The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-19


believed the arid lands belonged to
them as a matter of right. whereas the
people in the fertile plains country con-
tended that they had bought their
lands. This sentiment went to the point
of showing that the westerners used
the public domain without paying for
the privilege, not even paying taxes
thereon, and hence was a discrimina-
ton.
Gov. Richards Sees a Land Trust.
If something is not done soon, added
Governor Richards, the people Of the
east will bring influence to bear upon
the interior department to lease the
public lands in the west, and there
fore he urged that public opinion be
moulded So that the states would Sc
cure the cessiOn of the lands and not
have them leased out as the govern
ment sees fit, giving the states no
voice in the matter. Public, drives
for stock are as necessary as roads in
Iowa for moving farm crops" he con-
/ tinued- If the states secure control Of
the unOccupie6 domain, then the lands
are in our own hands and we can leg
islate for our own interests. All con-
tingercies can then be provided for, the
peoples best interests will be in safe
each state for aiding in the cOnstruc-
ton of irrigation works and for other
beneficial public purposes. At the rate
we are going now there will soon be
no water left for reclamation Of the
waste lands"
Another objection pointed out by
Governor Richards was that school
sections were taken up where a spring
Of water is located, for the sole pur-
pose of controlling an expanded terri
tory. This evil, he believed, could be
! better regulated for the state, its farm
| ing and all other interests by state
control of all the lands. In fact, he
knew of nothing better than state ces-
sion.
Protest From Sheepmen.
John c. Mackay of the Utah Wool
| Growers association said that the pub
lie range question is a very complex
one and should be handled with the
greatest wisdom in order TO assure the
largest measure of general satisfaction.
He mentioned that at the recent con-
ventiOn Of the National Livestock as
ISOLATION at Fort Worth, Tex, he sue
ceeded in fOrestalling a vote on a reso-
luton favoring the cessiOn of the arid
| lands TO the states, by inducing dele
gates from states having no such lands
TO refrain from voting on the question
Further east, he said, cession is not
favored. because of fear of Interior in
fluences upon legislatures. He himself
was opposed to the cessiOn proposition
and StOckmen could not be convinced
that state control is the proper dis
position of the lands. Government Ieas-
( ing he favored.
As to reclamation, Mr. Mackay stated
his opinion to be that construction Of
reservoirs is a mammoth undertaking.
and they could no. be built under the
state control and revenue plan. He
favored the classification of the unoccu-
pied nOn-mineraI lands into farming
and grazing tracts, and more liberal
land laws, so that sheep could be per-
manently located. This he believed
necessary, since sheep must have a free
wide range, travelling from 100 TO 400
miles following the snow line for win
ter or summer grazing, and vice versa
Mr.. Mackay made known the dis
trust sheep and cattlmen have of leg
islatureS and the proneness of these
lawmaking bodies to change laws ev-
cry session. thus endangering live
stock interests and leaving them TO the
mercy Of whimsical legislatures, not
only in Utah, but in other states.
"Shoe-String" Cattle Scheme.
Replying to an allegation of Mr..
Mackay that cattle growers had Sc
cured selected lands from the state,
taking fOrty-acre tracts on a shoe
string" line from spring to spring, thus
securing control of large areas and
shutting out sheepmen with their
tfocks, Governor Wells said if there
had been any such cases it was with
out protest from aggrieved persons. and
moreover, it was contrary to the policy
of the state land board.
As a recent convert to the doctrine
OF state cessiOn, Governor Richards
pointed out that leasing by the state
would result in greater permanency of
citizenship, better society and com
mercial activity. 1t would, being in
our own hands, also prevent the COB
bling up of the public domain by a
monopolistic few to the detriment of
the many.
Commissioner Holcomb expressed the
belief that the greatest number who are