Show I ACTION OF GOVERNORS Resolutions Adopted at Conference Con-ference on Arid Lands PRESENTCONDITIONS WILL DO Executives Oppos d to Changing ExI isting Laws Covering the Question I But if a Change Must Come They I Want tho Lauds Ceded to the States I Strongly Against Leasing by the I General Government Governors I I Not Represented Will be Asked to 1 Cooperate j Tho conference of the Govornoro thlch was postponed to await the arrival ar-rival ofGov Poynter or Nebraska and flov Lee of South Dakota was held in the Knutsfbrd hotel yesterday and 10 pultcd li the adoption o resolutions petting forth the views of the Governors llng nors on the questions they met to consider I con-sider The Governors have placed Uicmselven on record as being opposed laws to any changes In llu existing KoverrIng the arid lands but if C rlmnge is made they arc unanimous In j desiring that t the lands he ceded to thi I differnt States In which they lie The Governors were unanimously and unalterably un-alterably opposed to any scheme for loaslng1 J the lands hy the general I Coy ornmunt A circular letter to the Governors Gov-ernors of the Western States not repre jorle at the meeting was also adopted I alI the cooperation of the other io nun A resolution reiucsting the liepresentallves of the different States to work for an appropriation for the propagation of forage plants on arid lat ds was also 1 adopted Gov Poynter and Gov Leo arrived V SUM day morning and the eight States of Uiah Idaho Montana Wyoming Nebraska South Dakota and Washing 1n vcre personally represented with Jotters from Coy Thomas of Colorado and Coy Murphy of Arizona both of whom were compelled by other affairs to be absent from the meeting VfEWS OF LATE COMERS The conference was called to orle in tho Knulsford In the morning an1 Got Richards > liosen as chairman with Coy Wells acting as secretary Coy Smith oponed the moetlo by outlining I out-lining his views speaking about an he i did at the Informal conference on VVednc aday Coy Poynter of Nebraska Nebras-ka who was not present on Wednesday Wednes-day expressed his views on the subject sub-ject saying the sentiment of the Hr > ekm K of his Stale waa unalteraolv opposed to the leasing of the lands bj the Government 1 believe he sail l rhat tiny i are satisfied with the present j pres-ent status If they realized a change 1 voro going to be made 1 am satisfied they viuuld favor cession to the States t Gov Lee of South Dakota the other Eecutlvo who was not present the pre vlois day Htatcd that in South Dakota only the large caltlconers favored leasing by tho general Government I wa3 much better he said to have n S thousand men in the State owning VO head each than to hatS three or four rcn owning the whole ImiiiHtry 1 sm In favor of cession to th < Stales he said So long as the Government persists per-sists in holding public land the tendency ten-dency vlll be to drive out the smaller owners In a few years llcmakrt along the same lino were made by Mr Holcomb representing Gov Rogrrs of Washington President J I > Wood of the Idaho WoolGrowers association advocated cession to th i States F I any change had to be made and Mr Osald one of the representatives representa-tives of Joy Steunenberg of Idaho polce In the same vein GOV WELLSS POSITION COY Wells of Utah then expressed himself on the matter lie said he was 4 nware ihe stockmen opposed any I change In the law but the Utah Legislature Leg-islature had already memorialized Con I I j i r I H S i Gov Leo Refuses to Harmonize I grass to cede the arid lands in Utah to the State Tho good lands he aid those having sprlngu on them were already al-ready largely taken up Either hy leasing I or selling by corporate help or other means we must get assistance to n < deem the arid lands of Utah if wet we-t lire gong to grow Sentiment here Is lI divHi1 rind I do not know Just which way it predominates The stockmen arc opposed to leasing and yet the Legislature memorialised Congress to I cede the landa which would be followed fol-lowed ly leasing them by the State 0 Gnv Smiths proposition suits me Wo cnu only pay that ihe present eon llllons on1 satisfactory hit it would 8vom that it won hardly necessary for Governors to assemble from great uls tunccB to put out that statement Oon wcxsman J < ng and Senator Kawltns have both favored the cexgion idea I believe that IC it were explained that I by Mich crtrglon of lands money coulJ be obtained and applied to the redemption redemp-tion of lauds the these arid people would be in favor of It ATTITUDE OF STOCK II NPr I N-Pr ldcnl cue Smith of the Utah WoolGI wet association addressed the conl rence saying there wcr more ircn In Utah who owned 501 head tlinn in any oilier State In the Union There 4 were he fal J very few largo companies Iprc lie aid not believe any Iwnfit would come from a change j Bails lactory louilng law waa not possible he thought ILCHUUC It would mt uniform r uni-form und would not therefore appy to the Olflivnt conditions In the tit ti-t I fl Stales Mr C1I ton one of the representatives representa-tives of Got SleuntMiberg read a telegram I tele-gram ho had received from the Governor Gov-ernor Mhloh read tin follows Opposed to laauB by GoVornmonU Do 3 nnt favor any ilcparturo from fro cni 4 nyicm AVould favor craalun to Slntcu only nn a Inst rort t II II 1 i fillister n mrinber of lh rx tIII 1111 At r tile NKIJO11 LlvlStOl k association for Utah spoken > spoke-n the ite Uon and said the t Government Govern-ment leasing scheme