The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-30

| tlOUdl action he Suites can EIcdNS
help. but the nation must take the lead
as regards the land. as regards the for
ests and waters. and perhaps peculiarly
I'm the case OF the waters. because al
| streams.
The Neutral Ground.
The same principle applies with pc
| cular force to the coal lands, and espe-
cially to the coal lands in Alaska. whose
protection and ownership by the federal
government Us so necessary. both for full
and free industrial development In the
west and for the needs Of our fleet In
leased. not sold. and those who mine the
coal should pay back part OF the profit
TO the people. II is the right and duty OF
| the people TO demand the most vigilant
| trusteeship on the part OF that branch
| OF the federal government In charge OF
the fuel resources OF the United Statea.
Remember also that many of the men
who protest loudly against effective ma
tional action would be the first TO turn
round and protest against state action
II such action in It's turn became eff
fective, and would then unhesitatingly
invoke the law to show that the state
had no constitutional power to act. Long
means impossible. In cases OF conststuI
tional doubt. TO get one set OF judicial
decisions which render IT difficult for the
nation to act and another set which
renders IL impossible for the state to act.
In each case the privileged beneficiaries
OF the decision Invoke the aid OF those
VINO tTcll lnc constitution lpl dS u
healthy aid TO growth, but as a fetish
to prevent growth; and they assail the
advocates OF wise and cautious progress
as being opponents OF the eonstiIutlSon. on
lever In efficient national action. where
such action offers the best hope OF Sc
curing and protecting the interests OF the
whole people against the interests OF
a few. But / am emphatically In favor
OF state action. where state action can
best serve this purpose and am no less
| ,I I,, fpNrn "
hearty cooperation between the nation
and the states where their duties are
Identical or develop
II there is one thing which is moro un-
wise than another. 1t is the creation by
Legislative, by executive, or by judicial
action of neutral ground In which
neither the state nor the nation has pow
err and which can serve as a place OF
refuge for the lawless man. and espe-
cially for the lawless man OF great
wealth, who can hire the best legal coun-
sci to advise him how to keep his abld-
Ing place equally distant from the uncer,
tain frontiers of both state and national
power
Tho Open Range.
I am here at the invitation Of the Colo
RADIO Livestock association, and desire
10 express my appreciation of their stead
fast stand for deccncy and progress In
the handling Of public lands and national
forests They have met and overcome
the unrelenting opposition OF some OF the
most influential stockmen of the state;
they have won because they have been
right / want TO express also my appTe-
cla,ion OF the work Of the American Ma
tlonal Livestock association II has been
one of the really important forces work
ing toward effective railway regulation
while its support OF the policy OF federal
range control has given IL large place
in national affairs As an old-time stock
man ] realize that the present order OF
things on the open range cannot contin-
ue. and that the sure way 10 protect the
range itself. prevent the increase OF big
grazing lands and foster genuine home
stead settlement, Is TO extend over the
open r~age a system OF range control
somewhat similar 10 that now in effect
on the national forests
Whatever system of range control may
be adopted In detail. there are two things
IT must not do It must not handioap or
exclude the small man by requiring him
TO spend more money for fences than he
can afford and II must leave every acre
that can ,.,s be settled hy bona nd, ide home
I do not believe that single acre OF
our public lands should hereafter pass
into private ownership except for the
single purpose of homestead settlement
and know that the stockmen stand with
me in their desire to remove every OBJ
stacle from the path Of the genuine home
steader, and to put every possible OBJ
stacle in the pathway of the man who
tries TO get public lands by msrepre-
necessary on the agricultural lands. Il
is at least equally necessary on tho min
era lands I, could he a ascaamity. whose
baleful effect on the average, citizen we
can scarcely cXaggerate, n tho great
stores OF coal and other mineral fuels
still owned by the people In Alaska and
elsewhere should pass Into, the unregu-
tiops
The Forest Service.
You progressive stockmen have stood
heartily by the conservation movement.
! and with you have stood many others
~ 1.F IN hI 1rC
credit is due, such as the lumberrnen In
Washington and Oregon the irrigators
In California, and the supporters OF the
country life movement in and around
Spokane. | want to make my acknowI-
cdgmcnts in particular 10 the Colorado
Forestry association, which has support
ed the forest work OF the government
with such unselash zeal. The forest
service has enemies because it is ei-
fective. Some of its best work has been
met by the bittcrest opposition, For
blocking the road against the grahbcrs
| OF water power, and again by standing
| like rock against the demands of bo-
| gus mining concerns TO exploit the ma
| tlona forests / have always done my
| best 10 help the genuine miner. l be-
| leve that one OF the 0rst duties of the
| government is To encourage honest min
| ing on the public lands. But 1t is equally
against that particularly dangerous class
which makes It's living off 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, the cry
| is often heard that the national forests
| inclosc great areas Of agricultural land.
which arc thus put beyond the reach Of
| settlement. This statement seems plaus-
ihlc only I'LL the facts are known. In the
| nrst place. congress has specially pro-
vided that whatever agricultural land
there may be in any national forest shall
he open. under proper safeguards. TO
| homestead settlement. And In the sec
ond place, when the opponents Of con-
servation are asked to point out the
great stretches of inclosed agricultural
| land on the ground and In tho presence
OF experts. instead Of in speeches In a
| hall, they fail,
The Reclamation Service.
The National Irrigation congress is 10
hold session IN the city of Pueblo late
| In September. l am kcenly sorry that /
could not have accepted the invitation TO
| be present | must however. be In the
east at that time. But since / cannot
be present then 10 express my keen;
long-held and dccp-fclt interest in the
reclamation OF arid lands by the federal