The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-14
oFFIcIALDoM's RESTRICTIONS,

| ties to throw as much restriction around
the operation of any law that is enact
ed for the people 8 benefit as possible
| The homestead law was administered so
harshly against the homosteader that
under the leadership of Senator Borah
of Idaho, the bonds were loosened by
new legislation; but still, the restric-
tions continued. so that other lcgisla.
| tion is absolutely necessary to carry out
the intent of Congress TO help home
| steaders who try TO open and establish
new homes.
The laws in relation to prospecting or
the domain are liberal and fair, but un-
der the restrictions imposed by the For
| estry Service backed by the General
Land Office and the Interior Depart
meDt, prospectors find it vey difficult
to maintain themselves in their rights
to prospect on forest reserves and on
other reservations made partly without
law and partly under the law. For gem
| erations it was held that all that pros
pector had to do was to find mineral in
place, mark plainly the place Of the
find, measure the lines and establish the
corners Of his claim. do the necessary
development work, and then he WAS en-
titled to patent on his land. Now,
however. under precisely the Same law,
it is held that a prospector must not
only do all this, but that he must pur~
sue the exploration Of the deposit or
ledge until he develops it into a pro-
ducing commercial proposition. Clearly
that is mere bureaucratic interpreta-
ton, but it is effective practically to
kiln the prospecting for new mines. For
under the rulings as now made, the
prospector. if he should be able to over
come the opposition Of the forestry peo-
pie to his prospecting upon the reserves,
would simply load himself up with year
ly assessment expense by finding and
locating claim, Nothing that the av-
erage prospector could do would suf-
fee to clear him from this obligation
except to forfeit his claim
When the farmers succeeded in get
ting denatured alcohol freed from the
internal revenue tax, it was supposed
that great benefits would ensue to them
therefrom. tt was expected that they
could make alcohol from damaged fruit
from potatoes, and other articles that
often 90 to waste on the farm This
alcohol would provide them light and
fuel But the farmers who tried to
make their own alcohol this way found
themselves headed Off by government
regulations which practically set aside
the act of Congress. New legislation is
now sought, from which great benefits
are again expected, but it is not in the
least likely that these benefits will be
realized any more than before. For, no
doubt, the bureaucratic oflcialdom in
Washington will find means to nullify
whatever denatured alcohol legislation
is passed
Again, Secretary McAdoo recently an
nounced that he would distribute among
the banks Of the South and West, mon
ey amounting to $5o,ooo,000, or more If
needed, "to move the crops" But it
has been fairly demonstrated that the
banks are practically shut off from get
ting this money by reason Of the pro-
cesses through which they are required
to pass. To begin with, they find it
hard to get the right kind of paper;
then, they find it waste Of time and
money to go through the many routine
operations required to get their paper
passed upon by the government author
tiles Then thero is the matter Of ap-
proving Of various forms, the payment
of all charges by the banks, as well as
the government 2 per cent tax. All
| this made the banks look into the mat
ter with good deal more seriousness
than they considered necessary in the
first Joyous announcement that they
would get this money for use at small
rate Of interest. But when they looked
into the routine, noting what they had
to undergo, they saw that they were be-
| ing treated as looters Of the treasury,
who must be under suspicion all the
time, and must furnish security and
bond at every step; very much as a
criminal is required to do when arrest
ed and under examination. And so the
banks are not complying with these reg
ulations to anything like the extent OF
with anything like the eagerness which
was expected. Accordingly, the amount
Of money which will be. furnished by
the treasury on this account is practi
cally negligible. 1t is the New York
banks, after all, that are not only re-
turning the money placed with them
by rural depositors, but are drawing
on their own reserves to meet demands
Not only this, but the shortage in the
corn crop is going to make good deal
Of difference In the amount Of money
required. There will be less money ur
gently needed, and it will probably be
found that when the Secretary Of the
Treasury makes his report Of money
thus furnished, the amount will be found
to be so small that the announcement
Of the loan was hardly worth while
Still, it must be admitted as matter
of candor that the announcement nj