OCR Text |
Show ASKS FOR MCE TO DEVELOP LUIS Governors at Conference Second William Spry, Denouncing Unfair Treatment Madison, Wis., Nov. 11. Western governors today before the governors' gover-nors' conferenco here denounced what they called unfair treatment of public pub-lic land Btntes by tho federal government. gov-ernment. Ellas A. Amnions ot Colorado, Col-orado, Joseph II. Carrey of Wyoming and A. O. Eberhart of Minnesota seconded sec-onded the plea of William Spry o( Utah that tho western states bo allowed al-lowed to develop tholr resources without Interference from Washing-toil' Washing-toil' Governor Amnions of Colorado charged that the federal reclamation reclama-tion service under the last throe Presidents had disobeyed the orders of tho tuition's chief oxccutlvo In refusing re-fusing to allow Colorado to tiso public pub-lic lauds for building u reservoir. Ho charged that magazines had printed conservation articles full of misstatements misstate-ments and had refused to publish the other side of tho question. Some of thcBo magazlno writers, tho governor declared, had distorted facts. Among other things tho had assorted that Rockefeller owned all the "coal land in Colorado, whereas ho owned ouljj 800 acres out of 472,000 acres of coal land under lease by tho state. Governor Carey condemned tho government's policy of withdrawing coal and mineral lands, because such action tended to retard development many yenrs. Ho said that federal attempts at-tempts to improve such lands wero wasteful. "Instead of being liberal with us." said Governor Carey, "tho government govern-ment has limited us to tho smallost nrea and thla despite tho fact that tho Rocky mountain states must struggle the hardest for development umld adverso circumstances. There Is moro good coal in Wyoming than in any other state, yet tho government govern-ment refuses to allow a settler to dig a bagful for his own use. Tho land should bo -parceled out among all the people of tho stato. Governor Eberhart of Minnesota cited the success of states In coping cop-ing with tho public utilities as nn earnest exnmplo ot their ability to regulate tho development ot their own resources. He called on the eastern and southern states to support sup-port tho demand of the western states for better treatment from the untlonal government. Governor Stewart ot Montana tsald his belief was that tho quicker pub lie lands passed under public ownership, own-ership, tho sooner tho country would, llnd Its full development. Govornor E. r. Dunno of Illinois arrived tonight to-night to nt tend tho conference. Tho feeling of tho newer western stntes that federal control of natural natur-al resources places thomaat a disadvantage disad-vantage with older states received vigorous expression through Governor Gover-nor William Spry of Utah, who ad dressed the governors' conferenco. In fact tho dny was set aside for consideration con-sideration of state control of natural resources and this part ot tho program pro-gram was interrupted only by luncheon lunch-eon at Lathrop hall, University of Wisconsin. Federal control, tho western governor gov-ernor nssertcd, was Inimical to tho growth ot wostcrn communities, ns ha said It discouraged Individual enterprise. en-terprise. Tho privately owned ro sources of elder states, he pointed out ns an instnnco, paid largo taxes to tho states in which thoy Ho but under un-der tho fodornl leasing system tho now states wero deprived of this revenue. Cannot Touch Lands "Suppose tho United States government gov-ernment leases tho mineral coal and. oil lands and wator power sites uud remains forever vestod of title," said the speaker, "vho can estimate- tho loss ot revenue from taxation which will bo suffered by 'tho states wherein where-in tlicso valuablo resources ni'o located, lo-cated, which revenues havo for years been accruing to tho oldor states and will continuo forever to accruo 1 1 ccauso their resources have been, vested in private ownership and aro ( subject to taxation by tho state a 1 thing which It nppears will bo utter-I utter-I ly" Impossible under the leasing sys I tern, so long ob tlio government holds title, slnco tho government lands can not, under tho constitution, bo subjected sub-jected to taxation." Governor Spry condemned this system sys-tem as a violation ot the spirit of equality of rights In tho public domain do-main and declared that It would be but another step to require the leasing leas-ing of public lands by the farmer. Ho denounced tho spectacular, wordy exploitation ot alleged facts regarding regard-ing the exhaustion of natural resources, re-sources, nnd said tho presidents hod rctartcd development of tho sections most In need of It by 111 ndvlsed rcc: ommendatlons based on hasty Held examiners. "It is objected to this new policy of resource administration, tho outgrowth out-growth of the conservation movement move-ment that has been termed a renewal renew-al of the old states rights question characterization of our protest decidedly de-cidedly unfair and calculated to pro J ltd Ice our position In tho minds of many who would look with disfavor on tho revival of that disagreeable controversy. As to our view on the subject with tho fact firmly established estab-lished that states are admitted into tho union on terms of equality, consider con-sider that the nation has operated for many years under a liberal policy1 pol-icy1 in the disposal of its lands; that tho liberal land system has been fundamentally responsible for tho growth development and wealth of tho great confers of tho east, that an empire within an empire, tho great empire ot the west, Is retarded on tho threshold of an era ot development that from alt Indications will ecllpso tho wonderful growth ot tho cast; that tho sale of agricultural land was primarily responsible for tho increnso of population In tho cast; that tho development of tho mineral and coal resources, ndded to tho wealth of tho east and that tho uso of all tho bounteous gifts of nnturo made tho east what It Is today. |