The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-01-17
Resolutions Adopted by Idaho \. ool-
growers.

greatness OF our state depends upon
the free settlement of the lands OF
the public domain by actual residents
who contribute to the support of the
state by taxation, and believing that
any policy which withdraws these
lands from settlement, withdraws
them from taxation and retards the
growth of the state; therefore, be II
Resolved, That we are opposed to
any change in the present admins
tration of the public land laws as far
as the public domain Is concerned,
save only that 1t shall promote and
make more practical the settlement
of public lands by bona fide home
builders and that shall encourage
homeseekers.
1--WE are opposed to leasing or 9th
erwise segregating into Individual al
lotment that which is now public do
main.
1--WE take this stand and oppose
this policy as advocated by the Hon
orable Clifford Pinchot because of our
experience with the system as it is
now administered under his supervis-
ion.
1--WE can truthfully say that in
many instances instead of being gov
erned by law our rights have been
suspended and abused at the will and
within of a department agent, and the
said agent in many instances, totally
unacquainted with the circumstances
necessary to obtain and give correct
and equitable decision.
1--WE realize that it is detrimental
to the live stock industry to place it
under such restraints, and we conse-
quently protest against such restric-
tions because the live stock industry
suffers, together with all other clas-
SEES of business, thus retarding the
growth and development of our state.
eve further realize that under
this system the free exercise Of the
spirit of development is retarded, and
it is not in accordance with the rights
and privileges granted by the consti-
tuition of our state and country. We
claim that we have already been i'm
posed upon and burdened by taxation
which is unfair, and we protest
against the further administration of
the public domain because of the adj
ditional taxation and burdensome
rules that it will impose upon us.
1--WE endorse the house joint reso-
luton passed by the last session of
the legislature of the state of Idaho
on the United States forest reserve
policy, which is as follows:
Be it resolved, by the state of
Idaho that the forest reserve policy
of the general government as admin
istered is detrimental to the interests
of the state of Idaho, in that it has
resulted in practical transfer of jul
risdiction of over more than one-third |
of the state to bureau of the gen
eral government, which has substi-
tuted rules and regulations inconsist-
ent with the legal rights of the citi-
zens of the state under the general
laws by which the state is presumed |
to be governed;
THAT it has included within its
more than one million
acres of land belonging absolutely to
the state of Idaho, granted to the
state by congress under the admission
act, which said act and the constitu
ton of the state provide the sole
means of disposal;
d" That the grant of sections 16
and SO was for the exclusive use of
public schools;
That while congress has provid-
ed for homestead entries within for
est reserves, under burdensome and
conditions, the state can
not hope for substantial growth
under such conditions, as no people
would care to make their homes in
section Of the country subject to such
and restrictions as will
prevent the growth of COM
munities large enough to bring
churches and other institu-
lions incident to community life;
That contrary to the best inter-
ests of the state and the people, the
lands are included within the
forest reserves; and while, theoreti-
,ally, they are open to prospecting,
the limitations of the forest reserve
rules are such as to render it practi-
caly impossible to secure an invest
ment of sufficient capital to develop
mining claims after the prospector
has found them; and capital will not,
except in rare cases, invest in mining
claims or locations within the forest
reserve, as they prefer to operate un-
1er we1l-defined rights rather than