The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-12-17

When one considers how far Short
most Of the members of President
Wilson's cabinet are from measuring
up to the high standards Of their po-
sitions, he wonders how 1t happened
that Frank K. Lane was selected a
member of the presidents official
family. He Is a western man and Is In
thorough sympathy with western SEN
timent which favors above all else the
development and utilization of natural
resources. II Is doubtful If man bet
ter equipped than Mr. Lane could have
been found for this position for the
vast business that goes through the
interior department has to do almost
wholly with the public land states Of
the west. The policy Of the interior
department has long been out of har-
mony with the progressive spirit OF
the west, with the result that 1t has
hindered rather than helped the peo-
pie in their efforts to acquire land for
agricultural or mining purposes, to
utilize the vast water powers Of the
mountain states, and in various ways
INSTRUCTED them in their efforts to
make the west more populous and
prosperous. This policy of interior
ence. which reached its most acute
stage during the Garfield Pinchot
regime under the Roosevelt admins
tratlon, has created a feeling of re-
sentiment among the people of the
west toward the national government,
feeling which Secretary Lane recog-
nlzes and which he is doing his best to
remove without going into any intri-
cate analysis as to what produced 1t
Here is the way the secretary refers
to It:
ut can not be unknown to you that
there is throughout the country more
especially in the western states-which
because Of their ambition are natur-
ally impatient of obstruction-a real
fear Of what is called the bureaucra-
cy Of Washington. This is said to be
a system or organized machine the
spirit of which is to oppose action or
to effect negative action. 1t Is visual
lied as either cynical or malevolent,
although out Of sympathy with those
who needs must come to the govern
ment for some form of help, and so
wound round and round with the red
tape of ofilcialdom as to resemble
barbed wire ENHANCEMENT which, If
not absolutely impregnable, is only to
be passed through after much suffer-
Ing and toll II is a matter of no i'm
mediate concern how much basis
there Is for this belief. The presence
Of the belief makes 1t a real problem,
and the destruction Of the belief ne
cessity, II the government itself is to
an object of pride and its |
efforts understood and ap-
preciated."
The entire report Of Secretary Lane !
shows that his efforts are directed |
toward a policy that will give the peo
pie now on earth chance to enjoy |
he bounties Of nature under laws and |
regulations that will amply protect
he rights and privileges of genera
ions vet unborn. The laws that are
low before congress for unlocking the
'esources of the west are the result of
lis recommendations, and while they
nay not solve the conservation ques-
ion in all respects in accordance with
he views of many Of us, he is never
heess imbued with the western spirit
nd is doing all that lies in his power &
o relieve situation that has long ]
etarded the growth of the west. l
In striking contrast with the attl S
lde Of Secretary Lane is that Of Sec +
etary of Agriculture Houston. He c
GEMS to be laboring under the Inn n
ression that trees are of more value i
} the west than men, and recon- o
lends that his department be given 81
uthority to add land to forest re-
eryes when it appears that it will e'
ave the largest permanent value $
trough use for forest product The "
over 70 create or add to forest re- Il
srves IN he western states is now a.