, 1927-08-24

Il Cth 9t ~
last month:
Under the fine leadership of our
Congressman. Charles E. Winter,
Wyoming has opened battle on the
floor of Congress to obtain for the
eleven western states a cession of
the lands and within their
borders.
Mr.. Winter has made several
speeches in Congress presenting
u historical and judicial claims
to equal rights and sovereignty with
the older states. He presents an
array of documentary evidence that
would seem to completely establish
our right to u own
The only logical reply to his proof
of our constitutional rights is the
claim, openly made hat we can
not be safely entrusted with these
properties. That the younger states
like younger people, are wasteful
and destructive. and that we need
guardians and conservators.
The policy of Conservation sug-
gests the name and need of con-
SENATORS.
If you die they appoint an ad-
ministrator to are for you prop
erty.
But If you are a minor child. i'm
beetle or insane they put you prop
erty in the hands of Il conservator
The official who has found the
handling of such properties a very
profitable piece of business, is often
loath to transfer the estate to the
heirs even after they have reached
their majority and appear to be of
sound mind.
He goes into court in an endeav-
or to prove that these heirs will
dissipate and ruin their Inherit
ances. He sees symptoms of both
insanity and imbecility.
So it is with the western states
and our eastern conservators and
relatives. We cannot be entrusted
with our lands. our oils. our coal.
our Indians, our waterfalls or our
wild flowers.
There is much talk about our
wastefulness and our Instability.
The live stock business, in partic-
ular, is troubled with instability.
We are not so much concerned
over the question whether lunch
stands shall await the tourist in
the Mt. Hood reserve as over the
question of Philadelphia presuming
city of Portland how they shall
handle their lands and their WISH
tors.
If the citizens NJ Portland should
attempt to tell Philadelphia how to
rearrange her park system, where
to plant trees and where to remove
them, and how to entertain her
guests, the Quaker City would both
quake and quack.
The Saturday Evening Post and
Philadelphia sit by the Atlantic
and face the east. Portland sits
by the Pacific and faces the west.
Neither is competent to instruct the
other.
Oregon should be sole mistress of
her roads. her forests and her scenic
attractions just as Pennsylvania is
of hers.
The claim of incompetency will
scarcely hold for Portland had a
great exposition some years ago
and made of it a complete success.
Philadelphia ATTEMPTED. one a year
ago and made of it a colossal fizzle.
1t is encouraging to read the de-
termined action taken by Arizona
at a special election held last month.
BY a vote of three to one they APP
proved of an amendment to their
state constitution making all FEEDER
al property. within the state subject
to state and county taxation. They
gave the same majority for another
amendment ~forbidding the federal
government from Withdrawing wa
ter power sites within property
belonging to the counties and state
will. of course. be opposed. but
Arizona has laid down the chal-
lenge and opened the question to
national discussion.
There was also introduced into
the legislsture of the state of Wash
ington a memorial to Congress
asking for cession to that state of
all Federal holdings within her
borders.
States like Montana. Wyoming,
Idaho and Nevada. with their open
ranges and outdoor life. can never
have the same ideas or ideals as
those of such states as Delaware,
and New Jersey where the entire
population has been LANDED in
sheds.
The idea of Standardization a
be carried too far.
Men cannot be. nor should they
be made alike.
West is west and East is east.
We have the right to develop our