The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-08
THE GOVERNORS CONVENTION.

The conference of Governors Of the
city on Thursday last, June 5th, has
concluded it's session. Many addresses
were delivered by and from Governors
of the several States west of the Mis-
souri, river. and great frankness was
displayed in some Of those discussions,
especially in the talk by Governor Elias
M, Ammons of Colorado, who pointed
out with definiteness and precision a
number of the just complaints that the
people of the West make against the
conservation policies of the Department
of the Interior.
It is noteworthy that these addresses
were met in excellent spirit by the
representatives of the Interior Depart
ment that were here, and definite prom
ises were made of amending the prac-
tees of the Department so as 10 con
form TO the law and TO the popular
demand
The resolutions adopted by the Gov
ernors call for the extension OF the
State jurisdiction over the lands within
the boundaries of the State for taxa
tion purposes, and that the administra
tion Of political power Of the States be
thereby secured; that as soon as the
States become prepared to take over the
work Of conservation, the Federal Gov
ernment withdraw its bureaus and turn
the work over to the States; oppose
the permanent withdrawal of any lands
within the States from entry and sale;
condemn dilatory action on the part of
ernment in passing title to purchasers
of public lands, and assert that the best
development of these States depends
upon the disposal Of public lands 10
citizens as rapidly as the laws can be
complied with; favor the entry Of home
steads within the forest reserve boun
daries; recommend that the Government
grant to the public land States five per
cent OF the public land remaining in
each, to be administered by the States
as the school lands are now admins
tered, for the purpose Of building Ma.
tional public highways; favor liberal
land grants to establish forestry
schools; urge that rights-ofway for all
lawful purposes be granted without him
drance or delay; demand that all min
eral lands now withheld from entry or
classified at prohibitive prices be re-
opened to entry at nominal prices un-
der strict provisions against monopoly
express appreciation of the splendid
work done by the Federal departments
in cooperation with the several States
in experimentation and instruction. and
should provide for expert experiment
work in the solution of the mining prob
lens of the mining States in the same
manner that the Agricultural Depart
agricultural problems. The resolutions
urge that the speedy settlement of the
public lands constitutes the true and
best interests of the Republic, and that
the best and most economical develop.
ment Of this western territory was ac,
under the methods in vogue
when the States of the middle west
were occupied and settled, and advo.
Gates a return to those first principles |
of vested ownership with joint interest
and with widely scattered Individual
responsibility.
The declarations are directly In line
with the best opinion OF the western
States on all the subjects indicated, and
they will afford ample opportunity for
the bureaus in Washington to get into
touch with the best opinion and with
the best work for the settlement and
development of ali the mountain and
coast States,
The session of the Governors has been
a most agreeable one throughout, and
there can be no question Of the i'm
portance of the subjects developed, and
upon which the opinions above referred
to are expressed. It was fine con.
vention in every respect. and the con-
clusions arrived at are well worthy of
the candid and careful attention Of the
administration at Washington in all of
its ramifications.