The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-20
Governor Povnter sneaks.

reetion of cession we would have done
something that would defeat our puT-
pose
Governor Poynter Speaks.
Governor Poynter of Nebraska, who
Is a clear cut positive speaker. and who
shows in every movement that he is
at home when making a speech, de-
clared strongly in favor of state con-
troll of the arid lands. but he was will
ing to compromise on the form of the
resolutions
eff had my way" said he. Il would
have put these resolutions in four lines
I would say that we demand the ces-
sion by the general government of arid
lands TO the states. But-we must
reach an agreement and these resO-
buttons are wise because by them we
can agree"
Commissioner HoIcomb, who repre-
sented Governor Rogers Of Washing
ton, said that though he had studied
the question of the proper control of
these lands to some extent, he had wa
vered in his opinions till arriving at
Salt Lake, where he had learned suffi-
cient to form definite conclusion. He
said that he was now satisfied that
state control was better than leasing
by the general government. He moved
the adoption of the resolutions as read
and had prompt second in Governor
Wells.
Governor Smith said that a large ma
jority of the people Of Montana were in
favor of the present status of control
and that he was at the meeting to rep
resent their views rather than his own.
In the resolutions a way had been in
Dictated as TO how cessiOn of the lands
should come.
Governor Lee of South Dakota, came
forward with some very positive Opin-
ions. He thought that politics and pop
ularity were playing some part in the
affairs of the conference.
Il am here to represent all the peo-
pie of my state, the weak as well as
the strong" said he. I am not merely
the representative of the stockmen.
want to represent the small stOckmen
as we'll as the Weather. and other peO-
pie too.
Some Of your cattlemen come
through our state and feed on our
ranges and don't pay taxes. Hereto
fore, they have almost successfully es-
capped taxes. I see what is the trouble
here to some extent; we are letting poll
iticS get into this matter But we must
represent all the people, not a class.
I stand by that proposition and I want
TO go on record. I don't come here to
represent big cattlemen alone"
As there seemed to be some misap-
prehension Of the exact meaning of the
resolutions, they were read again. Then
Mr.. Clinton, the Idaho commissioner
said he had misunderstood them. To en-
phasize the Idaho position, Commits
siOner Oswald moved the adoption. but
as that motion was already before the
meeting, having been made by Mr..
Holcomb, the question was put.
Governor Lees was the only vote
against adoption. He voted that way
because the resolutions did not favor
cess; A of the lands in terms strong
enough to suit him.
Letter Sent Out.
Then Governor Smith asked that
Governor Wells, as secretary. sign and
send out this circular letter TO all
western governors:
april 70, 1900.
His Exeellency.
Sir-At a conference of several of
the governors Of the arid states held
at Salt Lake City on the above date.
pursuant to a call for such purpose in
February last, to discuss the question
concerning the. matter Of the control.
management and disposal Of the arid
lands of the United States. the resOIu-
tions Ga copy of which is herewith en-
closed) were adopted.
IF the same meets with your. ap-
proval, will you kindly endorse your
concurrence thereon and forward the
same to the representatives of your
state in congress-
This closed the specific work for
which the conference had been called.
but before adjournment Governor
Richards introduced another question,
which he said was Of almost equal i'm
portance.
1--WE have a secretary Of agriculture
who has devoted much time to some
affairs of his department, but who does
not seem to have paid much attention
TO the great cattle ranges Of the west -
said he. Many of these ranges are
worn out: the grass is gone and some
thing must be dore. Now. experiments
have shown that there are some plants
Indigenous to other climates which
could be transplanted here. Let US call
the attention Of congress cOurteOuSly TO
the fact that the secretary Of agricul-
ture has not paid as much attention to
the ranges as he might have done"
The idea caught at once, and there
was a general discussion Of the sub
ject. Most of the gentlemen declared
that action Of some character was i'm
pera alive.
Commissioner Holcomb told of ex-
periments with the broom grass which
comes from Africa. He said that one
acre of it had spread to forty which
showed how adapted it was to depleted
ranges. Then Governor Smith TecoI-
leeted that it had been planted in Mon
tana and was very successfully grown.
Governor Lee told of successful expert
mentS at the South Dakota Agricul-
tural college with the same grass.
To Propagate Forage.
Finally Mr.. Holcomb moved that rep
reSentatives in congress from the sew
eral states in which there were arid