Show DERN BERN SEEN AS filoi MAN FOR CABINET selection of utah governor for secretary of the interior would bring man of wide experience into cabinet has accomplished feats of national Import importance anc e the new year marks not only tho the inauguration of now new state officials throughout the nation but also tho the impending inauguration of a now new administration la ja washington inasmuch as tho the retiring governor ot of utah georgo george 11 II dern Is belne being prominently mentioned tor for the tha post of secretary ot of the interior in president elect Roosevel ts babl net met it might be well at this time to review his achievements durin during g his eight years as governor ot of th this a state which have marked him as one of the outstanding officials ot of tho the nation not only have these achievements marked gov dern as EL a capable executive but in a larger sense they have gained utah a share ot of national prominence and importance such as the state has seldom enjoyed before however gov dern Is being mentioned for tho the now cabinet not only for his thoroughgoing thorough going and efficient administration of utah affairs but also tor for his knowledge and understanding of the problems which confront the tha secretary of the interior and other national officials ficiala als ls at the time almo gov dorn assumed the responsibilities ot of the governorship of the state ut utah A and tho the other western states were engaged engage in a controversy with the federal government over their mineral bearing school lands when utah was admitted to the union tho the state was granted tour sections of 0 land in each township for the support of the common schools eventually the supreme court of the united states ruled that no lands bearing coal or other minerals had been granted the state and that if any land designated as a school section proved to be mineral in character it must bo be rol relinquished indu tali ed to the federal government and other land non mineral in character selected in lieu lien thereof As a result of this ruling thoro there was almost continual contusion confusion strife and costly litigation gov dorns first atop with regard to tills this controversy was to deliver 0 notable ad address dross school land titles in the public land states at the national governors con one ference renco in 1020 through his influence a bill was introduced in congress which provided that the tha states should have nil all the minerals contained on their designated school sections when the tha bill was war p passed ged and became a law the then secretary ot of the tha interior said it meant leant one hundred million dollars to tho the public land states and none of 0 these will profit moro more from this legislation than utah the public schools have been vastly enriched an and d as a result taxes for school purposes should eventually be reduced another achievement which gained national prominence for gov dern bern was tho the solution of the colorado river problem essen trally the law of water rights la Is first in use first in right and this thi law holds good regardless ot of state lines california wanted all the water from the hoover dam reservoir for the imperial valley w which would have meant that call fornia would have acquired prior tight to all the flood waters of the colorado river and its tributaries tributa ries although half of the area of our state lies in tho the colorado river drainage and utah astrea streams ma supply fully IS 15 per cent of the water in the reservoir gov dorn during his investigations visited the neighboring states of california arizona and now new mexico and then called a colorado river conference subsequently quen aly lie ho wont to washington when v lien tho the matter was before congress gr ess tor for final disposition the final outcome was that the tha fl boulder dam bill was amended so that a fair proportion of the waters of the colorado river la is perpetually reserved tor for the uso use ot of the state of utah it a provision which will mean much to the agricultural interests of the state in the future facture another accomplIsh accomplishment mont which gained national recognition tor for the governor was his masterful handling of president Proal dent hoovers IIo ovora proposal that the surface ot of the tha remaining public domain outside of the tha national forests national parks parka and other government reservations be ceded to the states but that all minerals bo be forever reserved to the federal government gov dorn recognized the fallacy of till this procedure ond and in bs famous speech before the western governors conference he showed that most of this land was so poor that ulu the government could not give it iti away that the government proposed po ed to go over the public domain with a fine tooth comb reserve everything that had any value and give the rest to the states that it would not yield enough revenue to pay tho cost of administration that chilt the scheme would greatly do decrease federal aid tor for highway construction st and thereby increase the states road burden and that it might inight jeopardize the government s reclamation service thereby retarding further agricultural developments lit in the tha western states governor dern went to washington to present its hla view on the proposed legislation to tho the house committee and as a direct result of this jhb scheme had no friends and th was not oven even reported out ot of committee it la Is expected that it if governor dorn Is accorded the office ottice ot of secretary ocr tary of the interior lie ho will carry arry D into that branch ot of the government nt the same businesslike administration that has been characteristic te of the state during his eight years as governor during his two terms as governor lie he has supervised and planned a constructive building program at the tha various state schools and institutions a program which was carried out with the utmost economy and efficiency ettl clency the utah state hospital at provo was shamefully overcrowded when lie he assumed office but now at hla his retirement it ranks as a distinct cr credit alit to the tha sante with five new fiew buildings erected and a vast amount ot of remodeling on oil the old buildings I 1 the utah school for the deaf and tho the blind now ranks among the very best beat lu in the united states and the state industrial school has been oen commended as performing a worthwhile function in the training of future citizens the state training school tor for the feeble minded Is IB a new institution built at american V fork k and n under tinder scientific management it Is IB to render a great service in I 1 making self supporting citizens out of backward children all the recent now new buildings erected by the state have been con by the state building commission created in pursuance of 0 a plan prepared arcil by governor dern and every building lias has been completed within the amount by the legislature governor dern has long recognized the necessity ot of good toads roads and road system has gained national commendation in matters of at tax legislation governor dern has been equally foresighted fore sighted being of the opinion that tangible property such ouch as aa real 08 estate tate improvements livestock restock ll machinery and merchandise stocks were carrying an undue share of the burden of taxation while other forms forma of property were going practically free lie ile believes that the s tate state should work toward a program of getting all its revenue horn front income taxes and excise taxes so that state levies may be abolished during his administration flood prevention projects have been carried out so that the innocent victims will not bo be left without protection tec tion after two years of 0 persistent effort governor dern brought about it a compromise settlement which ended the costly litigation and decreed water rights la connection tion with the upper and lower water users of the sayler river under governor dorn dern g s ad administration tra tion the purchasers of fishing and hunting licenses have come into a greater fulfillment of sport in the state and now under the efficient direction of 0 the state fish and game department fishing band and hunting are available for the benefit of the general public and not liot tor for the benefit of a few exclusive clubs governor dern Is largely responsible tor for the restoration of the old I 1 capitol at fillmore and has at all times cooperated with such auch organizations as the Daugh daughters tera of utah pioneers sons of the american revolution daughters of the american revolution and other patriotic societies having achieved signal success in such a diversity of governmental affairs it Is indeed easy toi to understand why governor dorn dern Is considered as one of the most moat able men man tor for the office of secretary of the interior |