Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-10-30
POLICY EVER = CHANGING
EACH SECRETARY OF THE IN
TERROR MAKES NEW RUL-
INGS AND DECISIONS.
TRIBUTE TO The PIONEER
Two Kinds OF Conservatiouists-
Policy of Holding Land is Some
thing all Wrong

Bitterly assailing the United states
land laws and crltlci2lng Secretary OF
the Interior Franklin X. Lane Con
gresham Scott Ferris Of oklahoma,
chairman OF the house committee on
public lands created sensation at
last nights session Of the InternR-
tional Dry Farming congress.
The traffiCs, the trusts and the
currency questions cannot rise to the
Importance Of the work Of the dry
farming congress" declared Congress
man Ferris.
"Our land laws" he continued, are
in many respects crude. irreconcilable,
inefficient. without uniformity con
fusing to the brain Of the settler, i'm
possible Of Interpretation by the lay
man and a jargen Of Inconsistencies
that retard progress and development.
Most Of our so-Called land Jaws are
simply a confusing mass of executive
orders, rulings, interpretations and
decisions made by various bureau
chiefs and clerks in the various rami-
flcations Of the various departments.
During my service in congress We
terror. They were Ballinger, Gar
field, Fisher and Lane. The views OF
these four men have differed In policy
on questions Of law, on questions or
construction. while the poor confus
ed homcstcader and minor suffered
from these conflicting rulings TO an
extent almost greater than he could
bear. Many of those decisions are
actually obstructive to the settlement
ot the lands Of the west and blight
on the development OF the unbounded
resources of a nation that is richer
than we know.
"Ou the question OF the manage
ment OF our public lands and the
minerals that slumber beneath them
he last two national administrations
have been wandering in maze oi
conjecture which is belightng to both
east and west,
III large areas OF land have been
Withdrawn by the government Tor
mineral purposes and there Is no min
eral present surely the land should
be restored 30 that builders may cul-
tiyate 1t and they shall serve the
Iroper function allotted them by ma
turc.
There are times in the lives OF
men and political parties when we
must protect ourselves against our
friends. Real cOnservatiOnsts and
real conservation Of our national re
sources are our friends. These con-
servationists who believe In fighting
the hand OF greed and Irregular deal
ing are those among whom | tninh
We all finally enlist. The couservn-
tionists who believe In policy OF
non-use, a policy OF bitter opposition
to everything progressive, stubborniY
opposing well regulated use and De
yelopment Of our bOundless resources
is. In my judgment, a school OF per
haps patriotic thought but without
real first hand information MS TO the
true conditions that prevail.
some of the laws of congress and
many OF the rulings Of the department
seem TO be made on the theory that
We do not need the sturdy pioneer.
To this no thoughtful man will sub
scribe
Congr, ssman Ferris remarks were
greeted with loud applause from the
dry farmers.
His speech in part follows
The tariffs, the trusts. the cur
rency questions do not and cannot
rise to the importance of the work OF
the dry farming congress. The sub
Ject matter of this congress is vital
To- every man that eats. We hear
much OF the high cost OF living and Of
it's attendant Ills, but | say TO you
that this congress has TO do with
subject that will solve It and that Is
the only method Of solving IT,
"The public lands OF this country
comprise an area three times larger
than the German empire. There IL
I'm America today coal enough to last
FOR seven thousand years AT the pres
ent annual rate of use. The country
Is today producing, by way of annual
growth. more than twice the timber
consumed there is oil enough now
located and determined to last for
fifty centuries at the present rate of
consumption. and there is now in
sight sufficient iron ore to supply all
of The country's needs for thous
and years aside from ore once used
resmelteed and used again. A mil
lion and a ha'f tons Of phosphate rock
are used for fertilizer purposes an
nually. while there nre today between
ten and twenty billions OF tons In
sight
The most splendid civilization OF
remote antiquity was established In
desert lands. The remains Of ancient
cities In Egypt. Persia and Arabia. IN
the valleys of the Euphrates and the
Nile reveal partially Of the wealth
the grandure, and the possibilities Of