The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1930-01-16
GOV. PUBLIC LAND
SERIOUS PROBLEM
Pres. Hoover Appoints Very
Strong Commission to
Study Problem
SITUATION ALARMING
Report Will Be Important and
Interesting-LegislatiOn
Is Needed

President Hoover and Secretary
Wilbur. catapulted the public lands
question into the arena of public
discussion in most effective and
far-reaching manner last summer
WIN a tentative proposal was
made to turn the surface of our
unappropriated public domain
lands, containing some 235,000,000
acres, over to the states for adj
ministration, reads an editorial in
tho February number of Outdoor
America, official publication of
the Izaak Walton League of Amer
lea.
Secretary Wilbur wisely said the
West must become watershed
minded instead OF homestead-mind-
ed. It has been recognized for
many years that our public domain
lands are being devastated at a
terrific pace by unregulated graz
ing. Many of the watersheds of
the far West have been almost
ruined beyond redemption.
Remedies have been suggested,
but never before has an admins
tration tackled, the problem in a
manner to focus attention upon the
seriousness OF the situation.
When the proposal was made it
was feared by conservation leaders
that it was just the entering wedge
and that ultimately the national
forests, the minerals, and other
public resources would be included.
Many leaders IN the West frank
ly say that the states could not ad-
minister these vast stretches OF
idle lands; that under state con-
troll they would become political
football, or quickly find their way
into the hands of large powerful
owners, and not benefit small near
| by ranchers or aid the cause of
conservation.
The states without exception
baked at the proposal, and count
cred with suggestion that the
minerals should go with the offer.
Bills were introduced in Congress
either as trading horses" or to
incite further discussion and bring
about some sensible solution.
The President acted rather
promptly by appointing a Public
Lands Commission to study the en-
tire situation. At the head of this
body is former Secretary of the In
terror, James A. Garfield, a
staunch conservationist during the
Roosevelt administration. Other
members are Colonel William B.
Greeley, former Chief of the Forest
Service, an expert on every phase
Of public lands problems; George
Horace Lorimer, EDITOR of the Sat
urday Evening Post; James P,
Goodrich, former Governor of III
diana; Gardner Cole., of Iowa;
Mary Roberts Rinehart, Washing
ton, d. c.; Huntley Spaulding, New
Hampshir, Mead, California; I. M
Bradford, Montana; r. X. Tiffany,
Washington; Rudolph Koechler,
Arizona; Charles Moynihan, Colo
RADIO; George W. Malone, Nevada;
William Peterson, Utah; I. H.
Nash, Idaho; Perry Jenkins, Wy
oming; e. c. VanPetten, Oregon;
Wallace Townsend, arkansas; and
Fl. o. Bursum, New Mexico.
If the public domain lands are
| not to be turned over to the states
about the wisdom of which there
is grave doubt, then a bill by Con-
gresham French of Idaho to estab-
lish machinery for the prevention
of soil erosion and to provide pro-
lection of the national watersheds,
by giving the Secretary of the In
terror full grazing regulatory pow
ers, seems to be the most likely So
luton. The report covering the
Commissions studies is sure to
suggest a permanent remedy which
will both protect the small land
owner and recognize basic conser-
walton needs.