10 



erty is intrusted, insisted that under existing laws and conditions not 

 only is it impossible to protect the property of the people against theft 

 and devastation, but the need of the settler and the requirements of the 

 industrial pursuits being disregarded by the law, the users of timber are 

 by necessity forced to become depredators if they wish to satisfy their 

 needs. That such must be the case may be inferred from the fact that 

 within the last seven years, since 1881, over $36,000,000 worth of timber 

 has been reported as stolen, not to speak of the large amount of depre- 

 dations which must have been left undiscovered. 



While the Government might have donated this timber, or timber and 

 land, to those who have needed it — although the need of home consump- 

 tion has presumably had a less share in these spoils than the greed of 

 lumbering monopolists — it must be a matter of shame and reproach to 

 us to have in this manner allowed the spoliation of the public property j 

 certainly a state of affairs, which allows such robbing of its partners 

 from year to year, does not speak well for either the wisdom of the laws 

 or the morality of the community. 



In addition to these spoliations of its direct material value, the public 

 timber domain has suffered untold damage by reckless, willful, or care- 

 less firing, and in every respect the management of this part of our na- 

 tional inheritance reflects discredit on our much-praised business 

 capacity. 



It has been claimed that the fault lies with the existing laws, and this 

 charge has no doubt good foundation. The charity which the Govern- 

 ment has extended, in allowing free use of its property under certain 

 conditions, the settled community now would gladly exchange for a fair 

 bargain, in which the consumer pays for what he uses, and gains a right 

 as against a mere privilege. 



Any one who will take the trouble to trace, year by year, the ex- 

 pressions in regard to this interest of the nation, in the reports of the 

 Secretary of the Interior and the Commissioners of the Land Office, will 

 be astounded that no hearing has been accorded to them which would 

 lead to a proper management of this interest. 



Eecommeudations for a change occur from year to year, dating back 

 earlier than 1880, but they have become more and more urgent since 

 then as the need has become more urgent. Extracts from the reports of 

 the Commissioners of the Land Office will be found further on. 



The Secretary of the Interior, in 1880, after devoting over six pages 

 to the subject of forestry, says : 



I regret to say tliat in spite of the repeated recommendation of the passage of a law 

 to facilitate the prevention of the wasteful devastation of the pnblic timber lands, 

 and to enable the Government to dispose of timber to settlers and miners, as well as 

 for legitimate mercantile purposes under such regulations as would prevent the in- 

 discrimiuate and permanent destruction of our forests, almost all the legislation that 

 has been had upon this subject consisted in acts relieving those who had committed 

 depredations in the past of their responsibility and protecting them against the legal 

 consequences of their trespasses, etc. 



