Gunnison news-champion., 1907-02-22
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Rocky Meaatais News.

kockS &euaiALs News.
The people of Coloss4ie c.nao,
SVpwoss ttss syssssa oi LsssiRg the
vscsat pstl.c lAsds 10 shsch siss
vsussAsss he N,vss ka sescssos.
M 49, ~ osasAssDs nGnrAsd
huss.dsss kssnsvsh = ske iss.rus-
sioa II ~ vistus esd v,sdna ~
sSs ssosAG in A~sAssAs ~ pIsda,
themselves ~ psssss payiaG fos th~sr
rNGhss H pssssFaNe % she public
dosasis. ssd 10 kGks the pss.iAeat's .
pN psoysct in every eoResivsbls gay
In . VOID, tksss nssU ass ~ . Goa
dlt,os of psss,tscsl ssvolt AeAisst the
tsderal Ao~srswest, whsa that gov
srswsest - tsyiaG 20 csvy ost The
wAAss u tAe noss p,p~lar psssidsat
The cosstry hss hsd in . 0sessstioa.
Wkaa kss cssssA THE psassrk sbLe
change in psblc ssetisssut?
Not. ~ hsIseve, tks fact that the
prss,de~t has isssst.os~lly slightsd
or disseaarded the interests sf the
West, soF even that he 10 thoaght
TO have done ~. But the West is
convinced that the pFs~ident has
bsen very badly advised. and has
learned that he takes bad advise ~
readily ~ good He has made mp
his mind very hard, as usual. and
this time he has made it up TO com
NIT what the West must regard ~ q
colossal blunder.
President Roosevelt is never tired
OF saying that the paramount
consideration in dealing with the
public lands is to keep them avail
able for actual settlement by the
people who want TO make homes.
That this is his honest intention
need not be doubted. But that his
policy would do just the opposite Of
,his is all but certain.
The Burk~tt bill which he. heen
tackled oeto the agricultural appro-
prissiOa ball, % - - tssus - Qnnn.
49,. 10 s.ppo~ed " r~psr~sns the
wishes Of the presidont This bill
provides that the psblic lead shall
he classified by government experts
Those classi6e - agricultural
lands can he leased for only one
year, and are subject 10 homestead
entry at any time Those Chased
~ grazing lands can he lsesed for
ten yeara, and cannot lie homestead
ed sntil rcclassi fed and listed among
the agricultural lanAs. A BILL
MORE PERFECTLY CALCULA-
TED TO PREVENT THE MAX
ING OF HOMES COULD HARDLY
BE IMAGINED. 1t is given TO Nh
incompetent or corrupt government
agent To fix the cla.si 6cation Of Ian d
absolutely for period Of ten year.
and practically for all time. Hal
SUCH A LAW EXISTED TEN
YEARS AGO. WHERE WOULD
HAVE BEEN THE DRY FARMING
WHICH Is CHANGING THE
WHOLE FACE OF THE WEST,
The answer is easy. There is not az
acre producing crops under dry farm
ing plan that would not ten year,
ago have been rated fit only for pas
ture. If that rating had given j,
into the hands of cattle companies j,
would have remained pasture to the
end of time
Why should we want a law now
which the dullest brain must see
would have worked incalculable in
Jury 10 the state il it had been pass
ed decade ago. Have we reached
the limit Of agricultural science
NAY. Is 1T NOT RATHER GER
TAIN THAT WE HANEJUST BE
GUN TO LEARN THAT SUCH A
SCIENCE EXISTS ? Burbanks
and Campbell have been but pio-
neers; neither of them is probably
half through with his lifework; and
it is certain that thousands will fol
low in their footsteps Why. then,
should the public domain he tied
up in ten year leases to cattle com
panies, who possess all the needed
political machinery to make ten
years stretch out TO century if it &C
suits them?
We know already that this arid
belt will support more homes than
we once thought it would support
cattle. We have learned most OF
this lesson in ten years Do We
want to stop our schooling?
1t is most unfortunate that Presi-
dent Roosevelt should have taken
this peculiar turn. He is perfectly
convinced that no honest men can
possibly oppose him. WHEN IN
REALITY HE HAS AGAINST