Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-13
Opposition to the Administration

Senator Teller as chairman of the pro-
gram committee is assisted by certain
senators and representatives from the
trans Mississippi states in arranging for ad-
dresses which are intended to guide the
discussions into such channels as will in
fiuence the legislation of Congress and the
executive policy. Twenty or more topics
have been proposed all of them based
upon the theory that a state has, or, at
least. should have, the right TO own or to
administer upon all public territory within
its limits. This will naturally raise
number Of constitutional questions as to
the limit of state jurisdiction and author
ity. 1t is understood, however, that the
program has been considerably modified
because the leaders of the government
have found that the Presidents strength
and the public confidence in his policy are
much greater than they anticipated. Hence
they have concluded that it would be UNI
wise to disclose this fact and consolidate
his support.
The same opposition to the different fea-
lures Of the public domain policy of the ad-
ministratOn that has been developed in
Congress for several years will naturally
develop, and for the same reason. Inc
forest reserves, the regulation of grazing,
the disposition Of coal lands and the con-
struction of irrigation reservoirs are the
principal objects of complaint. Fault is
found with the plans of the reclamation
service because ii is claimed that they in
terfere with private enterprise and benent
only a few favored portions of the country;
the cattle and sheep men are opposed to
paying money for the privilege of grazing
their stock upon the public land, and they
are violently opposed to the laws which
punish them for fencing pastures that do
not belong to them. They want new regu-
lations and a new law allowing them TO
enter and buy as much grazing land
they desire without being restricted to the
limits prescribed by the statutes.
Fault is found with the forest reserve
system because large areas are thus ex-
empted forever from taxation in the sew
eral states. 1t is claimed also that the resi-
dents Of those states are deprived of their
natural right to use the timber for fuel and
building and mining purposes: that the re-
serves obstruCt civilization, prevent the
territory from being populated and delay
its development. The withdrawal Of the
coal lands from entry and purchase is also
The cause Of a great deal Of disSatsfa ction,
but Secretary Garfield says that that is
only temporary.
Entry on Coal Lands Stopped.
We stopped the entry of coal lands" he
said in answer TO a question before he
left for the west the other day, until Con-
eress could enact necessary legislation for
their protection and for their sale under
rational conditions and on rational terms
But as Congress did not act upon the
recommendations of the Secretary Of the
Interior. it is necessary to prolong the
period of withdrawal In the meantime
tie geological survey is making "a genera!
survey of all the coal deposits now remain
ing on the public domain. in order that
their limits may be located and they may
be classified according % their value. The
preliminary examinations have shown that
there were 100000 acres Of coal lands be-
longing to the government to begin with
or these about 30,0O0OO0 acres Ignite
of no immediate value for fuel, although
their future value will be enormous. This
leaves about 40 600 600 acres of fuel coal
OF that area 100000 acres have already
passed out of the possession OF the govern
ment into private ownership and applica
tors for about 100000 acres are nov