The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-03
Much Public Land,


Newell said:
Much Public Land.
From ree-fourths to nine-tenths
Of the area of the western states and
territories is still public land, the prop
erty of the people of the United States,
and at the disposal of congress. The
one-tenth or one quarter which is in
possession of individuals or corpora
tons is alone taxable and yields rev.
enue for the support of local govern
ments. At present the great bulk of
the land is not adding to the wealth Of
the citizens. except to a favored few
cattle or sheep owners, who ere en-
joying the use of free pasturage.
The existing land laws are not suited
to the conditions prevailing in the west,
as they were drawn for the humid
lands of the Mississippi valley and not
for the arid region where the possession
Of water alone gives value to the land.
AS d result, the development Of the re-
sources Of the west is proceeding slow
ly, if at all, and few hundreds are
with difficulty making homes where
thousands should be accommodated.
The agricultural land is not being re-
claimed and utilized to it's full capa-
bilities and the water supply is being
wasted instead of being used in the
of tillable land.
Valuable For Grazing.
The greater part Of the vacant pub
lie lands of the country are and always
will be valuable only for grazing. At
present these are nominaIly open and
free for the use of all, but practically
they are controlled by few individuals
and corporations, who have acquired
the use of them either through an un-
derstanding among themselves or
through the possession of the only
available sources OF water.
"A considerable portion of the va
cant public lands. particularly the high
plateaus and mountains, is not valuable
for agriculture nor even for grazing. 1t
is covered with trees, some of great
commercial value, and others not good
for merchantable timber. but useful to
the farmer and miner. Each year fire
sweeps through a portion of these for
ests, destroying timber which has, or
would in a few years, have a value of
a million dollars. Here and there
throughout the wooded areas portions
have been set aside as forest reserves,
with the object of protecting them from
fire and theft, SO that the forests may
yield continual supply of timber and
be beneficial in their influence on the
ton and industrial purposes.
THE administration of these forest
reserves is not yet on the business-like
basis of furnishing supplies of merch-
antable timber, nor is 1t complete as re-
CARDS protection from fire. 1t is neces-
sary to educate public opinion to such
an extent that the necessary laws will
provide rational treatment, and when
this is done all of the larger public
10 In, do. I,I hoo vi,
trees should be set aside for this pur-
pose wherever the land is not valuable
for agriculture or mining. For the ac-
complishment of this end, active work
is being done by many organizations,
such as the American Forestry associa-
ton, of which DR.. John r, Park is
president.
How to Irrigate.
Most of the land which can be easily
irrigated by individual or cooperative
effort has already been brought under
ditch, but a large additional area can
be irrigated by a more careful use of
the water, and particularly by the stor-
age of storm or flood waters. In many
parts. of the country, particularly in
Utah, the opportunities for storage are
SO favorable that the work can be
done by existing water companies to
the profit of themselves and the users
of water. Many of the best projects,
however. particularly in California and
the southwest, cannot be thus accom-
plished owing to the great expense in
volved and the impossibility of securing
to the investors a proper return for
the money expended.
THE lands or communities are bene-
flied more than the cost of the reser-
voir, but this benefit cannot accrue to
= he VIII fI1r~p oh no Tn
such cases water storage and the con-
sequent development of large tracts of
land must be left undone or
taken up by the state or nation as the
owner of the lands to be redeemed.s The
necessity of water storage is being ap-
preciated more and more each year, and
public opinion is being directed to the
benefits of water conservation through
the efforts of the State Irrigation asso-
citation of Utah, of which your gov
ernor, Hon. Heber Nj. Wells, is presi-
dent.
"In order to better the existing condi-
ton. it is necessary to have unity of
action growing out of an understand
ing Of the situation. Such knowledge
can be had only by exchange of ideas
and experience in public meetings, and
particularly representative bodies, such
as that known as the National Irriga-
be held on the 25th of this month at
Missoula, Mont.
while this body does not in all re-
spects satisfy the hopes of its friends,
yet it is deserving of cordial support
and general attendance. BY thus meet
ing unity of action can be secured
along more practical lines, 1t is to be
hoped that the irrigation congress will
result in outlining definite policy and
it's next session may be held ct the
most central point of the arid region.
the city of Salt Lake"
Among those present last night We're
Governor Wells, Ex-Governor Thomas,
G. L. Stephenson, T. w. Jennings, State
superintendent Park and Architect
Kletting.
Professor Newell is fitting out a party
to go to the Uintah country, and will be
absent month or six weeks, when he
will return to Washington and present
his report.