Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-08-12
RODEY ENTERS
PROTEST
Popular Delegate Addresses a Vigorous Letter
10 Commissioner 6eneraI Land Office on
Creation Of Lincoln Reserve.
FUTURE STATE HAS RIGHTS
Respecting Such Reserve the People Should be Given
Notlcs--ExtensIve Reserves Should Not Be Made
When Smaller Areas Would Serve
All Purposes

vigorous and very timely letter te tn
commissioner of the general land of
flee in the matter of the recent creatio
of the Lincoln forest reserve on tn
eastern slope of the White mountains
The delegate takes a firm stand for tn
rights of the people of the territory an
insists that they should be given du
and timely notice before action, lik
the one in the making of this reserve
is taken by the department of the inter
and his protest should be needed by tn
department. He says truly that m
sensible man will object to the creation
of forest reserves when necessary, bu
that the people of New Mexico GER
tainly do protest against the creation
| of extensive reserves when smaller
areas would serve all the purpose!
| sought to be obtained. The letter /!
timely and instructive reading for every
citizen of the territory who has it's best
| interests at heart and for the informa.
| ton of the people is herewith published
| in full:
Albuquerque, N. M, Aug. II.
| The Hon. The Commissioner of the
Geh'l Land Office, Washington, D. G
5. transmitting to me the presidents
proclamation of July 26, 1902, establish
ing the Lincoln forest reserve in New
Mexico.
I am very thankful to you for send
ing me the proclamation, but / desire
to make a statement here which | will
ask you to put in your files for refer
ence.
On behalf of the people Of New Mex
leo, I desire to protest against the Gre
alton of large forest reserves in the ter
ritory, without notice to the people, as
has heretofore been the case The Gila
river forest reserve of 2,3270O0 acres,
was created almost in a night without
notice to the people, and now this great
Lincoln reserve of about $4,000 acres,
IS also created without notice 10 the
people. If the people could know that
these things We're about to come to
pass, they would ask and probably OBJ
TAIN a hearing on the question of the
proper size and shape of the intended
reserve. 1 do not think that any sensi-
BILE person now objects to proper for
est reserves, but they are not always
proper as we look at it. Land that was
bringing revenues in the way of taxes
into the different counties is suddenly
put beyond reach. Land that Is fit for
nothing on earth but pasturage is in
cluded in a reserve SO as to square it up
to meet the approval Of the officials in
Washington, and the people, with their
live stock are suddenly excluded from
what may have been their homes for
years, and lot of annoying restric-
tions are suddenly enforced against the
people living in the vicinity. Under the
act of 1891 one of these reserves is cas-
lily created, and it often requires
months of effort to get one of them
set aside, in fact I doubt If one has
ever been curtailed or set aside in New
Mexico. There We're several bills be-
fore the session of congress just closed
for the throwing open of the Mescalero
Apache Indian reservation, or some
portion of it, to the public, there being
large part of it much more valuable
for mining and farming than as a re-
serve for few Indians, for there are
only 377 Indians in the tribe. Those
bills are pending before the committee
on Indian affairs of the house yet, and
now, instead of eliminating a portion
Of that great reserve (it contains 100000
acres) another great reserve almost as
large is created directly north of it.
1t is admitted that forest reserve in
the country referred to is proper
thing, but it is not admitted that it
ought to be of the dimensions which
the department has made it.
do most solemnly protest against
this system of creating forest reserves
in a night without notice to the people
1t will probably result in the power be-
ing taken away from the department
by congress. 1t will not do to tell us
that the department knows best what
we want. The people Of New Mexico
expect to be the people Of the state Of
New Mexico, and the territory of New
Mexico Is their patrimony, with which
the government will have nothing to
do after it disposes of the public lands
therein, and therefore it is not pre-
sumptious in us wanting to have
something to say about 1t, and want
ing to at least get notice before these
great reserves are created in our
midst. Two sections in every township
in the land in question belongs to our
schools, and they are rendered of much
less value now by the creation of this
reserve around it. Under the act of 1898
we have still more than million and a
half of acres of land to select from the
public domain for our public institu-
tions, and all Of the fine land included
in this new reserve Is now taken Sout
of the land from which we might make
our selections. The statehood bill now
pending in the United States senate
gives up two additional sections of land
in every township for our common
schools, and as much more land for our
public institutions as was given to us
by the FERGUSON act Of 1898, and our