The Colorado statesman., 1910-03-05
CONSERVATION
ROUSES DEBATE
COLORADO COMMISSION ADOPTS
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING
BALLlNGER POLICY.
MINORITY is OPPOSED
Ex-6oV. ALVA ADAMS WANTS ALL
GOVERNMENT LAND cEDED
TO THE STATE.

Denver.-The closing session of the
Colorado conservation commission
Wednesday afternoon was a stormy
meeting, in which various commission
ers adopted personalities in expressing
their sentiments. The split in the
ranks which gave occasion for heated
argument was over the report of the
resolutions committee on that portion
of the report which had to do with the
care of coal, timber and oil lands with
in the state now under the control OF
the federal government.
The committee was divided on the
matter, the majority submitting res
olution lauding the policy of Secretary
Ballinger. Former Governor Alva Ad-
ans, however, offered a minority re-
port, which urged the organization to
stand in favor of the federal govern
ment ceding all lands within the state
to the state to be managed as are the
state lands. The reading started the
fight and after bitter debate was
voted down apd the majority report
accepted. In the course of the con-
troversy, DIR. John Grass, vice presi-
dent of the commission, bitterly as
sailed the Colorado land board for the
policy it had followed in the handling
of certain lands. This brought forth
an animated reply from the sponsor
of the minority report to the effect
that any Irregularities in the state
land office were infinitestimal in com
parison to the scandals which have
laid bare the workings of the federal
department.
The assertion by DIR. Grass that he
had ineffectively pleaded with the
state land board to save for the state
land selling for only s5 an acre, was
followed with the acrimonious query
by ID. C. Beaman, addressed personally
to DIR. Grass, as to whether he had
pleaded as earnestly before the land
board for the saving of the land as he
did before the federal government to
secure that vast tract of land in that
locality-Las Animas valley-which is
yielding you such handsome royalties"
Throughout the entire session the de-
bate was personal and as a result OF
the controversy little actual business
was done.
The reelection of F. c. Goudy as
president and w. G. NJ. Stone as secre-
tary were made unanimous. Three
vice presidents, Kenneth Fahnestock,
Alva Adams and John Grass, were also
unanimously named.
The name of Clifford Pinchot was
brought into the discussion relative to
the report of the forestry committee.
The majority report was branding as
efficient the federal policy, but Mr.
Beaman submitted a minority report,
declaring he was opposed to 'unneces-
sary adulteration of government poll
cy," contending the report gave insult
,ficient mention of Colorado men who
affairs.
He declared the name of Pinchot
never would have been heard OF by
the people If E. T. Ensign, the first
president of the Forestry Association,
had had press agent and a staff OF
magazine writer's" The members OF
the organization listened intently to
his remarks, but gave no indication of
their feeling for the deposed forester.
Having devoted so much time to the
debating of the report of the resolu-
tions committee, the commission was
unable to conclude it's business and
adjourned to meet again in this city
on the first Monday in April. BY the
provisions of the resolution, the only
matter to be considered at that session
will be the water power question.