The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-12-17
PROVO CITY. DEC. II.
COMMONS OR PARKS.

Somewhere in the United States
laws, not very hard to find, is the fol-
lowing provision:
"The president Of the United States
may from time to time, set apart and
reserve, in any state or territory hav-
ing public lands bearing forests, in any
OF the public lands wholly or in part
covered with forests or underground,
and the president by proclamation
may declare such reservation and the
limits thereof" Under this provision
of law the towns, ,-cities and villages of
this territory may reserve the noun
tsins, canyons and water supplies ad-
jacent, reserved 10 their uses and be-
hoof forever. This right carries with
it the privilege of controlling the ter
ritory thus set apart absolutely and the
municipalities can so manage and con-
troll thsm that not a drop of water
nor a single tree or shrub need be wan
tonly sacrificed either to the greed of
individuals or the repacity of corpora
tions. But all these natural advan-
tages may be managed SO that the
greatest good can be secured for the
use and behoof of the greatest number.
Let this be done here in Provo and the
whole face of the Wasatch range west
may be held by the city Of Provo for
her own use and behoof. Thus could
we protect, not only our water supply,
but our timber and game as well. We
might call it park, common or an
outlet. The name would amount to
nothing but the privilege would be in
estimable. The sanitary effects might
become in the future of inestimable
value. This reservation on the terms
offered would never be construed to
exclude mineral prosr ectors or others
seeking to develop the hidden ri chness
OF nature.
The object would be to preserve from
destruction the water supply, the
timber, and the floral treasures of the
lands adjacent to our towns, cities and
villages. Here in Provo we coul pro-
tect Rock canyon and Slate canyon
with their water sheds and timber
and fora perfectly. This protection
would be placed in the hands of the
municipality which would insure the
utmost watchfulness and care. Just
now this privilege may not be con-
sidered very valuable, but in few
years. when our population becomes
more dense, it would become of in
estimable value. In this way we could
prevent the use of the country ad-
jscent by herders whose focks of
sheep and cattle would pollute our
water supply.
We can petition and have this land
or these lands set part for park or a
common and absolutely control them
for all time. All that is necessary is to
petition and the grant will be made.
The value of this privilege is incalcul-
able. 1t would affect alike every vii
lage in Utah county, Lehi, American
Fork, Pleasant Grove, Provo, Spring
vile, Mapleton, Spanish Fork and
Pays on.
We offer these suggestions with the
hope that preconcerted effort will be
made by our municipalities in this
direction. The law making this pro-
vision is wise one, but if we make
no use of the PROVISION it will re-
main of no value to US. We do
sincerely tIust that our thinking
men will go to work and utilize the ad-
vantage vouchsafed to us by the pres
ens administration in this way. In
the case of this city the domain thus
placed within our reach is most valua-
bic, and it ought not to be overlooked
or neglected even for a day. The day
will come, and soon, when this priyi-
lege will become most valuable, and if
we should awaken too late to its merits
we will regret it for all the balance of
the term. Now who will first move in
a practical way to utilize this inestima-
bic privilege 1t must. it ought and it
shall be attended to ere some other dis
qualifying law shall be conceived and
passed. The columns of The DISPATCH
are open to the brosdest discussion of
the question.
JOHN BURNS, M. P, the labor apita-