The Greeley tribune., 1905-12-21
CLIFFORD PINCHOT

plf fohD PlNCdOI
U. S. Forester and Member of the Public Lands
Commission.
Representatives, the opinion Of the
majority of the members of hat com
mittee being. apparently. that the
timber grabbing should be allowed tC
continue. The structures of the Presi-
dents Public Lands Commission.
quoted below, on the coils of the law
are sufficient condemnation of its
malefcient provisions.
The second instalment of the Com.
missions report follows:
The agricultural possibilities of the re-
manning public lands are as yet almost un-
known. Lands which generation or eveE
are now producing large crops. either with
or without irrigation. This has been
brought about in part by the introduction
methods of farming and in part by denser
population and improved systems Of trans
portation. 1t is obvious that the first e.
lands to their best use is to ascertain wha.
that best use is by preliminary study and
classification, of them, and to determine
their probable future and development By
Until it can be definitely ascertained that
any given area of the public lands Is and
suited to agricultural development, the u.
tie to that land should remain II the Cen
eral Government in trust for the future
settler.
For example: The passage Of the recla-
nation act tJune 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 the future
development Of the country through their
capacity to produce forest growth. The
making of wells will give an added value
of lands for which
the water supply is now scanty. In short,
because of possible DEVELOPMENT, through
plants and new methods Of farming,
through forest preservation, and grazing
control. the remaining public lands have
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
(see p. 12) method Of range control under
which present resources may be used to the
full without endangering future settle
ment.
After the agricultural possibilities Of the
public public lands have been asSertained with
ceiently large to support family, and no
larger, and to permit settlement on such
areas. It is obvious that any attempt to
accomplish this end without a careful clas-
sifcation of the public lands must neces-
sarily 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 6i0-acre home
stead law, which was passed as expert
ment to meet certain restricted local con-
dition. This act ,33 Stat, $40 permits
tn entry of 640-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 fths kind should not be extended until
after thorough study of the public lands