ASPECTS OF THE PRESENT FORESTRY AGITATION. 139 



upon its use in private bands, although the experience of every 

 nation shows that the national government alone has the power 

 and the means for the best forest management, and that its power 

 must be exerted even over private forest property in order to 

 prevent disaster to the community from the action of individuals. 



Timber cutting has been permitted on the lands yet unsold, but 

 under impractical restrictions as to use, without any regard to 

 proper methods, and with no compensation to the Government. 

 The necessity of timber as an article of merchandise, and the 

 impossibility of obtaining it legally from the public lands for that 

 purpose, have inevitably led to enormous thefts of timber and 

 fraudulent acquisition by a few individuals and corporations of 

 large tracts of land to which actual settlers only were legally 

 entitled. While millions upon millions of dollars' worth of timber 

 have been stolen, both for home and export trade, the pitiful sum 

 recovered barely covers the cost of prosecution. Lastly, the utter 

 absence of protection from fire has led to the destruction of 

 enormous tracts which will very slowly, if ever, be covered again 

 by a forest growth of any value. 



The time has come when a change in these methods is absolutely 

 necessary, and it is urgently called for by thousands of people 

 whose future depends on a regular water supply. 



While the immediate withdrawing of the public forest lands 

 from sale and entry is absolutely essential as a first step to their 

 preservation as forests, it will not of itself secure this end. 

 The destructive fires and extensive thefts will go on as before. 

 Still less will the mere reservation of the land enable the timber 

 to be properly utilized. These lands must be administered — 

 protected from fire, and the timber cut only when ripe and with a 

 view to a constant new growth. Temporarily some portion of the 

 army can be emploj'ed to guard these lands, until a practical 

 system of administration, a common-sense application of scientific 

 knowledge and the experience of other progressive nations to the 

 needs of the place and the time, can be successfully inaugurated. 

 The organization of such an administration can best and soonest 

 be eflfected by a commission of competent men, appointed for the 

 purpose. 



That the evils above referred to are not imaginary but real, 

 present, and constantly increasing, the memorials from the Pacific 

 slope and the investigation of the Senate Committee on Irrigation 



