Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-01
A. B. FALL TELLS
WHY WEST WANTS
THE PUBLIC LANDS
Makes 1t Very Clear That Gov
eminent Ownership and OPP
Grafton Do Not Work for
Good of People Generally,

| In senate discussions with reference
| to legislation for the exploration of
| the coal and oil lands Of the govern
ment, Senator Kirby who is opposed
TO development except by the efforts
of the government. asked to know
who was behind the movement for
development by private industry I'M
der leasing.
Answering him. Senator Fall said;
"The first people who are demand
ing it are the people of the western
states, such as mine, whose resources
are held back by those who believe
as the senator does. The people OF
the west are taxing themselves for the
maintenance of peace and order and
the enforcement Of their own laws
and the United States laws on the pub
lie domain through an enormous area
for building roads. one mile of which
may benefit the taxable property
while 1t will benefit ten times as much
property belonging to the United
States government. whose courts are
not supported by the government of
the United States. whose officials
state, county, municipal, or otherwise
are not supported in any way by the
United States. and whose desire it is
to render themselves self-supporting,
and to actually be IN the union on an
equality with the state of the senator
and the other states of the union un-
der the constitutional guaranty. That
is one of the demands
another is the natural patriotic
demand which all American citizens
have to build up their country, not to
hold 1t back. but to develop 1t, to see
for instance, the cut-over swamp
lands in the senator's state turned
into rice fields. as has been done
within the last few years. to progress
to go forward. Those are some Of
the people who want it.
Third, of course. is the ambition
of the American who has no other
outlet for his ambition to make
money. to become prosperous. to raise
a family, to build UP a state, to real
ize that he is doing something in this
world of ours, and that is the principal
demand
"The bill. as has been stated here
time and again. and the senator has
referred to it, is not entirely salts
factory. 1t is not by any means salts
factory to those Of us who entertain
those views and who live in the west
ern states, because We believe In the
old AnglO-SaXon doctrine that mans
house is his castle and. built upon
that, that we believe in individual in
itiative and not in government owner
ship or operation of anything. That
we have understood to be the Anglo
Saxon heritage Of our people in this
country.
Chose of us who entertain those
ideas are demanding legislation along
these lines. We can not get what we
want because of the fact that those
who have used their inheritance, as
the people of Arkansas very largely
and people of other states, are now
desiring to say how we shall use ours
not only that it should be reserved,
but they would tell us exactly how We
are to handle it if 1t is turned loose.
Il want to say a word to the sena-
tor further. He has been asking.
questions with reference to govern
ment development. ] am miner.
That is one of my occupations. / have
been practical one. | have worked
in quartz mines with my own hands
for wages for myself, | make the
broad assertion here that never has
there been a mine opened in the
United States by geological or other
eXperts-I mean discovered found,
and developed in any way by a geo
logical or mining expert or mining
engineer It is the individual, the
American, who goes out sleeps on
his blankets, punches his burro loaded
with frying pan and coffee pot and
pick and shovel and stick or two
of dynamite and a hammer. He isl
the man who has discovered and made
possible the development of the great
mineral wealth of this country, which
has poured into the laps of the people
of the United States over $4,000, 0U0,-
600 saved, not eaten uD, but here now
and which they are using. He Is the
man who has done 1t. and Is one OF
the men who is demanding legislatio'.
of this kind because he can get no
at