would give the corporations nil I lie advantage Gov Lee spoke again ind moved that a committee consisting of Gov Uiciards Coy Smith and CoY Poyn ter In appointed tq draft resolutions along the hues IndIcated The thoti ill WUM rarrlid i RESOLUTIONS REPOUTJSD I Cov Richards cnllrd the conference < tW to order In the aftemogn And announced an-nounced that the couimlttec l resolu llona was ready tUI poll Hu added that the resolution had boon made as I shof H possible lo cover the Ideas hlch had been suggested during the ronft enc Gov Smith then read the nit i which was as follows Whoron fhe matter of Congressional I loclKitlnii looking toward the 1 ItMislnp l of I the public jirld lands of the lulLed States by too general noornrm hits Inu rested and agitated the people of the arid Slates I L Hid i HidWhorons Whorons A conl > r nco of the Governors 01 ihn Mild arid Slate WUB called to moot ut Kali Lnko City Utah on the Pith day of April 1900 to consider and consult Jo I Kothor concerning Ito said question and me conlrol management nut disposal of said lands and WhereoN At ild l oonfercnco Lucre were I pristnt tho Exeoutlvos of Utah Wyoming Wyo-ming Nebnmka I South Dakota und Montana Mon-tana and the personul J representative of 1 t refrc thy Governors of Idaho Goerlorl mid Washington and written communications from ito I Governors of Arizona und Culmado and 1 ropr KontatlvcH of the storkgrowing Interests In-terests of Huveral of aid SutOB lie following fol-lowing wan agreed upon as the confoiiHUH of opinion ia roproaentcd at soul conifer liCe full the following involutions UIII olowln 1rultonl wore ugnid upon to IH I forwarded to thn Rep rc entatlv s In Congress from said States OPPOSED TO LEASING Resolved First That the I poopl of tho Slates hero ropresontod are opposed absolutely abso-lutely to any bprLslnllon or any acton oral or-al kind looking to or having for Us object the lousing 01 ihe ptiblK arid hinds o the United Stutos by the general Government Gov-ernment or any aKcncj ihoreof R > solvod Second That the present laws providing for lie control miiiiagomenl I and dlspo al o tho public arid lands of I tho tnllcd States arc host adapted to the lllc uta 111 neods and iiulromenls of the I country I and conducive lo I Ihe t set I lement and occupancy oc-cupancy thereof t by bonn fide settlers I ItisolviMl Third That If It 1hal bo found that tin present laws affecting tho arid lands are not sathfaclory to Iho I ConjrresM of tine United States then wo favor 1 cofllnn of ho I mid arid lands to I the yovoral Slate wherein they nro SitU alod under such lorms and ConiUt louts l as will giinranloc tine benoilis of the free homestead laws to the ncoplo of tho United Stales and that t I will I jirovont I sri lld lands eIther by foe hlmplc lILt or by the leasing thereof t from parsing Into Uif1 pus session or control of largo companion cvndlesiles enrporat ions or wealthy Individuals Indi-viduals In largo quantities lo the t exclusion of others and under such conditions thai tho I several I Stales may have the Income arising from said lands to I ho devoted to tho reclamation nnd Improvement thoreof I I for settlement by bOla lido cltlxens QUESTION OF CESSION Cot Lee said the r rHoutlons were all right as far I UK they t went but wero not In harmony with the Ideas of the convention at the outset His ca was that the resolutions should begin by asking the Government to rode tho lands to the States I the Stales wCle In control of the lands ho argued the revenue dorlvcd therefrom oould he spent for Irrigating and otherwise reclaiming re-claiming the lands Mr l Clinton spoke in favor of the resolutions and Coy Richards took the lloor to explain mOle fully the purpose of the report He said the Governors had mot to confer and as a result of their deliberations i4 I H i 7 < Gov Poynter Willing to Let Matters Stand as Thoy Are lo arrive at some plan or recommendation recommenda-tion Some of un lint paid are strong advocates of cession to thu Stales Others arc opposed tothat In I order to accomplish the object of the meeting we must agree and all must therefore make some conrcssjons Those concessions are all made in the report Personally I favor the t views of Coy Lee but If I the leading of the lands by the Government as is now threatened should be decided upon we have these resolutions to soy that the Governors are opposed to that and asking ask-ing that the lands shall bo ceded to the States If any change Is mude The resolution res-olution does not entirely satisfy me personally but it meets with the views of many people In my State In order to place ourselves on record we have declared In favor of cession to the States and each must concede something some-thing to reach an agreement or our meeting will come to nothing IN FA VCR OF A GRANT Gov Poynter said he would prefer to make the resolution consist of about four lines saying the lands should be ceded to the States Many stockmen In my Stale will indorse what Is j In that report hu said J any change Is contemplated we have said In that report that we arc unalterably opposed to Government leL < lng but favor Government Gov-ernment cession to the itatesif any change Is lo occur We must all mako concessions and I believe the report Is a wise one Mr Holcomb npoke in favor of the resolution believing that t concessions must be made and moved the adoption of the report which wag seconded by Gov Wells Got Smith said the resolution did not entirely suit him but an he wanted to represent the