The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-19
ADJUSTMENTS TO-DAY.
THE METALS.
PAINFUL SITUATION.

4 PAINFUL SITUATION.
II H. truly painful To note the critic
al. not to say hostile. attitude of the
wool. growers toward that great and
Eeod man. the president of jhe United
states and his public lands policy.
Many OF them even go 50 far IS to
Think the western states ought 10 be
consulted by the administration in
matters vitality affecting their inter-
csts. although this is plainly a case
80 iese majestic.
Antagonism 10 the presidents policy
developed just as soon as possible IN
The great convention of sheepmen.
Particularly are they opposed to the
proposal for the government 10 take
over all the range lands. some 100000. =
Geo acres. i'm addition 10 the moro than
ZOc000.O00 acres now under control
through forest reserves under the SUI
pervision Of Mr.. Clifford Pinchot. As
ihe stockmen see il. the government
has enough difficulties on its hands
strengthening out the management OF
forest reserves without undertaking
the enormously hard task OF handling
an the open range besides Foolish as
it may seem TO the president. these
mon of the range believe they know
something about the subiec,. and that
they ought to be taken into considcra-
tion in any plan that affects their
whole industry SO seriously.
To an outsider it looks as though
these sheepmen had overlooked tie
main point i'm the presidents policy.
He is for Capitalization Of power in
the hands of the federal government
first. last and all the time. To control
AL the range means an iDimitable ex-
tension of that power; it means control
lot only OF the range lands. but it
means power to say who shall and who
shall not have the use Of those lands:
IL means practically an arbitrary gov
eminent OF one of the great industries
OF the west. including power to put one
man out of business or let anoiner
stay inland all without restraint of
any kind except the disposition of the
man who happens 10 be exercising this
authority
Still another phase or the situation
will occur to the westerncr, whether
he is directly interested or not and
lThat is the effect upon the west OF sucn
wholesale surrender OF land 20 arbi-
itrary disposition by "A department Of
government. The forest reserves he &c
blocked settlement. or possible devei-
iopmens OF the states in various diree-
items and limited the development Of
contiguous areas with serious results
10 great empires within the territory
dependent upon the reserves. TO with
draw all the oDen range ami prohibit
its use except on permission of a de-
Dartment is TO stiHe development stin
further. In the end Il is not difficult
. 10 foreSee that the extension of the
system viii mark the end OF the small
growers and put the range in control
OF the big syndicates and growers who
can command political Influence
enough 10 get what they want With
Ipen OF uEimpeachable character in
control il Is barely possible no trouble
might arise on this score; but the ex-
perience OF the west I'm past years does
not encourage the belief that arbitrary
lower in the hands OF government en-
pioyes VIII be used regardless Of no.
litical pull or the influence OF poll
ticians.
The west has managed TO get along
fairly we'll without government control
Of its range lands in the sense the
president desires control: it can set
along pretty well FOR a good while TO
come without an extension OF such
control There have been abuses. as
there always viii be; but local ana
state sentiment handles such abuses
effectively in most cases and min
mum OF outside Interference is much
moro desirable than a Capitalization
which makes even greater abuses pos
sible. which sacrifices ali local author
fly and establishes a precedent for
SIN further encroachments OF federal
authority upon subjects that ougnt
properly to be left untouched.
Recording this belief viii psobabl,