The state herald., 1910-09-02

must leave every acre that can De set
tied by bona-fide homesteaders freely
open to such settlement.
do not believe that a single acre OF
our public lands should hereafter pass
into private ownership except for the
single purpose of homestead settle
ment, and I know that the stockmer
stand with me in their desire to re-
move every obstacle from the path OF
the genuine homesteader. and to put
every possible obstacle in the pathway
of the man who tries to get public
lands by Misrepresentation or fraud
| This Is absolutely necessary on the
| agricultural lands. 1t is at least equal
ly necessary on the mineral lands. 1t
| would be a calamity, whose baleful ef-
| feet on the average citizen we can
| scarcely exaggerate. II the great stores
of coal and other mineral fuels still
owned by the people in Alaska and
| elsewhere should pass into the unregu-
| lated ownership of monopolistic cor
porations.
Tho Forest Service.
| You progressive stockmen have stood
| heartily by the conservation move
| ment. and with you have stood many
| others throughout the West to whom
large credit is due. such as the lum-
bermen in Washington and Oregon, the
irrigators in California, and the sup
porters of the country life movement
in and around Spokane. I want to
make my Acknowledgements In partic-
ular to the Colorado Forestry associa-
ton, which has supported the forest
work OF the government with such un-
selfish zeal. The forest service has
enemies because II Is effective. Some
of its best work has been met by the
bitterest opposition. For example. II
has done real service by blocking
the road against the grabbers Of water
power, and again by standing like
rock against the demands of bogus
mining concerns to exploit the national
forests. l have always done my best
to help the genuine miner. l believe
that one of the first duties of the gov
ernment is to encourage honest mining
on the public lands. But II is equally
important to enforce the law firmly
against that particularly dangerous
class which makes its living of the
public through fraudulent mining
schemes.
Much of the opposition to the forest
service, like much of the opposition to
conservation. takes the form of direct
misrepresentation. For example, tho
cry is often heard that the national
forests inclose great areas OF agricul-
tural land which are thus put beyond
the reach of settlement. This state
ment seems plausible only till the facts
are known. In the first place, congress
has specially provided that whatever
agricultural land there may be in any
national forest shall be open, under
proper safeguards. to homestead set
tlement. And in the second place, when
the opponents of conservation are ask
ed to point out the great stretches Of
inclosed agricultural land on the
ground and in the presence of experts.
instead of in speeches In q hall, they
fail
Reclamation Service.
Tho National Irrigation Congress is
to hold session in the city of Pueblo
late in September. l am keenly sorry
that / could not nave accepted the
invitation to be present. / must how
ever. be In the East at that time. But
since 1 cannot be present then to ex-
press my keen. long held. and deep-felt
interest in the reclamation of arid
lands by the federal government. l
desire TO do so now. There In no more
effective instrument for the making OF
homes than the United States Recla-
nation Service. and no government bu-
reau while l was President had reach
ed higher standard of efficiency in
tegrity and devotion to the public well
fare.
Like the Forest Service. the Reclama-
tion Service has clashed with certain pri-
vnte interests. and has had to pay the
form of bitter opposition from those with
whose profit It has interfered The cry
has been raised against IL that the gov
ernment must not do for Its citizens Mt n
less cost what private interests are ready
to make them pay for at higher prices.
Now. believe fully In the private de-
velopment OF irrigation projects which the
government cannot undertake. There il
large and legitimate field for such work
But the essential thing Is to make homes
on the lands not to enable individuals TO
profit from the necessities of the men who
make those homes. There In no more
warrant for objecting TO the reclamation
OF arid lands by the government than
there would be to protest against the gov
ernment for patenting agricultural lands
directly To the actual settler. instead OF
through middlemnn. who could make n
pront from the transaction. The msn who
assert themselves nj the cost OF the COM
nunlty Instead OF by service 10 tha COM
munity we have always had with us. and
doubtless we always shall. But there Is
no reason why we should yield "a them
The Reclamation Service has not cone so,
and that Is the chief reason for The ak
tacks upon II.
! don't think that there Is one
you who IL a better and more ~ sa''..,,
going wesierncr than I am. (rh,rs Ia.
been no support given to ". eo,s..,,s' ",'
ton policies SO welcome ~ I'M, which
chme from the west. TIA none g., IN.
west more welcome tha,' M no nom .ne
from Colorado. Th.y wa, Nv ~s'.n ~ s',,' nv
EaniEations In coloy, VT. n''n ana o,
Delta in par'ieula,r who's. sumner, ~ IN,
sohs.rNhuon policies has been q, IN.
s,''a sau' - the Nation II las no,
s'wny' s,sn a., oeen " easy thing Tor them 10
~. ,esi ,I,t,t was right, TO stand for
sss,,,ns ,s,.,'mate good as against the
.,oaa a., 9Iporary good. but they have
r,ars ,fit steadily nevertheless.
"a, sas t,he standpoint OF conservation
s,,,,.,,, y has wasted much Of its own
as ,'endowment; and as an Amrrican
-, l.oy"r OF the west. hope that tho
~, will profit by IN. casts bitter les
a.. and will not repeat the mistakes Of
80 east The east has wasted its re-.
!, frees, II suffers from the effect of the
y, ss,e. which now puts II nt a disaivan.
!, sc compared to the west. and n Il
s'sorry Most Of the capital and very
4 many Of the men now attempting 10
monopollsn your western resources are
from the east, The ives, should learn
the lesson Of III. casts mistakes and II
should remember that conservation In
the ives, viii help the west nrst and
most. and that the movement for con
Herfation Ia most earnest, most vigorous.
afaA a..s