CHIEF FIRE WARDEN. 27 



The government is still selling its choicest pine at I2.50 

 an acre to whoever is enterprising enough to find it; also 

 gives it away under the homestead law — a law which 

 properly applies only to land taken in good faith for cul- 

 tivation. Whatever pine remains the property of the 

 government, or of the Indians, should be placed under 

 forestry management. For twelve years there has been 

 a United States forestry bureau which has been kept free 

 from party politics. We have in this country a number 

 of young Americans educated in forestry and habituated 

 to the woods, who have a pride in their profession as for- 

 esters and who could be depended on to do their work 

 with abihty and fidelity. If the remaining public pine 

 lands and Indian pine lands were placed under the charge 

 of the United States division of forestry, these trained 

 foresters would be employed to take care of this standing 

 pine on forestry principles. The pine would be examined 

 and estimated; the mature trees that ought to be cut 

 would be counted, marked, sold and honestly paid for; 

 the young timber would be left to grow; the forest would 

 be watched, fires kept out and a foundation laid for a 

 sustained yield. Of course, by far the greater part of the 

 original pine forest in Minnesota has been consumed and 

 of what remains standing the greater part has passed into 

 the possession of private parties who will do with it as 

 they please. The rest is under the control of congress 

 and the general government, and to allow this remnant to 

 be disposed of in the prodigal way that has hitherto pre- 

 vailed, and especially to permit three million dollars worth 

 of pine on the diminished Indian reservations to be cut 

 under the supervision of an Indian agent, as a bill now in 

 congress proposes, slaps forestry in the face. Our entire 

 delegation in congress should be held responsible that 

 there shall be no more Indian pine land scandals in 

 Minnesota. 



