The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-06-07
Gou. Steuart J.
OF Utah Talks
ON NATIONAL POLICY As 70 TIE
USE OF THE PUBLIC RANGE,
tBY ASSOCIATED TREss.)

IF. tBY ASSOCIATED f'REss.)
SALT LAKE CITY. June 7.-"Om
National Policy rs to the use OF the
Public Range" was Tie subject OF an
address by Governor Stewart, of Mon.
tana, before the Conference OF West.
lern Governors here to-day. Referring
to the lack OF any settled policy In.
dealing with the public ranges OF the
West until recent years. Governor
Stewart said that very lack of any pol.
Icy had done much TO promote the up.
building OF the nation. while Uncle
Sam sat with his feet cooked up on his
desk" said Governor Stewart land
advised the pioneer and rangeinen t.
help ,themselves-and they did help
| themselves with freedom and self.iib-
erality-that same elongated Uncle
Samuel winked his weather eye and
pretended not to see, because he knew
that the production OF great herds aug.
mented his wealth and promoted his
prosperity. lie knew that home.
steader, a cowman or Il ilockmastcr
who was willing TO leave civilization
and bury himself in the solitude of the
plains or mountain fastness ought to
have every encouragement that ben
eiicent nation could extend TO him.
Knowing this, nothing was done to ad.
minister the ranges"
| Adverting to the time when the na
tional government first took any inter.
est In the open range. the speaker
said II was n few years ago, when
large operators began fencing the pub.
lie domain and monopoi2ing It's use
Then the forest reserves appeared and
with the advent of the forester there
was inaugurated within the reserves
a system Of range regulation that has
worked out with some degree OF salts
faction.
Having had an opportunity to OBJ.
serve the administration Of ranges
within forest reserves" said the Gov.
ernor. - am still undecided as to the
merits OF the system. With fair de.
gree Of liberality and a goodly portion
pi common sense and old.fashioned
honesty actuating an Official would
say the system is first class; but with
a predominance Of narrow.minded bn.
4 peaucracy and Inflated conceit III the
foreground It certainly is bad. In the
early days Of the forest service we had
the latter characteristics too much in
evidence. The result was friction
antl disagreements with settlers and
Il consequent bad reputation for the
system and the service. All these
things sem to be improving. and to-
day know Of districts so satisfactor
lily administered that suggestion of
q return to the old methods would
elicit prompt and forceful remon
STRANGE.
THE old range question. that which
pertains TO the lands outside the for
est reserves, is solving itself by the
process OF absorption. No extensive
| nj IN lou ~
side of the forest reserves. The home
steaIer, the dry land farmer and the
stockman tusing fenced lands) have
brought about this situation. The
public range, like the true pioneer. dis.
appears before the march of civilian.
ton.
Some there are who bemoan the
loss OF the public lands. and who de.
cry the liberality with which our gov
iernmcnt was wont to deal with home.
steaders. not realizing that homestead.
ers are home builders. As we look
at the question In the light of results
as they show today, We are able to-
say with pride that while the govern.
mcnt was liberal. it has been mos:
literally rewarded The herds follow.
ed the trails of the first pioneers, the
ranchman went with the herds, and
the farmer desiring greater return
for his labor followed the ranchman:
then came the town builrdcrs. the rail
reads and the industries incident to 4
thoroughgoing civilization, until to-
day We have land that is the won.
der and the admiration OF the world
n new land. young land. whose
achievements are phenomenal, and
whose possibilities are almost unbe.
lievablc.
rIPcIIIT cNlIRr