The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-06
Papers Are Read From
Governor West, of
Oregon, and Governor
Hunt Of Arizona, Who
Were Not Present;
They Discuss Duty of
Federal Government to
the States.

Free spoken criticism Of the policies
Of the national government, in it's ad"
ministration Of the public domain, ae-
companied by constructive statements
as to the remedy for the evils result
ant from those policies and the
hope expressed that the new admins
tration at Washington will open wide
the gates for western development by
adopting more liberal policies, char
acterized the first session Of the
western governors conference in this
city yesterday.
Five western governors were in at
tendance-fve big men, differing
frankly in their views as to the best
solution of some of the VESTS vital
problems. but solidly united in the
determination to wrest from the adj
ministration now in control at Wash
ington squarer deal for western peo
pie than has heretofore been accorded.
Assurance that no honest endeavor
for the further upbuilding of the
west will have aught to fear from the
men now in control Of the depart
ment of the interior was given to
the governors by Ambitious a. Jones,
first assistant secretary of the in
terror. Secretary Jones's address at
the opening session yesterday morning
brimmed with promise of the new
order of things that the west can ex
pect to be ushered in by the present
administration. Speaking as the direct
ambassador of the federal government,
Mr.. Jones declared that the interests
and aims of the western people and
the interests and aims Of the interior
department were identical, and would
be pursued as such in the future.
Here for Information.
1--WE are here to learn first-hand what
the west wants and to gather inforua-
ton 10 be used in remedying the trou
bIes that the west complains or" he said.
I'VE come TO study the needs OF the
western states in order that more lib
eral policy OF administering the affairs
of the public domain may be shaped.
We wish to know where tho shoe
pinches.
Just where the shoe pinches In the
western states was demonstrated in the
speech of Governor Oswald West OF Ore
Eon, which, because of the absence OF
the Oregon executive, was read to the
conference by Heber l. Cummings at the
afternoon session. The paper fairly
bristled with criticisms Of the past pol
icies OF the Interior department, crit
icisms intended, however, to be fair and
rather than abusive.
Like some Of the forest lands over
which Il has Jurisdiction. the interior de-
IA rtment and the general land offices ut
need TO be cleared or dead
and useless timber, the Oregon governor
declared.
The KEYNOTE Of all the remarks at the
yesterday was that now ls the
most opportune time for striking an ef-
fectiye blow at the evils that beset the
west by reason of the misunderstanding
and misplaced policies OF the national
government in matters pertaining to the
public domain. That western men and
the western states themselves nre best
fitted to diagnose their own needs ana
TO administer unto them was voiced by
every man who spoke.
The conference opened at IL o'clock In
the commission chamber at the city and
county building. Governor Joseph ID.
Carey of Wyoming opened the meeting
rs chairman, In the absence OF Cover
nor West, who is president of the as
ISOLATION.
Governor William Sry introduced
Mayor Samuel c. Park, who welcomed