The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-03-09
Thursday March 9. 1922.
LAND GRAB CONSPIRACY CON-
CEALEO IN II. r. NO. II.

Not in many years if ever has there
a sensation sprung in Idaho compare
bl with the disclosures i'm connection
with house resolution No. n author
izng the exchange of 100000 acres OF
Northern Pacific railroad land in St
Joe. Clearwater and Selway forest re-
serves for grazing land outside the
reserves. The bill was in the form OF
numerous other similar bills that had
passed providing for the exchange of
lands and had the support of the en-
tire Idaho delegation in congress. IT
vas introduced by Congressman
French. who unquestionably acted in
perfect good faith and without the
slightest suspicion that the measure
would operate to the personal advan-
tage OF a coterie of sheep men in south
Idaho and to the great disadvantage
Of all other sheep and stock men, as
we'll as to the farmers and homestead
ers in that section of the state Little
attention had been given to the bill
until it had passed both houses and
was in the hands of President Harding
for approval 1t was then discovered
that the 100000 acres of railroad land
in the forest reserves was held under
option to purchase on basis Of $3.50
per acre by Fred Gooding. Homer Fem
and j. e. Clinton who proposed to take
up an equal amount of range land in
South Idaho giving them practically
a monopoly of grazing land for their
nocSs and herds The far reaching
and damaging effects of the bill. if it
lad become law. are told in the fol-
lowing resolution adopted at a mass
meeting of citizens from various parts
OF south Idaho held in the state house
at Boise:
We unhesitaungly condemn h.
h. No. n purporting to be for the
purpose of consolidating the land
within the Clearwater, st. Joe and
Selway national forests for the +
following reasons:
tD That this legislation con
ceals its real purpose which is a
scheme to acquire and control
range rights in southern Idaho
CD That a single private cor
pOration has had an option to buy
for $50 per acre 26O.O 600 acres
proposed to be included in these
national forests in order to avail
itself OF the right to select range
land in lieu thereof
90 That the interests holding
this option originated II. r. H. c
Cd That the right to select in {
strategic location 100000 acres of d
public land including springs and
watering places will create a prac-
teal monopoly of the right to
range livestock in southern Idaho u
to the disruption and incalculable Il
damage of the livestock industry !,
go That this selection privilege
makes il possible to render value
less the holdings of small ranch VI
ears and livestock men by absorb
ing their adjacent public range "A
and watering places That the
long settled policy of the state
encouraging the building of homes
and protecting the small farmer
and livestock man as embodied in lli
the two-mile limit law is abroga- o.,
ted and annulled by this legisla-
tion which has passed both houses
of congress without the knowledge III
or without the opportunity TO be "a
heard on the part of the people liz
most affected M
We have the highest confidence
in the ability fairness and integ- TO
rity of our representatives in con- st'
PRESS and we believe that it is only ST.
The failure of the people of the fol
state to call the objectionable fea-
lures of this apparently harmless
legislation to their attention which p''
has resulted in its passage. We thu
'avor the consolidation of the ma ms
ional forests but only under cir ma,
where the advantages
II the resulting land exchanges are
'pen to the public generally. and ma
rot to a favored few ha'
rs a result of this protest together ito
IN a protest from Governor Davis has
i others prominent in the state, the siz
mo congressional delegation united 1
requesting President Harding to ado
o the bill, which he did The pres OF
Mt recommended 10 congress that Vol