150 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



ADDRESS OF SENATOR CLARK OF WYOMING. 



Before the Public Land Convention Held at Denver, Colo., 

 June, 1907. 



If had not been my purpose or desire to take part 

 in any of the deliberations of this convention. To 

 say that I have felt a deep and a continued, aye, an 

 almost painful interest in the results of the delibera- 

 tions would not be to overstate my position, because I 

 believe as firmly as I believe that the sun will rise in 

 the heavens tomorrow, that upon the result of the de- 

 liberations of this convention shall depend the well- 

 being of this inter-mountain country that we all love. 

 (Applause.) As I look over this assembly I realize 

 that it is an assembly composed of representative men; 

 I realize that it is composed of honest men; I realize 

 that it is composed of men who have one thing upon 

 their hearts, and that is to do the best for themselves, 

 their homes, their firesides and their state. (Ap- 

 plause.) 



Now, Mr. Chairman, as I listened to and admired 

 the splendid presentation of the plans given by our 

 splendid Secretary of the Interior (applause), he al- 

 most made me forget present conditions. 



It is not strange, Mr. Secretary, it is not strange, 

 gentlemen of the convention, for it is the duty of any 

 man charged with the responsibilities of that position, 

 that he should study all these questions carefully and 

 at close range. I believe that the young enthusiasm 

 and the splendid patriotism of the splendid Secretary 

 of the Interior will give better results than we have 

 up to this present time attained. (Applause.) But it 

 is not given to any man to have -the supreme wisdom 

 of all men. I yield to no man in my admiration of 

 the splendid personality and the heaven-born patriotism 

 of our great President, Theodore Roosevelt (applause), 

 but it is no disrespect to him, and it would be a humili- 

 ation to me, if I should blindly follow where he or 

 anybody else may lead without stopping to think of 

 the possible consequences' to myself and my family. 

 (Applause.) 



I think few of us, perhaps, realize the difficulties 

 that the Secretary of the Interior has in dealing with 

 his great department. I knew it was a great depart- 

 ment; I knew it was the most tremendous force in the 

 executive part of our government, but I did not dream 

 until I was told by him last evening or yesterday that 

 the expenditures of the Interior Department in one 

 year now are three times the total expenditures of the 

 whole government of the United States in 1861. 



Now, Mr. President and gentlemen of the conven- 

 tion, it is not strange that in a machine of that mag- 

 nitude some present information ought to be supplied 

 from these quarters. 



I do not believe and I say this frankly that it is 

 within the province of the executive departments, In- 

 erior or otherwise, to formulate plans to govern your 

 business and mine or your homes and mine in Colorado 

 and Wyoming. (Applause.) I do not agree with my 

 friend Pinchot when he said this morning that the 

 time is surely coming when ~there will be government 

 control of the ranges of the West. (Applause.) I 

 want to say to Mr. Pinchot here and now, as I have 

 said to him before, that he is landlord now over every 

 acre of public land that he will ever be landlord over, 

 if the people of these western states are to have any- 



thing to say in the solution of this problem. (Great 

 applause and cheers.) 



Why, gentlemen of the convention, do we know 

 what we are up against? We have been told by the 

 President of the United States today in a letter that 

 there is now and has been no idea of making commer- 

 cial propositions out of this public domain. We have 

 been told by the President of the United States in a 

 letter that there has never been any idea of selling 

 water from these reserves for irrigation purposes. I 

 respectfully challenge that statement, and I do it from 

 the record. (Producing a copy of the Congressional 

 Record.) This is a publication that is issued by gov- 

 ernmental authority, not much sought after, not much 

 read, but convenient on occasion. (Laughter.) On 

 . February 18, 1907, there was some discussion in the 

 Congress of the United States in regard to the forest 

 reserves and their administration. At that time, as 

 'usual, Brother Pinchot, there was a bit of mild criti- 

 cism (laughter), particularly as to the expense of 

 operating these government reserves. Quite naturally, 

 every bureau of the government wishes to conduct its 

 operations at as little expense as possible to the general 

 public. The government of the United States, instead 

 of being a spendthrift, is one of the most closely car- 

 ried on business concerns that I have ever had any- 

 thing to do with, and I think Brother Pinchot finds 

 it so himself. But in showing to the United States 

 Congress what could be accomplished with these one 

 hundred and twenty-seven million acres of land that 

 at that time were in forest reserves, an estimate was 

 v made as to its value and as to what it would produce. 

 It does not say in the Record that the Department of 

 the Interior or the forester of the United States fur- 

 nished this computation. I believe it was furnished 

 by Mr. Pinchot's office. If I am mistaken, I will be 

 glad to be corrected. 



Now, it appeared that this statement was fur- 

 nished by Mr. Pinchot and presented by Mr. Flint. 

 It appeared that in the year 1906 the receipts from 

 the forest reserves, as estimated, were $252,527; that 

 from grazing fees, $514,692 ; total, $767,219. That was 

 all used or proposed to be used in the administration 

 of the reserves. In fact, I believe that until last win- 

 ter there was no account made, no general account 

 am I right? no general account made to any specific 

 fund in the treasury of the United States from the 

 receipts for forest reserves. 



Mr. Pinchott: You are mistaken. Senator; there 

 was, but not to Congress, except in the general report 

 of the Secretary. 



Senator Clark: And am I further correct in the 

 idea that Congress had nothing whatever to do with 

 the expenditure of that fund when it was put into the 

 treasury ? 



Mr. Pinchott: Shall I explain that? 



Senator Clark : Why, yes. 



Mr. Pinchot: Until last year all the money that 

 was returned from the National forests was appropri- 

 ated by a continuing appropriation of Congress in a 

 special fund in the Treasury Department available for 

 the expenses of the service. 



Senator Clark: Subject to control and draft of 

 the forestry bureau? 



Mr. Pinchot : Of the Secretary of Agriculture. 



Senator Clark: Now, having control of what 

 might be an immense fund, having control of a mag- 



