Holbrook argus., 1912-04-09
NAVAJO RESERVATION
 MAY BE OPENED
In The New Mexico Legislature

Whereas, that portion of the Navajo Indian Rerervation, located in New Mexico, contains over 2,300, GOO acres of land, which is an acreage of about twelve hundred acres for every Indian oL such Reservation, which is far in excess of what is permitted any white settled to secure or occupy, and Where as, large additions have recently been made to the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation, also ill Northwestern New
 Mexico, which additions are not actu- ally used by the said Indians except for the purpose of leasing to white settlers and residents in the immediate vicinity as pasture lands, and Where as, large forest reserves have been cre- ated within New Mexico, over seventy per cent of which contain no forests or merchantable timber whatever, but for the use and pasturage upon which the owners of sheep and cattle in the i'm mediate vicinity are charged heavy rentals, which places them at great disadvantage i'll competition with other stock raisers who enjoy the privi- lege of free range, and Whereas, tracts of land have been withdrawn from en- try for the purpose of power sites far in excess of the amount needed for such purpose, and Whereas, other large areas have been withdrawn from settlement for the purpose of classifi- cation as to whether or not it is coal, oil or mineral land, and such classifi- cation delayed from time to time by the Department thus preventing the occu- patton and settlement of the land un- der the Homestead and Desert Land Laws, except in a restricted and un- satisfactory manner, thus preventing the settlement of large areas of land, and Whereas, all reservations and withdrawals have greatly retarted the development of New Mexico by prevent ing the residents and people of said State from securing the wood and pas turage which they have enjoyed for generations, preventing the settlement of the State and the building of homes to a large extent restrained the develop ment of the State in its agricultural, horticultural and other industries, and Whereas, large areas of land are with drawn as part of reclamation projects which are not necessary to, but which it had been determined will not become a part of such project, and the settle menr and reclamation of such with drawals thereby prevented.
 Now, Therefore, your memorialists respectfully request the passage of the act now pending in Congress prohibit ing the further withdrawal of the lands of New Mexico for any purpose what ever, and Be it Furthor Resolved, that we request the passage of an Act pro- viding for the allotment of one hund- red and sixty acres to each Indian on the Navajo and Jicarilla Apache Re- servations, and the opening of the re- mainder of said lanns for settlement, and Be il Further Resolved, that we request the immediate restoration of all lands embraced within the several forest reservations of New Mexico which do not contain merchantable timber or are necessary to the adninis- tration of such reservations, and Be it Further Resolved, that we request the immediate classification of lands not withdrawn for coal, oil or other miner als pending classifications, and the opening to entry of such portions as are not found to contain coal, oil or mineral, and Be it Further Resolved, that the United States Senators and members of the House of Representa- tives from New Mexico are hereby re- quested to use their influence to remove the said restriction.
 Now be it Further Resolved, that the presiding officers of each House of the Legislature of the State of New Mexico are hereby directed to forward to the President of the United States and to the presiding officers and members of the Senate and House of Representa- tives, to the Governor and presiding members of the State of Arizona, to the Governor and presiding officers of the legislature of the State of Utah, both of which states contain parts of the Maya jo Indian Reservation, copies of this Memorial.