The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-10-11

HON. Burton L. French, who adj
dressed the people of this locality in
this city last Wednesday night went
into the much cussed and discussed
House Bill No. II.
Mr.. French stated that as result
of land grants from twenty-five to
fifty years ago, largely for railroad
building, several hundred thousand a.
cres of land are included in National
Forests in several counties in North
ern Idaho and which, though in pri-
vate ownership are not occupied as
homes and paying no taxes.
Mr. French stated that the bill as
originally introduced was prepared by
representatives of the Agricultural
Department in the WILSON admins
tration advising with the Farm Blu
reau of Benewah county. The bill
was then presented to Mr.. French for
Introduction and it's passage was rec
commended by e. T. Meredith, demo
cratic secretary of Agriculture and
concurred in by Secretary Of the In
terror, Franklin X. Lane also a dem
crat. The bill thus framed was mot
passed for reason of the adjournment
of congress and was believed to be
too broad in some of its provisions.
The bill was re-drafted by the agricul
tural department and again INTRODUCED
by Mr.. French providing for the ex
change of lands within the National
Forests owned by private interests
for other Forest lands that would be
suitable for agricultural purposes and
also for the exchange of lands outside
the National forests suitable for ag-
ricultural purposes or for grazing, that
were non-irrigable and non-mineral
in character. The bill provided that
both the Secretary of Agriculture and
the Secretary of the Interior should
be the sole judges of the exchanges
both of Forest lands and lands out
side of forests.
Stating further Mr.. French said that
some fifteen months after the bill had
been introduced Fred Gooding, J. e.
Clinton and Homer Fem acquired the
option on the lands owned by the N.
p. railroad company and that they ad-
vised Senators Borah and GoodIng to
gether with Representatives French
and Smith of their action. Mr.. French
stated that the members of the depe-
cation felt hat the matter of owner
ship of the N. p. lands was immater-
ial since the owners had no authority
whatever in the matter of selections.
The speaker pointed out that the
only question involved then was wheth
er or not the Secretaries of Agricul-
ture and of the Interior had been YES
ted with too much authority and he
said that the members of the delega-
ton felt that the discretionary auth
ority conferred was far less than that
exercised by many of the departments
of government such as the State Land
Board and the Board of Equalization.
The speaker then referred to the
question as to why the delegation
asked the president to veto the bill.
He said that apparently there had not
been any wide discussion of the bill
during the two years that had been
pending and that upon it's passage
there would be great misunderstanding
as to its provisions and also that nu.
merous organizations such as Cham
bers of Commerce, etc, urged that
the bill be vetoed ana that further
time be given the problem. Mr..
French stated that the members of
the delegation considered the mat
ter again and believed that upon
a problem which was Of such vital
Importance the fullest time for con
sideratlon should be given and thpt
the only way such consideration could
be given was to have the bill vetoed.
Mr.. French said that it vas prepoos-
ferrous for anyone to claim that under
the bill water holes could have been
taken or lands in checerboard fashion
or any encroachment made upon the
two mile limit law which latter is
purely a State affair He said that
the bill is as dead as mackerel and
that 1t was up to the people 10 talk
over and to help work out in the best
way bill which would bring into
the highest taxable form the several
hundred thousand acres of lands that
are owned by the N. P. and private
individuals.