!68 PROBLEMS IN WILD LIFE CONSERVATION 



There is the question of fisheries which is in a department in 

 which there are no biological scientists. Biological questions 

 are involved there and very intimately related to the production 

 of food on the land. Also questions involving the wise utiliza- 

 tion of small lake and swamp areas ; whether it is wise to drain 

 such areas or to keep them for fish production. 



The best administration of the public domain, of reclamation, 

 of fisheries requires technical and scientific knowledge of agri- 

 culture and the biological sciences. 



When questioned by the committee in regard to the in- 

 clusion of the National Park Service in this group, he 

 replied : 51 



I do not know whether I am prepared to say whether there 

 will be economy, although there should be : so far as parks are 

 concerned it would be practicable. There are exactly the same 

 problems in the park forests as we deal with in the national 

 forests, except the cutting of the timber. There are problems 

 of protection from insect pests and plant diseases. 



On the other hand, there is considerable objection from 

 some sources to the transfer of the control of public lands 

 from the Department of the Interior, especially on the part 

 of the so-called public land states. The reaction of Senator 

 Smoot of Utah to the proposal is seen in the following ex- 

 change of remarks : 52 



Secretary Wallace: "... I am arguing for putting the ad- 

 ministration of the public domain in the Department of Agri- 

 culture." 



Senator Smoot: " Putting the whole public domain in the 

 Department of Agriculture." 



Secretary Wallace: " Yes sir, in so far as it is grazing land." 



Senator Smoot: " That would require an act of Congress." 



Secretary Wallace: " Yes sir." 



51 Hearings, Joint Committee on Reorganization, op. cit., p. 279. 



p. 278. 



