Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1914-04-08
WILL Be CONSTITUTIONAL
PEOPLE OF THE WEST WILL BE
GIVEN A SQUARE DEAL sRY
THE GOVERNMENT
NO RESOLUTIONS PASSED
EXECUTIVES DEFER ACTION UN.
TIL ADMINISTRATION DE.
FINES POLICY

Denver, April Discussion of the
leasing Of the public domain, with par
ticular reference to the leasing bill
now before congress, featured the sec
ond days session of the Western
Governors conference here. The ex-
ecutives expressed decided opinions,
some of them hostile to the proposed
measure. It was decided, however,
not to go on record in resolution
until after hearing the views Of the
government officials at the irrigation
conference, to be held later in the
week.
The governors adopted a report Of
a committee consisting of Governors
Ernest Lister Of Washington, E. M.
Ammons of Colorado and William
spry of Utah, recommending final
session Of the governors conference
after the close of the irrigation con
ference. At that session final action
will be taken by the state executives
on the leasing bill.
At the opening of todays session
Governor Oswald West Of Oregon an
nounced that the committee appointed
to draw up a resolution requesting
congress to select two additional cities
in the west for regional banks, report
ed that the committee was not ready
with its resolution. It was understood
that the resolution, when introduced,
would not name the two cities at
which the proposed banks should be
located, but would simply specify that
one should be in the Pacific north
west and the other in the Rocky noun
tain region
4 Governor F. M. Byrne Of South Da-
kota arrived today and participated in
! the conference. A telegram was re-
ceived from Governor ]. F. "A. Strong
af Alaska stating that, he would not
Ng dpAO " esutFuus
Governor Lister introduced the re-
port Of the committee appointed to
p1epare a program OF discussion Of
the leasing bill The report, which
was adopted BY unanimous vote, fol-
lows:
1--WE, your committee appointed to
report a resolution IN relation to the
federal leasing Of public lands, beg to
submit the following:
Feeling this to be most import
ant question OF public policy, we deem
it advisable that there be an open dis
cussion without any recommendation
from our committee, and would sug-
gest the matter be taken UP at this
mornings session. However, we fur,
ther recommend that no final action
be taken by the conference of gov
ernors until after the adjournment of
the general irrigation conference. to
be held beginning the ninth instant,
for the reason that this proposition is
interw6yen with matters that will be
under discussion during that confer
ence.
I'VE further recommend that Assist
ant Secretary Of the interior Jones or
Commissioner Of the Land Office Tall
man be requested to present the views
of the department in relation to the
leasing Of public lands to the confer
ence at this mornings session.
we further recommend the hold
ing Of the final session of the West
ern Governors conference after the
adjournment Of the general irrigation
conference, to be held in this city"
Henry ]. Pierce, a private citizen of
the state Of Washington, opened the
discussion Of the leasing bill,
Congress never gave the president
of the United state such power as is
conferred by this bill upon the sec
retary Of the Interior he declared.
Jones Makes Speech
4. A. Jones. first assistant secretary
Of the interior, was called on to give
4he views Of his department on the
subject Of leasing the public domain