Evening star., 1930-12-02
CRITICS ARRA|GNED
IN WILBUR REPORT
Conservation Policy Is Given
Stout Defense Against
Any Exploitation.

Striking back at critics of programs
OF conservation OF the natural re-
sources of the country, Secretary OF
Interior Wilbur today urged continue
ton Of this policy and declared that 1t
Is "the backbone of the Far West"
In his annual report, addressed to
President Hoover. who last March es-
tablished an anti-waste policy for oil,
Secretary Wilbur described the strug-
gle between exploiters and those for
conservation, explaining that, of course,
J he favored a course which meant wise
use rather than boarding" He at
tributed opposition to the policy of
Withholding prospecting permits which
might increase oil overproduction to
revenues than in the ultimate utility
Of oil and gas"
West Is Non Competitive.
Speaking of the Far West. he said
the most important crops produced in
new lands there are mainly of such a
character and which mature at such a
time that there Is no competition
with Eastern States
Last year the crops produced were
worth over $160,000,000," the report
continued, cor roughly the entire con-
struction cost of all reclamation prof.
ects, exclusive of the cost of their
operation and maintenance. The cumu-
lative value Of crops grown on Federal
reclamation projects exceeds $780,
O0O, 1000.
"Reclamation's 10000 farms have a
population Of nearly 10000 and, in
addition, support 214 project cities and
towns, with an additional population
Of over 100000. About $3.50, 100000, in
Guiding operation and maintenance
charges, has been expended by the
@ederal Government for reclamation
NGojects which has increased the value
OF the land and other properties on
farms and in towns within reclamation
enterprises by at least a billion dol
lars, or four times all Government ex-
penditure."
Wilbur looked back to the conquest
Of the desert by the pioneers, declaring
the States erected there now must CO.
operate on behalf of the public domain.
He specified:
Interstate agreements will help to
solve these problems, and the compactS
affecting the Rio Grande, the Colorado,
the Columbia and other Western
streams must be the Magma Charta of
this new pioneering. If one State can
block the destiny of a region and a
watershed by failure to think in terms
or the larger regional units, a great
part Of the Vests future control OF its
water will be relinquished. The future
Of the Semi-arid regions of the West is
no greater than its ability to control
its water.
Income Is Returned.
I'm considering the relations of the
Federal Government and the Western
States to the public domain, it is prob
ably not generally understood that the
States and the reclamation fund re-
ceive the major portion Of all proceeds
taken in by the Federal Government
from public lands, whereas the Federal
Government bears the cost of admin
1strat1on. Thus, last year, out of
$6,80o.000 taken in by the General
Land ONCE from all sources, $3,167, 900
was distributed to the reclamation fund.
$2.400,000 to the public-land States,
$275,000 to Indian tribes, leaving only
$954,000 In the Federal Treasury. Yet
the cost of administration of the public
domain amounted to $2,222 O0O.'
AS result of the administrators
OIL conservation policy, Wilbur reported
that when the fiscal year ended July
l the 1880 prospecting permits out
standing in March had been reduced
y 5,094. The policy was credited with
blowing q great deal of speculative
paper on the public domain"
The Interior Secretary served notice
that a second test case might be ex-
pected on the issue of assessment work
In connection with the oil-shale lands.
The Supreme Court swept aside the
bulk Of our defense procedure" he said,
In sustaining legal procedure against
notices Of defaulted claims which the
Department posted last Spring because
the claimants had failed to perform
assessment work.