Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1905-12-23
CLIFFORD PINCHOT


u. S. Forester and Member of the Public Lands
Commission.
Representatives, the opinion of the
majority of the members of that COM
mittee being. apparently, that the
timber grabbing should be allowed to
continue. The structures of the Presi-
rHent's Public Lands Commission,
quotedFhelow, on the coils of the law
are a suflfcfeut condemnation Of its
maleficient provisions.
The second instalment of the Com
missions report follows~.
The agricultural possibilities OF the re-
naming public lands are as yet almost un-
known. Lands which n generation or even
a decade ago were SUPPOSED to be yalueless
or without irrigation. This has been
brought about In part by the Introduction
OF new grains and other. plants and new
methods of farming and In part by denser
population and improved systems of trans
portatlon. 1t Is obvious that the first es
sential for putting the remaining public
lands to their best use is To ascertain what
that best use Is by a preliminary study aud
classification of them, and to determine
their probable future and development by
agriculture.
Until 1t can be definitely aseertalned that
any given area of the public lands is and
in all probability forever will remain un-
suited to agricultural development, the IL
tie to that land should remain r. the Cen
eral Government In trust for the future
settler.
For example,: The passage of the recla-
nation act dune II, 1902 made certain
the disposition to actual settlers OF large
areas of land which up to that time had
been considered as valueless. Other areas,
which are too high and barren to have
notable value even for grazing. are now
known to have Importance In he future
development of the country through their
capacity to produce forest growth. The
making of wells will give nm added volua
10 vast tracts of range lands for which
the water supply is now seanty. In short,
because of possible development, through
irrigation, through the introduction of new
plants and new methods of farming,
through forest preservation, and grazing
control. the remaining public lands have
an Importance hitherto but dimly ~forseen.
In view of these facts 1t is of the first
Importance to save the remaining public
domain for actual home builders to the ut
o mortgage the future by any disposition
Of the public lands under which home MAX
ing Will not keep step with disposal. To
that end your Commission recommends
(see p. 12) a method of range control under
which present resources may be used to the
full without endangering future settle
After the agricultural possibilities of the
public lands have been ascertained with
reasonable certainty, provision should be
made, for dividing them into areas suffi-
GENTLY large to support a family, and no
larger, and to permit settlement on such
areas. 1t is obvious that any attempt to
accomplish this end without n careful clas-
sarlly fail. Attempts of this kind are be-
Ing made from time to time, and legIsla-
tion OF this character is now pending.
modelled on the Nebraska $40 acre home
stead law, which was passed as an expert.
ment to meet a certain restricted local con-
dltion. This act (33 Stat, 54D permits
the entry of G0-acre homesteads In the
sand hill region Of that State. Whether In
practice the operation of this law will re-
suit In putting any considerable number of
settlers on the land is not yet determined.
Your commission is of opinion, after care.
full consideration, that general provisions
o fthis kind should not be extended until
after thorough study of the public lands
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