The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-19
Of
GRAZING LANDS
Senator SmOOt Says He FavOrs
Forest Reserves for Forestry
Purposes Only.
DISCUSSES BILLS NOW
PENDING in CONGRESS
Will Never Be Law to Retard
Mineral Development of
Western Country.

practically all OF the AFTERNOON Sessioh
of the conference. Apostle Smoot came
louded for the occasion. He had copies
of all the bills that had been intro
duced in congress on the head of con
servation and Judging from the size OF
the pile of documents, a lot that hadn Z
been.
The chief points of Aiostle Smoot's
address was the assurance that every
thing would be all right just as soon
as two bills which he had in the SEN
ate were passed One of these related
to power sites and the other to gas anu
oil locations.
Apostle Smoot said he did not believe
the people of the east had any plan or
project to take from the people Of the
west their natural resources, and gave
it as his opinion that the people of the
east would abide by the actions of the
people of the west, relying upon their
good sense and judgment as to the best
course to pursue.
At the conclusion Of Apostle Smoot g
speech. Governor Brooks of Wyoming
asked him number Of pertinent qnes-
tions Although he manifested dis
position to hedge his replies about by
n great volume of words Governor
Brooks at length pinned the apostle
senator down to an unequivocal declar.
alton that he favored the elimination OF
all lands from the national forest re-
serves that were not covered by for-
ests or subject to reforestization or that
were not watersheds for water sup
plies of cities where people lived
Eliminates Grazing Lands.
"That includes grazing land7' sug-
gested Governor Brooks.
eyes; it includes grazing lands, ="
said Apostle Smoot.
That was precisely the point Gov
ernor Brooks wanted to bring out, Tor
in Wyoming there are immense areas
held within the forests which have no
more relation to timber than humble
bee has to deep soundings.
Apostle Smoot said he should hate
to see any action taken by the COVER
nors of western states that would give
the idea to the rest of the country that
l"we are opposed to conservation The
apostle believed in conservation, pro-
gressive conservation:
"But I do KNOW declared Apostle
Smoot, "that the present administra-
tion is eliminating agricultural lands
from the forests Just as RAPIDLY as clas-
sifeations can DE made, and I know also
that the administration will continue
to take these lands out of the forests
until they have all been eliminated
Fasteners Not Unfair.
Apostle Smoot did not believe it was
proper to say that the eastern people
are trying to take away the resources
Of the west. HIt has been my exper.
ience,' he said, Hthat the eastern peo'
pie are willing to follow the consensus
Of opinion of the men who represent
the west. | am quite sure there is no
plan or project in the east whose design
At is to take from the west its re-
sources"
Touching the water power sites,
Apostle Smoot said: ''I do not be-
leve that the government should CON
troll the water power. | believe the
water power should be turned over to
the states, under certain restrictions;
On this point Apostle Smoot dis
agreed with Mr.. Pinchot.
The apostle said there is now bill
in the senate, bill that has already
made progress. by tho terms of which
the state may make application for
power sites and they will then be
turned over to the state by the presi-
dent.
Apostle Smoot said the withdrawal
bill passed by the recent session of
congress was q Just bill. 1t was Just
and was much better than the old law
whereunder so much confusion pro-
vailed
The proposed law for gas and oil
locations, said Apostle Smoot, now be-
fore the senate, is q fair measure, 1t
gives every man a chance to prospect
for oil under permit from the secre"
tary Of the interior, and the charge for
these permits is exceedingly small.
| There can be no monopoly under this
;aw, said Apostle Smoot, for its terms
are Just such as to prevent this very
thing. The fact that the lessees, If
such they may be called, are subject
to the discretionary action of the sec
retarY of the interior, would be guar
antee. The permits give Il prospector
three years in which to lind out wheth-
er or not there is gas OF oil to be
had.
No Cause for Alan.
There had been much alarm, said
Apostle Smoot, at least, professed alarm
that the mineral Development of the
west would be retarded by reason of
the passage of the withdrawal bill or
other proposed legislation.
"There will never be time said
Apostle Smoot. "whcn any law is going
to interfere with the development Of
the western country. There will never
be law that will interfere with the
men who dig for precious metals. !
know the sentimnet of the east. and
they know back there that to rctard
the development of the mineral re-
sources Of the west would mean Sc
we're, n crushing blow to business.
There need be no alarm on this score.'
Coal and Phosphates.
The two questions yet to bo deter.
mined, said Apostle Smoot, arc the
disposi ton OF the coal and phosphate
resources. He was not quito prepared
to say what should be done with them,
The phosphate lands, he believed, could
best be handled by system of Ieas-
ing, and that would prevent exporta.
tion, n condition greatly TO be desired,
for the phosphutes are needed here to
enrich the lands here under cultiva-
tion,
Apostle Smoot struck a popular chord