The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1927-03-11
PUBLIC DOMAIN OF THE UNITED STATES
tits Relation to Development in the Great West)
BY ROBERT NJ. STANFIELD
Chairman Com. on Public Lands and Surveys, United States

Eleven states OF the Great West, extending from the continental
divide to the Pacific ocean, contain 1S4749145 acres of the public do
include reservations for Indians, parks or minerals. The balance of
the public domain, 1.1S4127 acres and of forest reserve, 1861 3O4
acres, lies in all other states.
1t will Immediately be seen, without argument. that the development
of these eleven Great Western states is intimately bound up with the
governments policy respecting the sale, settlement. cultivation and
use of the public domain and forest reserves.
The policy of the government should be prednated on the broadcast
possible lines consistent with proper conservation OF forests and other
large natural resources. in which the people of all the states feel a
coordinate interest.
How intimately these vast bodies of undeveloped lands relate to the
present and future welfare OF these western states will be shown by
recalling the percentage of areas located in each state.
Nevada, with a total land area OF 70,2S544O acres, has 57667,15S
acres in public domain and forest reserve. This means that Nevada
is left with about Is per cent of its area with which to carry on. 1t
can never become a state OF the first class under this handicap If
all its area were under development, it would become populous and
Utah has SO per cent OF its area similarly reserved; Idaho. 54 per
cent; Wyoming and Oregon, AS per cent each; New Mexico. IS per
cent; California, 81 per cent; Arizona, So per cent; Colorado. SO per
cent; Washington, IS per cent; and Montana, rs per cent The pro
gress that has been made in all these states argues for increased
development.
The total government holdings in these eleven states exclusive of
Indians, parks and minerals is 315,740646 acres, or an aggregate ter
rtory about twice the size OF Texas. Texas has a present population
approaching 100000, and is developing by leaps and bounds. It
never decided any of its lands to the government, and therefore has
full control of all its area.
1t is fair to presume that at least 100000 new people could have
homes and prosperity on the government holdings in the eleven IVES
tern states, under intelligent methods OF development. This would re
vania. The value of such potential citizenship and development can
scarcely be estimated.
The total value OF Pennsylvania agricultural crops in 1923 was
S25S099000; of its manufactured products, S7315.7O2,S67; of its mineral
products, including coal and oil, S6OOOO0OOO
Acre for acre. the undeveloped areas of the Great West equal and
in many instances exceed the productfyeness of Pennsylvania. This
applies to potential wealth both above and beneath the surface.
The state of Pennsylvania is one of the heaviest taxpayers to the
government The unoccupied areas Of the Great West contribute no
a taxpayer either to itself o to the states. These states, by this
handicap, are dispossessed of the tax receipts which might legitmately
be theirs, if their vacant lands were settled and in production, and the
government. is likewise mulcted of taxes. This aspect of the question
interests the entire country.