The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-09-09

taxed annually on the ldnu Nalue aion'
and the timber crop should be taxed
when 1t is cut, so that private for
estry may be encouraged.
5. The private ownership of fores
Hand is a public trust. and the people
have both the right and the duty t.
regulate the use of such lands in III,
general interest
"As to lands
1. Every acre OF land should be put
to whatever use will make 1t most use
ful to all the people.
2. The fundamental object Of oui
land policy should he the making
and maintenance Of permanent pros
porous homes. Land monopoly and
excessive holdings must not be toler
ated.
3. Settlement must be encouraged
by every legitimate means on all land
that will support homes. Thus the
tillable land in public ownership with
In and without the national forests
should be disposed Of in fee simple
to actual homemakers, but not to spec
Iulators.
4. The first and most needy thing
to do for our cultivated lands is to
preserve their fertility by preventing
erosion.
5. The non-irrigable arid public
grazing lands should be administered
by the government in the interest OF
the small stockman and the home,
maker until they can pass directly in.
to the hands Of actual settlers.
6. Rrights to the surface of the
public land should be separated from
rights to the forests upon It, and the
minerals beneath 1t, and each should
be held subject to separate disposal.
The timber and stone act should be
repealed.
"As to our minerals:
l. Those still remaining in govern
ment ownership should not be sold,
but should be leased upon terms favor.
able for their development up to the
full requirements Of our people. Until
legislation to this effect can be enact
ed. temporary Withdrawals Of land
containing coal, oil, gas, and phos
phate rock, are required in order to
prevent speculation and monopoly.
2. 1t is the clear duty of the fed
|eral government, as we'll as that OF
the states in their sphere, to provide
thorough investigation, legislation, and
regulation against loss of life and
waste Of mineral resources in mining
with regard to national efficiency
/. The maintenance of national and
state conservation commissions is
necessary to ascertain and make pub
lie the facts as to our natural re
sources. Such commissions supply
the fundamental basis for cooperation
between the nation and the states for
the development and protection of the
foundation of our prosperity.
2. A national health service is
needed to act In cooperation with
|similar agencies within the states fol
the purpose of lengthening life, de
lcreasing suffering, and promoting a
yigor and efficiency Of our people.
In the effort to conserve our nat
ural services, we recognize that com
binations against the public welfare
which recognize that combinations
against the public welfare which ex
tend beyond states lines, can be met
effectively only by agencies equally
capable Of operating across such
boundaries. 1t is clear that the con.
Itrol of interstate commercial power is
possible only by the use of interstate
federal power We are opposed to
the extension of state jurisdiction at
the expense of real control by the
people over monopoly as in the case
of water power.
while | do not believe that the
state alone can carry out the conser
walton program in the face of inter
state attacks upon it, do not fail ia
recognize the great and useful part
which the states must play in this
great movement for the permanent
welfare Of all our people. Also, ap-
Ipreeiate that in much of the work
ahead cooperation between the states
and the nation is an essential condi.
Ition of success. But when | see the
special interests attempting to take
refuge behind the doctrine of states
rights, ! propose to say so.
1T Is not possible in a speech like
this to give the details of propositions
covering so wide field as the con-
servation question to which have re-
ferred. To carry out this program in
the coming and future sessions of