The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-02-07
PRINCIPALLY FOR MEN and BOYS.

Wrongfully tresEassing upon the
Fort Hays Reservation is just as illegal,
and parties doing so may be brought
to Justice the same as though ali the
land were privately owned property
It is known that few people still
hold the idea that because the Expert
ment Station and the Normal School
lands belong to the State. there is a
public privilege to do as they please
upon the premises. The Superintend
ept of the Station informs Us that dur
ing Christmas holidays, some destroy
ing individuals cut out a large pine
tree, and also stripped a red cedar tree
of its branches, in the Public Park.
Men and boys are heedlessly and with
out permission trailing small game ever
the land, either with dogs or With guns.
Some others are grazing stock without
permits. Again, persons have been
carrying off wood without permission
and 1t is not uncommon to observe
where live trees have thus been pill
fered.
Motor car drivers pay no attention to
speed requirements, such as are ex-
pected to be observed upon any roads
Of public institutions or parks; and
considerable Gay" driving by team
sters or pleasure riders has caused dam
age to crops, fences and grass land.
To get this matter squarely up to the
public, especially to ones who are mis-
taken as to their personal desire for
wilful and wrong use of the Reserva
ton properties, this opinion from the
Attorney General for Kansas. is pre-
scented.
'tThe public has no more right
or privilege on the lands of the Fort
Hays Reservation than they would
have if the Reservation was pri-
vate property. They may not tres
pass or Craze their stock or take
any liberties or cut any timber or
NEEDLE with the property in any
manner, shape or form, and all who
do so are Jresspassers and may be
brought to justice to the same eX-
tent as if the property vested in pri-
Vate ownership One qualification
of course there is on this PROPOSE
ton: there IS public park, and
we1-behaved people are entitled to
1EO6 dSCOSS CHGIOAu SctLU0
Limitation that they would be in an
ordinary city park or public grounds
Also the public at reasonable hours
have the right to visit the expert
mental Farm but they must keep
to the public roads and about the
premises, must comport themselves
in good behavior and decorum.
They should be permitted under all
proper rules to visit the properties
and to learn what the State has to
teach in the way of farming and
stock raising and horticulture and
gardening and whatever else has
been undertaken on the Reserva-
ton for the education of the people.
But no officer in charge of State
properties need tolerate or submit
to any imposition or tresspasses
from any body more than you would
II the property was vested in pri-
vate ownership "
JOHN S. DAWSON,
January 81, 1914. Atty Genl.
Now, let the general public help the
authorities of the two public institu-
uons upon the Reservation to regulate
the improper conduct of the. few who
take wrongful liberties at the school,
the PARK, the state farm, and any of
the educational and pleasure giving
enterprises the state has here estab-
ished at a great cost. And may the
above be a warning to thoughtless and
wllful individuals who have been
guilty in the past