34 OUR FEDERAL LANDS 



that in the land classification there has been no rec- 

 ognition of recreational values." 



Which reminds me that Congress allows the 

 General Land Office only $25,000 a year for pro- 

 tection of all its forests from fire! This is in line 

 with too common a Congressional policy which 

 cheerfully spends any amount necessary to recover 

 the horse stolen for lack of a lock for the stable door. 

 A fatal policy this when applied to forests which, 

 once burnt, are beyond recovery for many years and 

 often forever. A fire lane which might cost a thou- 

 sand dollars to build and an annual trifle to keep up 

 might easily save $15,000 fire fighting costs and 

 $50,000 worth of timber. 



In time many of the thousand inconsistencies 

 which have developed in the speed and complexity of 

 our development will straighten out. Perhaps then 

 the many forests in the Public Domain which are 

 more suitable for forest conservation than for agri- 

 culture will pass into control and care of our expert 

 Forest Service. 



Lands recovered from railroads include many 

 great areas of fertile woodland and meadow which, 

 had they not been lying safely in corporation owner- 

 ship awaiting the top of the market, would have 

 been homesteaded many years ago. Much of this, 

 as Mr. Reed suggests in respect to the old Oregon 

 and California Railway grant, may possess high 

 values for unindustrial uses which have only been 

 recognized during the last several years. Notwith- 



