water power, even to mu- 

 nicipal corporations, possibly making an exception for projects that 

 develop a small number of horse pozver, in order to help the small 

 ozvner. I see no objection to making water power free in connection 

 with timber sales and, as an auxiliary to irrigation, although I am 

 not sure that I understand these items. I should think timber should 

 be free for the telephone lines which protect and improve the forest 

 and possibly to new settlers for personal use and domestic purposes 

 where the settlers are of moderate means, also for the use of another 

 department, or for protection, improvement, or investigation of Na- 

 tional Forests. 



"I do not see why mining should be free everywhere. I should 

 think that grazing might well be free to prospectors, campers, and 

 travelers to encourage prospecting and traveling, from which good 

 public consequences are likely to ensue in the way of settlement, de- 

 velopment, etc. I should think that grazing might be free in connec- 

 tion with other paid enterprises, as for example, logging teams in tim- 

 ber sales to avoid double charges. I should think there was good 

 sense also in having it free to settlers in, or near the National Forest, 

 up to a certain limit in order to favor the home builder. It ought 

 also, for reasons of national good faith, I assume, be free to Indians 

 enrolled upon the records of the Office of Indian Affairs, who are 

 dependent on the National Forests. I should think that under rentals 

 or special use, telephone and telegraph lines should be free in ex- 

 change for the free use by forest offices, or free use of the poles for 

 stringing Forest Service wires to telephone lines. Also rentals should be 



