Gilpin observer., 1909-03-18
AMMoNS ATTACKS AND PINcHoT
DEFENDS FOREST RESERVE
POLICY.
BEF ORE LEGISLATURE
COLORADO LAW MAKERS HEAR
ABLE AND VIGOROUS PRESEN-
TATIoN OF BOTH SIDES.

dressed a joint session of the Senate
and House of the Colorado General AS
sembly Tuesday night in explanation
and defense of the forestry reserve
policy Of the government, and was re-
piled to by former State Senator Elias
M. Ammons who vigorously arraigned
the whole bureau system of forest ad-
ministration and cited numerous cases
tending to show the hardships incident
to its practical operation.
General admission to the meeting
was by card. and every seat in the big
gallery and hundreds of chairs on the
main floor were occupied. Many Of
the leading citizens, not only of Den
yer and Colorado, but from various
sections of the West, were present.
Both speakers elected frequent and
vigorous applause.
In his address, Mr.. Pinchot set forth
the aims of the government in preserv-
ing the forests. The service was not
created to benefit the East, but to aid
in building the West 1t was already
doing much in this direction. The reg
ulations were aimed at securing all
the settlers possible, of giving free ad-
mission to all reserves to the prospec-
tor and homeseeker.
In his closing remarks Mr.. Pinchot
sounded a warning to the people of
Colorado concerning the encroach-
ment of the Central Colorado Power
Company. He said:
"The power situation in Colorado is
of such a character it seems to me
that the forest reserve should have the
backing of every citizen as against a
company so dangerous to the state"
Mr.. Pinchot asserted that the Cen
trail Colorado Power Company was the
basis Of the combination of the Lead
vile and Colorado Springs Lighting
companies, Northern Colorado Power
Company, Denver Gas & Electric Com
pany, Summit Power Company, Pixies
Peak Power Company, and numerous
others; that it was backed by the West
inghouse interests, the General Elec-
trio Company, and that the American
Gas Manufacturing Company had a
very strong hand in its affairs.
In his address Senator Ammons Wig
orously assailed the right of the United
States government to sequester vast
| tracts of land in any state and assume
| Jurisdiction over these tracts to the ex-
clusion Of the state.
Senator Ammons spoke of the size Of
the United States forest reserve, stat
| ing that it was one and one-half times
larger than Italy and in Colorado
would plaster over four states of the
Union, and yet its government was
placed in the charge of one arm of
the service and under one mans di-
| rection.
Senator Ammons told of men who
| filed on mineral claims and the forest
rangers protested and before the own
ers finally got their land they had paid
$1,000 for legal expenses.
When a man attempts to file on a
claim the land office notifies the for
est service and there is a protest and
| then it must go to the land office and
/ l know of cases where the forest SER
vice has protested even after the de-
| cision of the land office"
Following are the points in the de-
bate as summarized by The Denver
| News:
| By Mr.. Ammons-
That the government has no right to
/ sequester vast tracts of land.
! That the government has no right
to engage in any business, there being
/ forty-one businesses the government
/ permits on the reserves.
/ That cattle did better on the re-
/ serves before the government took
| charge.
That the government has no right TO
assume jurisdiction over vast tracts
of land lying within a state.
That Congress. and not Pinchot
should make the laws governing the
reserves.
That the Pinchot policy of govern
| ing the reserves is a menace to Amer
lean institutions.
| That no one man has the right to be
a sovereign, as is Pinchot on the re-
serves.
That mining and homesteading is
discouraged on reserves.
By Mr.. Pinchot-
That the sequestration of vast tracts
by the government is necessary for
the protection OF forests.
That by the government forest re-
serve system states are protected from
encroachment by power companies.
That the reserves conserve the wa
ter Of the state for the use Of farming
That the government does encour'
age homemakers on the reserves.
That the government on the re-
serves is the small man against the
big man.
That the government is anxious to
work In harmony with the state OF
Colorado In relation to the reserves
That the land office, and not the for.
est service, has control of the mineral
claims