The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-04-30
WE ARE GETTING TOGETHER
(Grangeville Globe.)

1t is the belief of the official pub
ication of the American Mining Com
gress that house and senate at Wash
ington want to do the right thing by
the West, asys the Oregonian. The
support given the leasing and water
power bills was with the thought that
the people of the states concerned de-
sired this legislation. But the Min
ing Congress Journal does not seem
to be fully aware of a strong move,
ment now under way, for it remarks: 4
The west now has another op-
portunity to prevent the passage
of these bills. Isolated protests
will be of no avail. Even the pro-
tests of all western members of
congress and the senate will not
be sufficient; it will be necessary
to eonvice the American people
that tn policy of Abraham Lincoln
that the public lands are a nation
al possession held in trust for the
maturing states, is best for the
West and best for the country as
a whole. Will the West awaken
to its opportunity
AS between the two bills Oregon's
chief concern is in the water-power,
measure. This state, through its leg
islature, has shown its wakefulness by
inviting the western public land states
to send delegates to a conference to
be held in Portland next fall. Sue.
cess of the conference, in point of at
tendance, is now assured
While the proposed convention is
primarily to be known as a water
power conference, the text of the Ore
gon resolution indicates that it is the
desire in this state to take up the
whole public and question.
1t is said that of that great ex-
panse of territory west of a north-and
south line drawn through the eastern
border of Colorado. one-half of the
land in the several states included
therein is in Federal control. In Ore
gon the proportion of privately-own-
ed lands is smaller than for the en-
tire area, for here it is but 40 per cent.
Idaho is far worse off. with but II
per cent of its lands taxable.
Within this western territory lie ma
tional forests equivalent in area to a
tract 1000 miles long and more than
5000 miles wide and as large as the
ten states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia,
Kentucky, New Jersey, Maryland and
Delaware combined. In addition. are
vast areas of public lands but much
of it withheld in fact by the isolation
caused by general restrictive policy
Water powers in states that have
adopted thorough methods of regula-
ton for the benefit of the consuming
public are in effect bottled. The west
ern country is heavily burdened with
taxes made higher by the scattered
nature of its settlements and develop
ment The gaps cannot be closed un-
til the government permits use of that
which is going TO waste
We believe that there is lively
realization throughout the west that
any leasing plan which embraces the
policy of exacting government revenue
from natural resources is but a charge
against the consumer and a tax up
on the West.
The so-called water-power confer
ence is not likely to be a stickler on
credentials. 1t will doubtless welcome
to its counselS all elements that have
western welfare at heart. Its chief
purpose is to formulate a policy as
to the pubic land issue on which all
western states may get together.
One of life's neateSt little ironies is
the foot tbat tha fret ,rraet So, 4 -