The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1910-08-05


ends. Such lands as are more yalu.
able for agriculture than for refor-
estation should be open to settlement.
IF the large volume OF lands in for.
est reserves In Montana were opened
and cultivated. they would produce
each year agricultural crops Of q value
equal to that which can be produced
not less than fifty years when devoted
to forests.
Devote to Best Use.
1.-THE practical thought I wish to
convey Is. that lands should be used
for the purposes which would bring
cut their highest productive qualities.
This, | think, would be practical
conservation of forests.
we realize that the growth OF tim
Der is important. The better idea
would be to sell of the timber from
these productive agricultural lands,
| which are now In forest reserves, and
| to use the money I'm purchasing for
| forestry purposes lands In those sec.
tions where agricultural production
would not be so great.
This would serve the double pur.
pose of using the lands less valuable
rs agricultural ground for a more val
| liable purpose and Of using the vaiua-
Bile agricultural lands OF Montana for
purpose that would yield greater re-
turns.
We also have In Montana an i'm.
| mense amount of water power that
can be developed at a reasonable ex-
| ense. Water flowing In streams In
| western States belongs to the state in
which il liz situated. Power sites,
when situated on government lands
eiong to the federal government
Water and power sites should be
| united In common ownership.
MY Judgment Is that the govern.
! ment should convey its sites to the
= ties, but under such conditions as to
furnish guaranty that the states
could not fritter away their rights to
private interests without adequate
consideration. Even then the states
toula reserve the right to regulate
the prices charged to consumers for
| water.
The Montana idea Is that the states
should own, dispose of and regulate
tha disposal of natural resources sit
rated IN the state and that the state
een dispose of these resources more
isely than the federal government
s-n or will. The experience OF the
! 1T few years has demonstrated that
The states have frttered away fewer
| II their resources than has the federal
! government
Personally, | am n strict conserva-
, Omit and believe that the states and
Il the federal government should
n, control and dispose of all nat
| al resources. | have every SYM
athy with those who have urged con-
'a.ryation and differ from them rather
| u methods.
Il have no patience with certain con-
sersalionlsts who would withdraw our
iesaurees from reasonable present de.
einpnent aud Use. We owe much to
stnre generations. but we owe more
- the present ones.
Take. but do not destroy: use. but
do not waste-this should govern i'm
Ii disposition of our natural re-
sources
~ cannot agree that natural re-
| 1ources are national resources, a.
some Of those living in the East seem
10 hold. They have eaten their cake
and now want some Of ours.
In his usual keen and forceful man
ner. James J. Hill prophesied Won
dertul future for Montana. You have,
here I'm Montana" said Mr.. Hill, IAN
arabic area equal to that OF Iowa or
Illinois. two of the foremost agricul-
tnral states in the Union from the
standpoint of available acreage and
fertility Of the SOIL"
IN addition to this You have mil
lions of acres of grazing land. great
forests OF merchantable timber and
untold mineral wealth in the mines.
hut 1t Is your tillable soil that your
greatest wealth lies"
"You have some wonderfully fertile
fruit valleys. In fact the finest apples
ever ate came from the Kootenai
Valley. Land is worth what 1t will
produce and no one can fix the real
value of land except on this basis
Il know a man who paid 500, 900 for
forty acres of Wenatchee orchard
land-$2.500 an acre-thirty OF which
was planted to fruit trees. From this
thirty acres he sold $4,000 worth Of
apples and sold them right ON the
trees. the buyer paying the expense OF
picking, packing and boxing"
Where in the world. said this man,
could ! more safely or profitably In
vest 100000? / was then shown a
tract OF one acre that had netted its
owner $4,000 from apples which were
sold to Portland Arm"
"This proves what good apple land
Is worth ana | consider the land in
the Kootenai Valley equal to that OF
Wenatchee. All 1t needs Is intelli-
gent development"
Congressman Stevens spoke along
the lines OF conserving our individual
initiative and effort and not to sacri-
nee 1t to paternalism In trying to safe
guard the peoples rights.
Mr.. Patterson made a few remarks
In reference to the approaching Con-
servation Congress and the satisfac-
tory way In which recognition for the
Northwest had been secured.
Cows for Slae.