Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-08-31
Government Representatives Listen to
We've Of Northern Montana
Farmers and Stock Men.
DISCUSS LAND LAW CHANGES
Much Attention Given 10 Rules Gov
erniug Control of Forest Reserves
and Irrigation Projects.

WI NNA 49, INV
chief of the government forestry bu'
reau. arrived in the city yesterday al
,no saws the Great Falls Tribune
of the 2Sth inst. They are al present
losking into the various reclamation
projects which the government has ON
hand. the relation II the forest reserv-
es, to them: and. incidentally, they
arr looking into the workings OF the
present land laws. both gentlemen be-
ing on the commission appointed by
President Roosevelt 10 recommend
any changes that may be regarded as
necessary in these laws.
The gentlemen were met at The
station by Senator Gibson and May
or Freeman. and shortly after their
arrival they were taken for a drive
about town. both gentlemen greatly
admiring the work that had beef done
in the identifying OF Great Falls.
Al the suggestion of Senator Glib
son. President Gelsthorpe of the Elec-
tric City club arranged for a meeting
TO be held in the rooms of the club
where the distinguished visitors might
have a chance TO meet some OF the
Greet Fails business men and land
owners aud learn their views regard
jug irrigation and the land laws.
w. G.. Conrad acted as chairman
al the meeting and called upon Mr..
Newell for remarks. He outlined the
object of their tour through the west,
and spoke entertainingly of the many
Irrigation projects which the govern
meni had under way. Some OF these
made necessary considerable eypen-
sivc engineering and in others Ihey
had found a good deal Of trouble with
private owners who had taken up land
before the reclamation was thought
of. In fact, he said. that about the
only project that he remembered III
which there vas not s-:le trouble OF
that sort was on the Crow reserva-
ton. He also talked about the work
ings of the present land laws, and
asked that any one present who could
suggest changes in them do so.
Mr.. Piuchot explained the working
OF the forest reserve laws. The whole
object Of the government IN them
wa benevolent. At first people in
the west had not understood the plans
aud there was opposition TO the re-
serves. but az the plans OF the govern
ment had become better understood
This opposition had disappeared, and
he now found very few people who
did not approve of the reserve pol
lay; although there were still people
who would rather have had a reserve
established nearer To some other
mans range. The workings of the
forest reserve rules were not yet per
feet, and there was a good deal oil
unnecessary red tape at times: but
In time that would he done away with.
The intention OF the government was
70 make the reserves useful to the
people al the section where they were
located-more useful than they could
ba If they were not reserved. The
government wanted all land that was
most useful for agriculture used fol
agriculture, IL il was more useful fol
mining il should be used for mining
and il il was most useful for timber
aud 10 protect the moisture of the
sountry II should be used for that. In
time all the grazing and agricultural
lands would be segregated from the
reserves. but the government could
ant act on these matters IN a day.
Herbert Strain called attention e
the fact that there were Two gentle
men frcm Chouteau present who de
sired TO talk with Mr.. Newell and
MIR. pinchot about q project which
they were interested in. These gen
tlemen were Messrs. Cole and GoI
don. aud he suggested that they be
heard from.
Phil I. Cole said that the pgUiecI
TE,;rc8 To was the EilIay2n cana!
a. was intended To irrigate a large
4l,tiGu NJ what is known as the
rfrr atU,rt country. The company had
cum plcted about two miles OF q ca
mai. and had expended about $4,000
2nt so Tar they had nul reached ,nt
iacd that they wished To iTIigatc
Now the government was making sur
ycys for . bigger project along The
same liner, and he wished 10 say fol
the CpHnluy that il the project wa;
tailcn ny by the government the com
JaES Nnuld tIrD Cvor 10 The govern
Wcn. la water right and 81 the worl
which had hccn done. The COMPANY
WEE organized Ia get the country set
tied ~, and the government coul'
DO tbsi 0l a larger scale, and there
igrG the stockholders were glad Il
ht2 il come IN and take mp the pro
ject. In reply Mr.. Newell said that
oi course. he could mako no promise,
fOr the du9l outcome, All that he couli
promise was that the governments 80
ghIccys would thoroughly Investigate
che prnjCet as tn It's feasibility.
John s. Gordon SPOKE about tn
workings Gf ;hc land laws. lie sal,
mai the ~withdrawal OF land in tina
l~eighborhooG from desert entry ha,
intcrferei with the K~ilraycn project
That some OF their stockholders haI
intended to take up desert claims. an,
when they could not do that the
backed u He also argued that i
countries where irrigation was nece'
sary il would be better il congress
would abolish the homestead law an
allow the desert land act To stant
As il vos homesteaders did moi In
prove and irrigate their land. but
IL had been taken up under the deseT
land law they would have TO do tina
tkoie thoY could get title.
w. G.. Conrad talked about tn
great posadb iiities of irrigation in thi
81. ton. saying rhat he believed the.
we're the beat anywhere In the coun
try. He said that he had been Sigh,
~ m%isquoted as TO remarks he mad,
IN Helena. He had not offered to giv'
yI5O.OOc outright 10 forward an irri