, 1900-02-26
MEETING OF THE GOVERNORS.

The meeting of the far western gov
ernors in Washington city in which
they unanimously recommended a
grant of arid lands to the states, is, it
is to be hoped, the definite initiation
of an arid land policy to be supported
and demanded by the people of the
arid region.
These governors are right. What
they are doing should have been taken
up by the senators n representatives.
in congress OF the arid region at least
ten years ago. 1t takes a long time to
bring public opinion up TO any new de-
partment in the land policy of the
government. 1t is slow work
Graduating from the minds of eastern
people the notion that the homestead
laws which were so beneficent in the
rainfall states are applicable, as well,
to the totally different conditions where
irrigation is required.
The governors of the arid states IN
derstand only too well how difficult it
is to maintain efficient state govern
ments where the bulk Of the real prop
erty is retained in the possession of the
federal government and is, therefore,
exempt from state taxation. These
governors know that the sparse popu-
lation Of the arid states is called upon
to maintain expensive state govern
ments, with n full retinue of state in
stitutions and officials.
The development of these states re-
be exempt from taxation. There is a
farcical pretense of taxing them which
amounts to nothing now, and will con
tinue in the future to amount to moth
ing. The tax which is levied upon the
output Of the mines is practically evad-
ed. 1t is also felt that mining being
our chief industry, it is good policy to
hold out to investors the inducement
that mining property virtually has to
pay no taxes. The bulk of the mining
lands and Of the grazing lands are re-
tanned by the government and but lit
tie beyond the real estate and personal
property OF the towns and the irrigat-
ed farms is available for state taxation.
This makes the burden upon a limited
amount Of property too heavy unless
the state tax is limited and in that
a 8 IN insufficient amount of revenue
for the state government is obtained.
What the arid land states need to put
their treasures upon a sound financial
basis is the ownership Of all the gov
eminent land within their borders. The
experience ofTexas in this respect is an
overwhelming and unanswerable argu-
menet in favor Of this proposition. The
state once in possession OF the lands
would apportion the grazing areas in
moderate amounts to the farmers who
are actually cultivating the irrigated
land. This grazing land would thus
bring the state treasury some event
The meeting of the governors was
initiated by Governor Richards OF Wy
oming, to whom too much credit cannot
be accorded. The first meeting, which
he called at Salt Lake, was a total fail
ure. The Republican commended the
effort to get the governors together at
that time. Not discouraged by the ap-
parent Indifference of the other gov
ernors, the Wyoming executive persist
ed in his opportunities and he secured
the meeting that has just taken place
at Washington city. This gathering
has already attracted national atten-
ton, and 1t will open the discussion
throughout the country of the final dis
position of the government lands in the
arid states.-Denver Republican.