Show CONVENTION IN DETAIL 1 General Committee Tried to Play PlayFair PlayFair PlayFair Fair and Got Left Denver June 19 At the opening of the morning session of the public lands con today toda Fred P Johnson secretary of tr the convention and a member of the committee announced that the work of the credentials committee had been heen handicapped by indiscriminate issuing issuIng ing log of delegates tickets and declared that all of the work would have to be bedone bedone bedone done over It being impossible to sepa separate separate separate rate the accredited delegates from others holding delegates tickets who were not entitled to them In order to avoid the possibility of a charge harge that the convention is Inimical to the administration the general com corn committee committee had entrusted to Mark Woodruff thief hief of or the Pikes Peak forest reserve force the duty of receiving credentials and issuing tickets and by b innuendo he was accused of attempting to defeat the purposes of the convention by issuing tickets tie ets to supporters of the administration who were wore not accredited delegates Ev Evry fr Cry ry delegate was required to present his credentials again and get at a new ticket Some Stir Caused The final report of or the committee on credentials precipitated a lively livel debate when whan it was discovered that the com corn committee committee had given to Colorado one vote for every delegate accredited making a total of WIth AVith the other states only those present were given votes Murdo McKenzie president of the American National Livestock association n nand and an adherent to President leasing basing policy poll C led the attack on the re report report report port Senator Warren arren of Wyoming sec seconded seconded McKenzie He demanded to know whether the convention was a meeting of i the she Colorado people or a meeting of or the j people of the entire west Delegates from other states made sim situ similar similar ilar liar demands B F Montgomery of oJ Colorado explained that the proper time for the matter to toome toome ome orne up was when the committee on rules should report This Is the only committee which can make recommendations as to what votes shall be cast The Tue report was referred back to the committee ommittee with orders to bring in a re report report report port in accordance with the call v Address by Bonynge The Th first subject on the program today tas as The uThe Public Land Policy Past and Present the discussion being opened by Congressman Robert W Y Bonynge Bon of or Col Colorado Colorado Colorado orado Mr Ir Bonynge said it was not In accord accordance accordance ance anee with the constitution or with the history of the administration of the law for the government to hold control of a large area of land for an indefinite peri period period pen od tid The powers of or the national govern government government government ment he said must be found in the con constitution constitution Mt Bonynge Bon claimed that f r the plan of the administration for with withdrawing withdrawing i drawing dra ing J acres of land for for tor forest forest est reserves I OOOO acres of coal land and acres of grazing land is tarried out it would have the effect of withdrawing of the public lands from entry Thomps J Walsh of Montana read a paper in which he severely criticised the withdrawal of coal lands from entry and the plan of the president to lease these lands and also the plan to lease public lands for grazing purposes He contended the government had no right to lease such lands and expressed the opinion that the forest reserve is a burden and a blight C P Arnold of Wyoming made a sar sarcastic sarcastic sarcastic castic speech on the work of the forestry reserve in Wyoming Mondell Attacks Roosevelt F W Mondell was the first speaker at the afternoon session To Congressman Mondell had been assigned on the pro program gram Kram the subject The Government as asa asa asa a Landlord He lIe traced the various steps taken of late leading In the tion flea of government nt and char characterized characterized characterized President proposition tion Uto to provide for the government con control control control of the public pasture lands of the west est on the same general principles which no now N apply In the government con control control control of the forest reserves as the most tremendous and sweeping grant of arbi trao power and authority ever eer proposed to be granted in time of peace to an exe executive officer of the government In concluding Congressman Mondell said The necessity for any radical depart departure ure from the past policy of gradually passing public lands land into the hands of or individuals is strongly denied by many of If those who have haye had the widest experience ex perl once ence and who insist that any changes that may ma occur in our laws affecting government lands should be In the diree tion of making possible of or somewhat larger lar er areas of land fit only or principally principal for grazing as we have hae done by the section s homestead and andS S the section isolated tract law in western Nebraska Nebrask Government Landlord ism To encourage private ownership of land has been our policy from the be beginning beginning ginning Our people are not incurred inclined to look with much greater favor faor on govern goern government mont ment than on private The western states were into the with the understanding that the he public lands were by b passing Into private ownership to become taxable If Ie the system of permanent government owner ownership Ownership ship hip and control is to be established we must fundamentally readjust our fiscal policy so as to support our common commonwealths commonwealths from other sources than the tax taxation taxation atlon of lands We e must change chane our views relative to land ownership and d de depend pend end for our growth In population and wealth not upon Individual land owner ownership ownership ship but on a system of tenantry at the th will of the agent a ent of a federal fedral landlord If it is proposed to do this thiR w we should enter unon UDon the enterprise with full knowl knowledge edge of or what it means If the federal government Is IR to b be Invited to perma permanently control wh where re that control is not limited by provisions of law we should understand the possibilities of such control how Jiow far reaching and fundamental its effect may ma be in i changing the character of our institutions and the condition of or our people For myself I am nm Inclined to the be belief belief belief lief that our people will not when fully full informed lend their to such change of or national policy being pursued that will Invite settlement and development en encourage encourage n courage the home builder and develop our waste places for the habitation of an Independent home owning citizenship Other Side Heard There was a demand from some Borne of the delegates at the conclusion of Mr Mon Ion dells delis address that some of those from the other side be heard and the chair chairman chairman chairman man called upon General Irving Hale of this state General Hale spoke of or the great im importance importance of preserving the timber In order to conserve the water for Irrigation The forest preserves the snow he said and andin andin andin in this way It becomes a natural reser reservoir reservoir reservoir voir Important as the forests are for forthe forthe forthe the timber in them they the are arc much more necessary as reservoirs He thought that the work of the forestry department was of greatest use to the west wast st Delegate Chris Ellerbe of Arizona spoke in favor of the forest reserves Ellerbe Is a small sm ll cattleman in his state and said that the forest reserve resen In his neigh neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood has been be n the salvation of his business s It is the little man he said who looks hoks l to the government for protection protection protection tion Tin The big man can protect himself Judge D C Beaman of or Colorado was the last speaker of the day He told of ofa a number of ot abuses under the regulations as they now exist and are administered Most of the cases eases he cited were minor annoyances anno ances due to a great extent to red tape The convention agreed that all resolutions resolutions resolutions must be ready read at the opening of to tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow morrow mornings session They will at once go to the committee on resolutions and will be discussed later In the day |