The Colorado statesman., 1911-10-07
GIVE PUBL C
LANDS To STATE
LANDS CONVENTION PASSES RES
oLUTIoN URGING DISPOSE
TIoN OF DOMAIN.
II STATES INTERESTED
VOICES RAISED IN DEFENSE OF
BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE
CONTROL OF LANDS.
western Newspaper umon News Service.


Denver.-The Public Lands conven
tion adopted resolutions urging that
the public domain, as its name implies,
be as speedily as possible disposed OF
to private parties on reasonable terms
or turned over to the states.
Numbers of delegates who had not
appeared before at the convention,
were present on the last day to vote
down the supporters of government
control of public lands and resources.
Voices were raised in defense of the
federal administration and arguments
made to show that the lands, their
mineral deposits and forests were saf-
er in the hands of the government
than if turned over to state politi-
clans for distribution.
States Fighters Dominate.
The states Fighters, who want the
government land and its undeveloped
resources given to the states, were sue
cessful in carrying out the program
that they had arranged before the con-
yention was called. They were in the
majority and dominated the sessions.
Delegates from eleven states attend
ed the convention. Each state was
given a vote for each million acres Oh
public domain within its boundaries
and five delegates at large. Thus
Colorado was entitled to forty-one vot-
ing delegates. Many representatives
sent by commercial bodies in various
towns throughout the state, attended
one or two sessions. Some went home
disguised at what they termed lack
of fair play"
An attendance of more than 1000
had been expected, but about seventy
delegates took part in the DEBATES
during the last three days. Charges
were made that the states rlghters
had put no speakers on the program
but those of their opinion, and woulu
not allow government supporters
chance to be heard on the floor OF the
convention.
These charges and the intense dis
satisfaction of many delegates caused
a sensation.
Henry NJ. Teller, former United
States Senator, saw the peril whlcn
the convention was facing. He called
unon all to be fair. He said ne dldn
think II mattered much what the con
vention did as long as it gave every
one fair treatment. He warned those
present that if delegates left dlssaus-
fled with methods employed more
harm would be done the public lands
movement than any good that could
be hoped for.
The final vote taken on the report
of the resolutions committee was ~
11-14 to 35 S-14. The fractions were
due to the necessity of splitting the
votes of delegation to fit its appor'
tionment under the rule.
Adams and Bonynse Speak.
Robert Fullerton of Des Moines read
an interesting paper on our Forest
Resources, Consumption and Annual
Growth"
Former Governor Alva Adams and
Robert Bonynge, congressman, were
present. Both made emphatic speeches
on behalf of state control OF pubic
lands.
The members of permanent COM
mittee appointed to carry on the work
begun by the convention on behalf OF
the development of public lands are:
Arizona, A. j. Sampson; California
E. A. Lane; Colorado. j. Arthur Ed
dy; Idaho, George A. Day; Nevada j.
T. Mcclellan; New Mexico, l.. Brad
ford Prince; Oklahoma, T. S. Paris;
Utah, j. w. Musser; wyoming, P. Sui
livan; North Dakota, S. H. Lee. They
met III the Auui
torium.
The time and place of the next con-
yention was discussed, and it was de-
cided to leave these matters to the
committee, on the theory that 1t would
be best to let cities bid for the con-
,,antiOD