The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-08
BoRAH ON CONSERVATION.

We commend to the Just considera-
tion Of President Taft and the officials
of his administration, as we'll as to
conservationists everywhere, the plain,
straightforward letter addressed by
Senator Borah to tho Interior Depart
ment, in protest against the blanket
withdrawal of extensive agricultural
lands in the Snake River Valley. 1t
appears that an order withdrawing
large bodies of agricultural land in
that valley has been issued, on the
theory that the land is coal land.
Nothing is shown that proves the land
in fact to be coal land. and Sena-
tor Borah lays emphasis upon this point,
IF, indeed, there is any coal land in
this blanket track withdrawn, then
Senator Borah says, by all means re-
serve that portion of it which can be
shown to be coal land if that is de-
sired; but, as he very properly and
fairly says, to withdraw immense
areas Of land on the theory that some
small portions of it may contain coal,
is a gross injustice to the State of
Idaho, and hardship on prospective
settlers
This letter Of Senator Borah's pre-
sents in sharp, clear outlines the radi-
cal difference between the theoretical
conservationists in Washington, and in
official life elsewhere, and the practical
conservation ideas in vogue among
everyday, sensible people, those who
understand the conditions of the West,
who know about the public lands, and
are in condition to pass intelligent
judgment upon the questions involved.
Mr., Borah says candidly that, in case
of coal being found upon or under the
surface in any land, it is quite proper
TO reserve that land from entry; but,
unless and until it is found it is a
real hardship upon the State, and upon
prospective settlers, to withdraw the
lands without regard to whether they
are. coal. lands or not. AS a matter of
probability the Senator shows that
coal is unlikely to be found on any of
this land, since it has been prospected
for coal for years, and no coal dis.
covered.
With respect to power sites, Senator
Borah shows that the withdrawal of
these, with huge tracts of land at
tached to such sites, is also working a
hardship upon the State, and upon the
people. He shows that power sites are
in operation now, obtained under
former claims, and that to keep other
sites from being fled upon and utilized
forms an oppressive monopoly on the
part of those who enjoy the use of the
sites which they have already acquired.
The only way to break this monopoly
is to allow of the beneficial use of other
water power sites, and he urges that
this be done in the interest of the
public, both for the development of the
country and for the breaking of the
monopolies which the power site with
drawals tend so powerfully to create
and confirm.
The letter of Senator Borah is en-.
tirely courteous; in fact. deferential.
But these qualities do not in the least
diminish its reasoning force and its
powerful presentation of the case. We
trust that his plea for speedy action
on the part of the Department Of
the Interior may be granted; and we
may be allowed to hope further, that
this granting of speedy relief in the
case at hand will lead to further re.
lief, not alone in this, but in other di-
rections, and generally throughout this
mountain country, For there is nc
doubt but that the conservation policies
of the administration, so unwisely
and impractically administered, are
doing great damage to all of the noun
tain States, and materially hindering
their settlement and the development
Of their natural resources. The con-
seTvatlon policies, as enforced, create
and support monopolies, as pointed out
by Senator Borah, and suppress op-
portunity to compete with them. And
not alone in the one case, but in others
The coal monopoly in particular may
be mentioned IN this connection as the
great oppressor of all this mountain
region. Precisely as Senator Bora
explains that water power site mon
opolies are created and helped by the
withdrawal of water power sites, SO
coal monopolies are fostered and sup
ported by the withdrawal Of coal
lands from entry. The proposition is
an entirely plain one. The present
monopolies have control Of the already
entered coal lands, and own the coal
mines that are in operation The gov
ernment forbids the taking up of other
coal lands, and through this restriction
prevents the opening of competing coal
mines. The monopoly already estab-
lished. therefore, is directly and power.
fully supported by the government IS
conservation policy in withdrawing the
coal lands from entry. AS long as this
policy is persisted in, the mouopolies
will become more and more powerful
and exacting through all this western
region. Doubtless the conservation
policies of the government as applied to
coal lands in this Immediate region
cost the consumers Of coal million
dollars year above what they ought
to nav for the coal they burn, hut there