The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1914-04-14
SEVEN GOVERNORS
PASS RESOLUTIONS

A belief in onservation-"i sane
conservation AN declaration fav-
oring state control by the enact
ment of laws that will "make for
true conservation featured the reso-
lutions adopted by the western gov
ernors at their closing session at
Denver. They voiced the belief that
as rapidly as the states "prepare
themselves to carry out such a policy
the Federal government should with
draw its supervision and turn over
the work to the states.'
| The governors appointed commit
tee consisting of William Spry, Utah;
e. M. Ammons, Colorado, and Tasker
L. Oddie, Nevada, to go to Washing
ton and present the resolutions in
person to President Wilson. The
same committee will appear before
the house public lands committee to
protest against the Ferris leasing
| bill.
Resolutions Epitomized.
The resolutions adopted by the gov
ernors, epitomized, follow:
We believe in conservation-in sane
conservation. We believe that the
all-wise Creator paced the vast re-
source of this nation here for the
use and benefit of all the people
generations past, present and future,
and while We believe due considera
tion and protection should be given
to the rights of those who come here
after, we insist that the people of
this day and age should be given ev-
cry reasonable opportunity to develop
our wonderful resources and put them
| to a beneficial use.
That it is the duty of each and ev
cry state to adopt such laws as will
make for future conservation of our re-
sources, prevent monopoly and render
the greatest good to the greatest
number; and that as rapidly as the
state prepare themselves to carry out
such policy of conservation the
Federal government should withdraw
| its supervision and turn the work
over to the states.
Desire Rapid Settlement.
| Believing that those who control
| the most blessed nations are those
where the ownership of lands is in
many hands We insist that in the
u
lands. both the Federal government
and the state should maintain. such
a policy as will make for the rapid
settlement of all vacant agricultural
lands.
| Resolved, That this convention rec
ommend to congress amendments of
the following nature to the desert
land act:
TI-x > ~f
citizenship in the state wherein he
makes a desert land fling be chang
ed from the time of fling to the time
of proving up.
| (2) That the requirements of rec
lamation be enlarged to embrace the
alternative proof of cultivation by
the actual growing of crops by dry
farm methods on double the acreage
required if by irrigation.
We approve the plan now before
congress to permit homestead en-
tries by persons over IS years of age.
State Control of Water.
Whereas, Congress has declared
"the water of all lakes, rivers and
other sources of water supply, upon
the pubic lands and not navigable,
shall remain and be held free for the
appropriation and use of the public
for irrigation, mining and manufae-
turing purposes we insist the Fed
eral government has no lawful au-
thority to exercise control over the
water of a state through ownership
of public lands.
We maintain the waters of state
belong to the people of the state and
that the states should be left free to
develop water power possibilities and
should receive pay for the revenues
and other benefits derived from such
development.
We reiterate our expression con
tanned in article 10 of the 1913 resolu-
tions, referring to the reopening of
mineral land, and in addition would
urge that the revenues derived from
the sale of such lands should be used
for the reclamation of the arid lands
of the west.
We believe grazing lands should be
disposed of through an enlarged
homestead act giving the settler suffi-
cient ground to enable him on live
stock basis to support a family.
We favor the passage of a summer
homestead or pre-emption law, per
Uniting land not valuable for timber,
minerals or agriculture, but suitable
for summer homes, to be acquired in
not to exceed forty-acre tracts for
summer homes. The entryman should
not be reauiredd to be resident of
the state in which the land is situat-
ed, and suitable improvements of the
value of $500, and three years sum
mer residence, should be necessary
to secure patent.
Seek Aid for Roads.
We reiterate that FIVE per cent OF
the public lands in the several states
should be granted to the said states
to aid in the construction of perma
nent roads.