Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1911-05-11
INCLUDES SEVEN NORTHWEST
STATES AND ST. PAUL is
ITS HEADQUARTERS.
THE LEAGUE IS ORGANIZED
Big Land Show Assured for the Twin
cities-ResoIution Passed oppos-
ing Federal Conservation
Policy.

Helena. - Going on record a,
opposing the present government
policy of conservation in the with
drawal of public lands, the Northwest
Development league was launched.
The league includes the states of
Minnesota, North Dakota, South Da-
kota, Montana, Idaho, Washington,
and Oregon. At meeting of the ex-
ecutive committee st. Paul was select
ed as the headquarters of the organ
ization.
1t was decided to raise $4,000 for
the support of the league and for the
prosecution of it's work. OF this sum,
$4,000 has been pledged by Seattle
and $4,000 by the Twin Cities rep
resentatives. The remainder of the
sum is to be raised by the other states
included in the league.
Officers were elected as follows:
President, Lewis Pennwtll of Hell
ena.
Vice President, Montana. L. M. New
man, Great Falls; Idaho, State Senator
Fox of Coure de Alene; Washington,
Dennis w. King of Wenatchee; Ore
nesota, j. H. Dyke of Duluth; South
Dakota, S. R. Vessey of Pierre: North
Dakota, John Gruegger of Williston.
Treasurer, H. C. Sampson of Spo-
kane.
Executive committee: Montana, R.
w. Reynolds of Lewistown; Idaho,
w. M. Morgan CT Moscow; Washing.
ton, R. r. Wilson of Seattle; Oregon,
c. G. Chapman of Portland; Mime
sofa, G. L. Kluckhohn of ST. Paul;
North Dakota, E. Y. Sarles of Hills
boro; South Dakota, to be appointed.
The secretary of the organization is
to be selected later, and rumor points
to the selection of Hoke Smith, for
mer Minneapolis newspaper man. now
connected with the Great Northern,
who has had much to do with the pre-
liminary work of the league meeting
which resulted in success.
A land show is to be held later and
this show will be held in Minnesota,
either in ST. Paul or Minneapolis, or
both. The organization of the league
marks new and distinctive chapter
in the development of the Northwest.
1t was decided to hold two meetings
of the league each year. The June
meeting is to be held in Seattle, Wnlle
the land show is to be held in the Twin
Cities. After this year the June meet
ings will be held in one of the cities
of Oregon Montana, Washington or
Idaho.
Conservative Conservation.
The resolutions committee which
prepared the platform upon which the
league will stand has its own troubles
There was disposition to take con-
servation by the horns and sc afte.
it rough-shod. The people of the West
appear to favor conservation, but they
/ are critical OF the governments meth
DDS in bringing it about.
President Hill of the Great Northern
referred to this feeling when he said
that 300,OOO,o0O acres had been with
drawn by the government, an area
larger than the original 10 states,
| Gust breathing spots" as he sar-
castically referred to it.
| There was a disposition to take up
western matters in the resolutions and
sensational expressions were antici-
pated, but cooler counsels prevailed.
The resolutions did say that the league
| is opposed to the present policy of
conservation, so far as the policy Of
withdrawing public lands indiscrimf-
nately from public use, is concerned.
/