The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-12-20
EVANS TALKS SENSE
REGARDING NEVADA

hand out healthy jolts to the national
house of representatives. He tells
'em what Nevada is, and what IT has
a right to demand, and to keep their
piking scientists out of the State and
give the pioneer his honest chance.
The following remarks are taken from
the Congressional Record of Dec. 9:
The word conservation" has a
wonderful sound, but when stripped
of fancy and exposed for definition
has more of applied than actual
meaning. Conservation should give
way to the word development" The
land or mine has only potential value.
requiring work, hard work, on the
part of the pioneer to make it of
actual value. The pioneer is there,
willing and earnest, to cultivate the
soil. Conservation prevents achieve
ment, conserving the land. the OPP
portunity, and the necessary work
for some future man or condition to
arise. while the pioneer is ready now.
Conservation means suspicion of
the only man competent to reclaim
the land. Encourage the man whose
ambition is building the West. Re
peal laws obstructive to his progress;
his e may be unwilling and
untitled to successfully carry on the
all-important work. Give the pioneer
your confidence and recognition.
The man who lives on beans, bacon
and canned goods on a mountainous
desert, where a goat would starve,
giving his lifetime to develop barren
areas where an Eastern man would
die of inconsistencies, should be en-
couraged. You hear doubt from men
who are more familiar with cut glass
and marble bathtubs, whose greatest
hardship is the n~erve-racking expert
ence of riding a street car, seeking
the bubble reputation as protectors
of eminent domain from ~looters. ex-
istent only in the o~veranxious imagi-
nations of men who know exactly
nothing of the West and Western
needs.
Conservation means keeping as it
is, which would be a state of utter
worthlessness to all humankind. De
velopment means bringing into use
full purpose and production large
areas of desert. You must encourage
development by granting title when a
reasonable amount of annual work is
expended upon vacant government
land. There is no way to make that
soil produce except by ~privation and
toll. The people of Nevada are af-
1icted to the limit with bureau regu-
l~ations, scores of government inspec-
tors, collectors, and dictators from
Washington travelling through our
State imposing impractical methods
only the right to conduct her own
affairs, with your approval of the in
tegrity of her legislature to enact
laws, encouraging development of
worthless lands, and so they will re-
main worthless, except for one thing.
that is work.
You gentlemen mean to be fair. 1t
is only your lack of information
which causes your mistrust of Ne
vada. Your most progressive laws
come from the West. Decide upon a
different Western policy; instead of
creating and trusting bureaus, place
your faith in men of the West whose
interest and honor are at stake, de-
string to best build their beloved Sec
ton of our country. Their governor
and legislators deserve your COM
plete trust.
Some months ago this Congress
passed a measure, the object of which
was to encourage development OF
water upon arid Nevada lands. The
legislation vas experimental, but it
has proven a great stimulus to en-
tries upon barren lands; much money
will be expended to demonstrate an
underground flow of water. That
legislation aids progress in Nevada,
rejecting credit upon your judgment
Let us draw a homely example of
the man whom you all know. who
looked forward to the twenty-first
year of his life as the period whe he
would be his own boss and could act
without parental interference, always
in his mind the idea of doing right
with others. A boy of twenty-one is
entitled to live his own life: the
need is recognition of his maturity
Nevada has been twenty-one years ole
since 1885, eager for her opportunity
Held back by laws made by men who
never saw the State: laws made by