Albuquerque morning journal., 1913-06-12
Speaking at Banquet in His
Honor, Interior Department
Official Outlines Policy AZ
fecting Welfare Of West
EXPLOITERS WILL BE
MADE TO OBEY LAW
Liberal Construction Of Pres
ent Regulations Only for
Benefit Of. Actual Developer
and Honest HOmeSteader

Hon. A. A. Jones, the newly ap-
pointed first assistant secretary OF the
interior department. announced in a
speech at the conclusion Of the ban
ouet given in his honor by the Com
mercial club Of Albuquerque last night
at The Alvarado hotel. that the motto
Of the present administration regard
ing the public lands and mineral and
forest resources Of the country IS
Conservation With Use
Following the other speakers of the
evening. Mr.. Jones said he gained the
idea thnt in the opinion OF those pres
ent a policy had grown up by which
the homestcader and the prospeetoI
we're viewed with suspicion by the
government Mr.. Jones carefully
avoided criticism Of the interior de-
partment. as conducted under recent
administrations. but he made IL clea1
that the present secretary is a man OF
big brain and OF broad sympathy and
that he understands western condi-
tions and that If there has been jus,
ground for complaint in the past II
shall be olviated rs Far as possible. As
first assistant to the secretary, Mr..
Jones made If clear. however that
the law will be sternly enforced
against those who undertake to ex-
ploit the public lands, the mines and
the oil on the public domain for specu-
ffat sf4f HlIF q 1
and use by the people in whose in
terest The conservation policy was ac-
tually inaugurated.
More than one hundred guests as
scmbled around the table in the ban
Quet hall Of the Alvarado hotel
Among those from other points in the
state were Governor w c. Mcdonald,
Secretary Of State Antonio Lucero
Attorney General T. w Clancy, Com
missioner of Public Lands X. T. Er-
uen, state Treasurer O. \. Marion and
Judge NJ. c. Meehem.
The banquet was singularly FORUM
ate in one particular. From first to
last there was not a dry speech on
the program. though being semi
democratic, il might have been term
ed grape juice" banquet, that be-
ing the tone of all banquets having
connected with them a touch Of the
present administration at Washlng-
ton which has banished the festive
cocktail and the exhiliratng highball
from the menu card
a T.a x
Of those present by eonflning himself
to the true functions of toastmaster,
a happy introduction of the speakers
and no more. The first toast of the
occasion was. Recognition by the
Administration of the New Mexico
Bar responded to by District Judge
Herbert r. Reynolds.
Judge Reynolds said he had known
Mr.. Jones since boyhood, when MT
Jones was a young lawyer Just begin
ming to make his way in Las Vegas
that he had watched him grow ano
develop as a lawyer and as bust
ness man. and that no man in tht
united States could be better equipped
LOT handling the delicate legal ques-
uons, that fall to the duty of the ilrs'
assistant secretary of the interior
'nan is Mr.. Jones. Judge Reynolds has
not always been in sympathy with
me political views Of Mr.. Jones ana
is not favorable to some of the poli'
eles Of the present administration, pu'
ne said that he fully endorsed the Sc
lection BY the administration Of Mr.
Jones for the position he has beer
called upon to occupy.
Hon. A. b. McMillen spoke on
Recognition Of New Mexico Indus
uially and Commercially. Mr.. Me-
Millen brought to bear upon that SUD
lect his wide acquaintance with The
material interests of the state. Hi'
speech, coming at the beginning O
me program, Mr.. MeMillen though
lie could afford to treat the subJec
seriously without boring the banquet
e's' and he succeeded in his purpose
admirably, outlining lucidly the needs
VI New Mexico and the handicaps tha'
"ad come to her In the past. He in
sisted that the question of taxation
was one Of the most important ones
"at confront the people of the state
ana that the policy of the past ha'
wen to withhold vast areas of thu
public domain from settlement to th'
e.eat detriment of the commonwealth
q New Mexico
ar McMillen declared that the time
"au come when private ownership u
NECESSARY in order that public road
way be built and that schools may b'
"aihtained and that the state may
~'Ae her place among such com
4"hWealths as Kansas Nebraska an