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Show OUR LAND THE PUBLIC . DOMAIN (By J. P. May) Since President Hoover proposed that the nation give" back to the eleven public land states the vast areas of non-patented land (puMIc domain) the subject has been on the front page of oovr dally newspaper many times, and in magazines and other literature, we are getting a nice resume of the subject from several sev-eral nngles. Within the year, perhaps, per-haps, the writer discussed the subject sub-ject In these columns showing why the land was withheld by the federal feder-al government at the outset, and why the reasons for withholding It have all been disposed of by our progress, and, therefore, why the land should not be longer held by Uncle 'Sam. President Hoover has started the discussion and the possible solution of the matter, by proposing that the. nation turn over to the states all the land not in forest reserves and in Indian or military reservations, and not held as coal land, or as other hydro-carbon reserves, etc., and then Just give the states the surface rights. That means that the dear states would get a vast area of desert des-ert land, and desolate messns used ouly as giazing land. Opinion scorns to be developing three camps, divisions, di-visions, viz: First, those who don't " want any of the land given to the states, second sec-ond ,those 'who want it turned over but with less reservations, and, third, those who want, the nation to give to the public land states all the land not pafeihed. I am frankly In the third division, and for reasons which Feem sufficient. This cry that the states could not handle the timber. the forests, is nil bosh. The claim that only the nation should control our coal lands is bunk, because there is more coal than we can use in many centuries. Carbon county coal mines may be closed down - for a hundred years and better coal, more cheaply mined, would take the place of the Carbon county area by ' using the Fruitlaud coal. Or the Esralante area would suply all the western area of the country, say eiht states, for several centuries, and the navy, too. Tills federal reservation of our coal lands is one of ' selfishness, not really and truly demanded by national na-tional welfare or state progress. For Instance, why do they not eruiit the Craig coal to go on the market? Yes. dear reader, Why? Oil reservation Is, perhaps, justified. justi-fied. But as Governor Geo. II. Dern has told them In Washington, it Is rather funny, or peculiar, or something some-thing like that, to stop oil drilling in Utah on public lands, because Utah has no oil, except a little down near St. George. We have some gas, natural and unnatural, but mighty little oil yet on hand, and should be permitted to explore, to drill to find out whether or not we have any in the Uintah basin and elsewhere. Why reserve all the mineral rights? Yes, why? Is gold becoming becom-ing scarce, and, if it Is, could we not get along without gold, if necessity neces-sity demanded It? Tin is becoming scarce and some control might seem essential. But zinc, lead, copper, and other metals are still being mined in ample quantities. There are certain rare metals In 'great demand, de-mand, and some supervision should be demanded in controlling the output. out-put. However cannot the states do Ibis. Could the states not agree to follow certain elementary rules demanded de-manded by congress In the disposition disposi-tion of these highly essential metals? Many will say yes, but what about the forests. The stales could never handle the forests. Only Washington Washing-ton could do that. And then the watersheds where we keep back the water so California may have her supply when she needs it. or sheds on which we should do this far better bet-ter than we do, and where Idaho and Wyoming help make the Columbia river more useful. And erosion, they say Is simply awful, if we don't have Uncle Samuel take care of it we Just wont have any dirt left on the higher levels. And grazing is depleted, yes alvnit gone, the grass roots are rapidly being killed out and where water held bacld nicely when the pioneers settled gorges are now cut, and Washington just must have charge of It Why? Admiring, Admir-ing, as we must, that forests are necessary, that watersheds should be better controlled, must Washington Washing-ton do it? I don't really believe that all the brains, all the wisdom and all the authority, are in the District of Columbia, even with COO lobbyists and 300 journalists and congress-und congress-und the cabinet and the president. They are respected and vitally necessary, nec-essary, when they play fair and square. But this is a big country. Forty -eight states are the elementary element-ary and really powerful units of It, as the U. S. senate indicates even more than the lower house. These western territories, during the early periods, lacked supervision, and even now some of the states should do better than they do. But when Uncle Un-cle Sam had control of ten times as much public land as he has today why did congress not then help protect pro-tect the timber and the grass? Then this road question as the Utah Automobile Association indicates,, indi-cates,, is working people. If wo-take wo-take back the lands, they say we shall get no more cash out of the federal treasury, for such purposes. That is all bosh. When California enn get about three hundred million for Boulder dam, etc. we should not feel faint hearted. Just "prick up our ears." take more Interests in political activities, and we shall get a square deal, and not otherwise. When Denver can get a tunnel bored and then other interests may prevent Its use as was intended by the people, it indicates that the people peo-ple are the real negative factors. The dear people are very positive powers to get legal OK, but after that they just let bosses operate it. Federalization, bureaucratic government, govern-ment, has gone too far towards that, which Jefferson warned the statesmen, states-men, that is, too much centralization centraliza-tion of power. Hoover sees it. and Utah's governor sees It, and all rational ra-tional folks surely should see this danger. Uncle lam should say to the eleven land states, "Here in the patent to your land. Take it, God bless you." |