Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1902-08-16

Albuquerque. ". NJ, Aug. II.
The Honorable Commissioner of the
General Land Once, Washington.
d. c.;
Sir---I am In receipt OF yours of Au.
gust s, transmitting TO me the presi.
dents proclamation OF July 20. 1902.
establishing the Lincoln forest reserve
in New Mexico.
| am very thankful to you for send.
ing me the proclamation, but desire
TO make statement here which | will
ssk you to put In your files for refer.
ence.
On behalf of the people Of New Mex
leo, desire to protest against the crea-
ton OF large forst reserves In the ter.
ritory, without notice to the people. as
has heretofore been the case. The ella
river forest reserve Of 2.327 900 acres.
was created almost in night without
notice to the people. and now this
great Lincoln reserve OF about $4,000
acres, Ia also created without notice to
the people. II the people could know
that these things were about to come
20 pass, they would ask, and probably
obtain. a hearing on the question of
the proper size and shape of the in.
tended reserve. do not think that any
sensible person now objects to proper
foress reserves. but they are not al.
ways proper as we look at Il. Land
that was bringing revenues in the way
Of taxes into the different counties is
Suddenly put beyond reach. Land that
II fit for nothing OIL earth but pastur.
age Ia included In a reserv" SO as to
square II up to meet tho approval of
the officials In Washington, and the
people, with their live stock. are sud.
denly excluded from what may have
been their homes for years. and q lot
q annoying restrictions are suddenly
enforced against the people living In
the vicinity. Under the act Of 1891
one OF these reserves is easily created,
and It often requires months of effort
TO ret one Of them set aside, in fact
doubt II one has ever been curtailed or
set aside in New Mexico. There were
several bills before the session of con-
gress just closed foS the throwing open
OF the Mescalero Apache Indian reser.
walton. or some portion Of 1t. to the
public, there being large part OF il
much more valuable for mining and
farming than as reserve for q few
Indians. for there are only 377 Indians
In the tribe. Those bills are pending
before the committee on indian Affairs
q the house yet. and now, instead of
eliminating portion Of that great re.
oesve 1T contains 100000 scres) an.
ether great res9rve kim5st % large ID
created directly north ~ II.
4 ID admitted that forest reserve
b the country referred to IL q proper
thing, but It IL not admitted that 1t
ought to be OF the dimensions which
the department has made It.
] do most solemn.y protest against
this system Of creating forest reserves
h : night without notice to the people.
Il will probably result in the power
being 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 ID their patr.mony, with which
(ho government will have nothing to
10 after It disposes Of the public lands
herein, and therefore II is not pre-
in us wanting to have some
hing 10 say about 1t, and wanting to
It least get notice before these great
'eserves are created In our midst. Two
Dections In every township In the land
p question belongs to our schools. and
hey are rendered Of much less value
Dou by the creation OF this reserve
apOund Il. Under the act Of 1855 we
have still more than . million and =
halt Of acres Of land to select from the
pablic domain for our public institu-
tions, and all OF the fine land included
In thiS new reserve Is now taken out
OF the land from which we might make
our selections. The statehood bill now
pending In the United States senate.
Gives III two additional sections OF
land In every township for our CON-
mon schools. and as much more land
for our public Institutions ~ was given
70 ~ by the Ferguson act of 1898, and
our chance to select II wItinn the linn
it. Of this new reserve 10 now gone.
Our hope was that our school and In
etitutions lands would he selected from
NJ least reasonably good lands. So
much Of New Mexico's best land is al
ready in private ownership, In the way
cf railroad land grants and Spanish
land grants. and in individual entries
- that while We nave q vast amount
II public domain in the territory, 1t ID
MT al Of . character such as we would
like 10 select for the support OF our In
otitutiouA
] most respectfully submit this Letter
Tor the consideration of the depart
meut.
With assurances to yourself OF m,
1ioheot eateem. | am. sincerely yours
u. 3. RODEY,
oelegate IN Congress from New Mex