The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-03-09
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8. 1910.
CONSERVATIVE CONSERVATION

CONSERVATIVE CONSERVATION
In the matter of conserv alton of
natural resources there are extremists
on each side Of the proposition-some
Who would safeguard the public inter.
ests to such % extent ss to make their
policy unwise and injurious, while
others favor q wide open policy under
which q monopoly of water power,
fuel supplies and other resources
might be secured by wealthy syndi.
Gates. A conservative policy in re-
spect to this matter is probably the
better solution of this important prob.
lem.
A western view of the onserv alton
policy Is presented by the Sherid an
tWyo.) Post, which says the president
hae a program, not all of which is
good for the west nor even fair to It,
because it seeks to establish laws for
the control of the natural resources of
the west which did not govern during
the building up and settlement OF the
east, middle west and the other sections
of the country. In the other sections,
the most liberal terms of settlement
were granted those who would enter
in and develop the territory. The
land, the resources including water
and fuel, were all those for the taking.
Hence the people 1ocked to these states,
carved out their future home in the
wilderness or on the plain, built cities
and towns, roads and bridges, and
established communication between
communities. With an even more
lavish liberality we're the railway
corporations induced to build their
lines east and west, north and south.
All was encouragement in that day
and the states grew and became great.
Now, when itlhss come to the build
ing Of the few remaining states, and
which by the way have within their
borders greater and more varied re.
sources than any of the older ones,
there comes q decided inclination to
hamper and delay an enthusiastic and
enterprising people in doing bigger
things for the country than have ever
been accomplished by the older states.
One OF the presidents measures in.
troduced by Senator Nelson authorizes
the secretary of the interior to with.
draw from entry, pending investiga.
ton nj survey by the geological de-
partment of such public lands as con-
tain coal or are supposed to contain
coal. The danger Of granting such
authority by law is, that the secretary
could withhold from entry great areas
desirable for farms by those coming
to the state to make homes for them
selves. The Withdrawing of such land
Instantly retards the settlement and it
may be q matter of eight or ten years
before the department gets around with
It's determination as to whether the
land in question Is coal bearing or
non.coal bearing. While the depart.
ment is dallying with the question,
further development Of the country in
IN agricultural way is held in abey-
snce. The west Is more deeply inter-
ested in the raising Of ~foodstuffs than
it is in assisting q lot of geological
sharpe - hold their jobs, and the
president and congress ought to take
q similar view.
Vast stretches Of this so.called coal
land contain no coal at all and every.
body knows it., except the geological
bureau at Washington. Yet we must
wait q series of years until this bureau
catches up on its information. The
surface must lie idle, when it should
be dotted with irrigated or dry farms.
This will be the condition most surely
unless cured by the adoption of the
Mondell surface rights bill, which
permits the entrymen to take the sur.
face OF public lands without reference
to the coal bearing or non coal bear.
ing character of the land.
1t cannot be believed that the federal
government, which for several year
past has waged a righteous war on
greed and grasp, should itself descend
from the exalted and muni6cent posi-.
ton 1t bore to the rest of the Union
and lay the iron hand OF grasp upon
wyoming, Montana and q few other
states.
SPENDING PUBLIC MONEY.