88 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION February 



the public lands heretofore granted to the location of valuable forest lands 

 them, aggregating a vast extent of ter- with such scrip. This evil should be 

 ritory, and what use has been made of immediately stopped by the inclusion of 

 the proceeds derived from that source all forest lands in forest reserves, as is 

 by the states and territories. It is a urged in the resolution proposed to this 

 notorious fact that in the arid region board by the Chicago Board of Trade 

 state lands are acquired by speculators and recommended by your committee 

 or those who desire to monopolize the for adoption by this board at this meet- 

 waters of the country in order to con- ing. If our forest resources are to be 

 trol the surrounding lands, by obtain- perpetuated by right use and the sources 

 ing these state land grants and locating of our water supplies preserved, the 

 them in such a way in strips along the ownership and control of the forests 

 streams and around lakes and ponds as must be retained by the national gov- 

 to prevent settlers from reaching or ernment, and they should not be allowed 

 using the water, thereby condemning to pass into private ownership and con- 

 vast territories to remain uninhabitable, trol, either through the location of lieu 

 because, in the manner above referred land scrip or lieu land exchange rights 

 to, control of the water has been ob- of any class or kind, or by location 

 tained through improvident grants of under any land law or state land grant 

 land to the states by Congress. It made by the Congress of the United 

 matters not how meritorious the osten- States. 



sible purpose of such a grant may be ; PROGRESS IN FORESTRY. 

 it should not be made if it is to be left 



to the state or territorial officials to On the subject of forestry this organ- 

 select the land. It makes it possible to ization is likewise to be congratulated 

 so locate a comparatively trifling area of upon the progress which has been made 

 land as to destroy the value for settle- from year to year since it extended its 

 ment purposes of millions of acres of influence in aid of the forestry move- 

 land remaining the property of the ment. 

 national government. In the resolutions adopted by the 



The inauguration of the new national National Board January, 1902, it urged 



policy with reference to the public lands upon Congress a concentration of the 



embodied in the National Irrigation forestry \vork of the national govern- 



Act, and for several years advocated in ment 



the resolutions of this board, makes it " Under a single head, in accordance 

 unwise and inadvisable that any more with plain business principles and corn- 

 lieu land scrip or lieu land exchange mon sense." 



rights of any kind or nature should ever This was in conformity with the rec- 



be issued or created, and all such scrip ommendation of President Roosevelt in 



or rights now existing should be imme- his first message to Congress, a recom- 



diately and finally adjusted by location mendation which was renewed in his 



or otherwise. last annual message to Congress ; but 



It is equally important that the im- as yet no action has been taken by Con- 

 mediate selection and location or retire- gress to carry these recommendations 

 ment of all state land grants should be into effect. This recommendation was 

 required by the national government. reiterated in the last year's resolutions 



Every floating land right of whatever of the National Board of Trade, 



nature or kind should be eliminated A bill has been reported from the 



from the situation with reference to the Committee on Public Lands of the House 



public lands, and this should be done of Representatives, carrying this policy 



without delay. The existence of any into effect and placing the entire for- 



these floating rights is a menace to estry work of the government in the 



any wise public land policy. Bureau of Forestry of the Department 



Jie greatest evils which have arisen of Agriculture. The report referred to 



under the system of lieu land scrip au- is H. R. Rep. 48, Fifty-eighth Congress, 



:ed by existing laws have been in second session, to accompany H. R. 