Interests of the maJority ma-Jority of the people of Montana who favored the laws l as they now are ho favored the repflrt Our acton here will be at least a protest against any change ho 1 said Wo put ourselves on record as against any change like time one proposed by the Department of the Interior We have also Indl caled the change we desire If one must come Gov Lee again protected I am here to represent the greatest number of the people of my tnt he said and not tho oatllemon ulone I dont s oe why tlu1 I man with thouHHtidu of cattle should have all time advantage over the man with few cattle wih ca tC At present the advantage Is I nil with the large oner 1 am her to represent the small people I you want to throw the cattle business Into the hands of a few men this report will do It I do not care for the political I effect I want to go on record as standing for the majority of the people peo-ple of my Slate RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED Ir1 Clinton asked to havothe report read again This was done and Mr Clinton said It conveyed the Idea of the Idaho representatives exactly The report was then adopted Coy Let alone dissenting Gov Lees position Is first In favor of cclon to the Slates second failing In that to jmve the con ditions remain oa they are He IH In common with the other members of the conference opposed to Government leasing of the hindf Gov Smith then road n draft of n letter l prepared hy the committee 1 i < llutulIrl lm I P iwr l in those Gov enters of arid Stales who were not I erlors I represented at the meeting I states the action of the meeting and asks approval of the I resolutions adopted and the t forwarding of them to Representatives Repre-sentatives In Congress The draft was adopted and the letters will be sent out by Coy Weils I FORAGE FOR RANGES Coy Richards then stated that there was ono other matter he felt should leI le-I taken up namely I the question of forage for-age for the ranges 1Ie called atlen Uon liv the I fact that the feed on the I lon was not so plentifulas I formerly 1 and stated Dial experiments showed I some plunls indigenous to other countries coun-tries do well on our ranges He proposed pro-posed suggesting to I the Secretary of Agriculture In a courteous manner that j he had not paid enough attention to the I I question of forage for stock In tho I II I J ISE I C tOl S t 1 I j I j I 1 1 I West Gov Richards felt that such action might goad the Secretary up to I doing more In I this direction than he had done In I tho past Mr Holcomb called attention to what had been accomplished ac-complished In I experimenting with brome grass In Washington Coy Smith stated that It had been tried experimentally III Montana and found to be most satisfactory as a range grass Coy Lee said the South Dakota Agricultural college had boon experimenting with It for three or four years and found It promised to be a great success Mr llolonmb offered the following resolution which was seconded I sec-onded by Gov Wells and adopted unanimously Resolved That tho Representatives In Congress from each arid or semiarid StfiU > bo requested to work for an appropriation appro-priation for time specific purpose of propagating pro-pagating forage pluntb on tho arid lands I SUGGESTS OTHER MEETINGS Gov Wells then took the lloor and I said I feel that this conference while not so large as we hoped It would be has nevertheless in my opinion been conducive of much good Wo 1 have at least reached a conclusion and have made a recommendation to Con grep setting forth our Ideas on the subject of arid lands There are questions I ques-tions of mutual Interest arising all the time It seems to nv it would be a good idea l for us to get together from lime to time We are organized now have elected Gov Richards our chairman chair-man and while I am In no way desirous de-sirous of hastening the adjournment of this meeting I think that before we adjourn we should determine when we shall meet again whether we shall seta set-a date or authorize the chairman to call the Governors of the Western Stales together again If enough of us go to Washington to attend the celebration we might meet there I therefore move that when we adjourn we do so subject to the call of the chairman Got Poynler seconded the motion which carried unanimously HAVE DONE SOMETHING Cot Richards said While this meeting has been small and in a measure I meas-ure a rather discouraging beginning nevertheless we have done something Small beginnings sometimes go before great things I feel that our conference confer-ence will result En much good In the future I MI llolcomb spoke in the same vein saying that the conference was a good beginning toward more uniform legislation legis-lation In the different States Gov Poynler said that as each one present had expressed his personal conviction he hoped they would not hesitate togo to-go home and express them to their constituents con-stituents After some further discussion I discus-sion the conference adjourned at 3O after a hearty and unanimous vole of thanks had been tendered Gov Wells I and the citizens of Salt Lake for the kind and courleous treatment accorded time visitors collectively and Individually Individu-ally Got Smith and GOY Richards left last evening for home Gov Lee and Coy Poynter will remain until this evening They in company with Coy Wells Mr Oswald Mr Clinton and Mr llolcomb attended the ball of the Sons of tho Revolution last night For Novelties in Wash Fabrics go to Aucrbachp |