The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-07
A WYOMING PROTEST.

The people of Sheridan, Wyoming, are
pushing for relief from proposed ad-
ministration measure which would eff
fectively deter the settlement of these
mountain regions. Senator Nelson of
Minnesota has introduced the bill, APP
parently at the request Of the President.
1t would, if passed, withdraw from en-
try all public lands containing coal or
supposed to contain coal To this, Rep
rescntative Mondell Of Wyoming pro-
poses an amendment which would per-
nit of this entry of the lands, taking
in such entry only surface rights, and
giving no claim TO coal which might
later be discovered under ground.
The Sheridan Chamber of Commerce
at recent meeting passed the follow
ing preamble and resolutions on this
subject:
Whereas IT Is the belief of the mem
bers of the Chamber OF Commerce OF
Sheridan, Wyoming, that the interests OF
Sheridan County, the State OF Wyoming,
and other western states, would be ad-
vanced by the enactment into law OF II.
tries on coal lands" be 1t
Resolved that our Representatives I'm
Congress be urged to support this meas
ure in the fullest. and be encouraged
in making such effort as Will secure Its
passage during the present term OF Con-
gress, Be 1t further
Resolved that copies of these resolu
tions be forwarded 10 our United States
Senators and Representative from Wyo-
ming. and. that also the cooperation OF
other Chambers OF Commerce and like
organizations I'm Wyoming and neighbor
ing states be asked in support of our
members in Congress In urging speedy
passage OF this measure.
The different commercial bodies, as
well as the people generally, in the
States affected by this measure are
urged by the Sheridan Chamber Of
Commerce to request the support of
their Senators and Representatives for
this Mondell bill for agricultural en-
tries on coal lands.'' And the Sheridan
Post puts up this able argument IN
support of it:
There is one point the people OF Wyo-
ming do not want 10 overlook II they
would have the state settled up by those
who desire To engage In agriculture, and
it is agreed on all hands that we do want
this class; and that is the Importance TO
the state of the Mondell bill separating
inc surface OF llUU from the coal con-
talned or supposed TO be contained there
in,
The President has a conservation pro-
gramme not all Of which is good FOR the
west nor even fair TO it, because IL 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 terri
tory. The land. the resources. including
water and fuel, were all theirs for the
taking, Hence, the people Hooked TO
these states, carved out their homes In
the wilderness or on the plain, built cities
and towns, roads and bridges, and es-
tablished communication between COM
munities. With an even more lavish
liberality were 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 be-
came great
Now. when 1t has come to the building
OF the few remaining states, and which.
By the way. have within their borders
greater and more varied resources than
any of the older ones. there comes a de-
cided inclination to hamper and de-
pie In doing bigger things for the country
than have ever been accomplished by
the older states.
One OF the Presidents measures intro
duced by Senator Nelson authorizes the
secretary OF the interior TO withdraw from
entry, pending investigation and survey
by the geological department OF such
public lands contain coal or arc sup
posed 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 10 make homes for
themselves. The withdrawing of such
land instantly retards the settlement and
II may be Il matter OF eight or ten
years before the department gets around
with It's determination as to whether the
land In question Is coal l-bearine or non
coal bearing While the department is
dalylng with the question, further devel-
opment OF the country In an agricultural
way is held In abcyance. The west is
more deeply interested In the raising of
foodstuffs than 1t Is In assisting a lot OF