Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-09-14
SHALL PEOPLE
HAVE CONTROL OF
PUBLIC DOMAIN

DENVER, Colo. Sept IA. Shall
the people of the western states
control the public domain within
the borders of these states, or shall
the lands be administered by a sys-
TEN Of federal bureaucracy to be
held in perpetuity by the govern
ment as a means CT revenue for
the federal treasury?
This question contains the essence
of the subject which the dele
gates to the public lands conven-
ton will discuss This convention
will meet in Denver ON September
81 to October 3, inclusive, and it
probably is the most important cen
vention of any character held in
the west in many years.
Men prominent in the movement
which resulted in the calling of
the convention, say there win be
heated debates on the floor of the
convention between the friends of
the federal policy of bureaucracy
and the advocates Of conservation
under control of the states them
selves. President Taft has accept
ed an invitation to be present and
address the assemblage, and his
talk is looked forward to with much
interest by the people of the west
The convention is looked upon
here as a gathering Of represent
tatiyes of the western people for
the purpose of determining the de-
sire of the majority of these peo-
pie as to which policy should pre-
vail in the administration of the
public domain While any action
the convention may take will not
necessarily determine the action Of
congress, it is believed it will ex-
ert a powerful influence in shaping
the final action of the national leg
islatiye body. 1t is hoped by the
executive committee for Colorado
that every state included in the
call will send its full quota of dele
gates so that in the final analysis
there can be no question as to the
position of the west in the matter.
Seventeen states and the terri
tory of Alaska are interested in the
deliberations of the convention, and
approximately 90O,00O,000 acres of
lands of various kinds will be af-
fected by the ultimate action of
the federal congress. The call,
which was issued by Governor John
f. Shafroth of Colorado upon au-
thority of the Colorado legislature
is broad enough to include the in
terests of all the people of the west
Arizona, Arkansas, California
Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Mon
tana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mex
leo, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ore
gon, South Dakota, Utah, Washing
ton and Wyoming are the states
eALltled to representation, together
with the territory of Alaska. The
qualification for participation is one
million or more acres of reserved
or unreserved public lands.
Governors, senator's, congressman
and member of state legislatures
are commissioned in the call as
delegates, thereby assuring in this
category alone approximately 1000
accredited delegates. In addition
each governor may appoint thirty
delegates, the mayor of each city
may appoint one delegate for eacf
1000 of population, but not tt
exceed fifty for each city, and dele
gates to the number of ten may b.
appointed by each chamber of com
merce, board of trade, real estate
exchange or other commercial
bodies; boards of county commits
sioners, associations of stock grow
ers, lumbermen, forestry and irri
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