The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-18

The message OF President Roosevelt TO
Congress urging reforms in the land laws
Of the country deals with d variety OF
subjects in the terse. characteristic style
with which the President goes TO a sub
Iject that requires pricing I'D at the roots.
''The timber and stone act. is the way
the message opens. has demonstrated
conclusively that its effect is TO turn over
the public timber lands TO great corpora
tons. 1t has done enormous harm. 1t is
TO longer needed, and it should be re-
pealed
/ Other sale, features are as follows:
Condemns Desert Land Act.
THE desert land act results so fire.
quently in fraud and so comparatively
seldom in making homes on the land that
( il demands radical amendment That
! provision which permits assignment be
/ fore patent saould be repealed, and the
I entryman SHOULD be required to live for
not less than two years at home on the
/ land before patent issues. Otherwise. the
desert land law will continue TO assist
spectators and other large holders 10 get
control of land and water on the public
domain by indefensible means.
The Communication clause Of the home
stead act serves, in "a majority of cases.
to defeat the purpose Of the homestead
act itself, which is TO facilitate settle
ment and create homes ActUal-not con
/ strUctive-living at home on the land for
/ three years should be required before
communication unless it should appear
wiser TO repeal the communication clause
/ altogether.
Land Frauds Give Concern.
/ Il am grayeIy concerned at tthe ex-
/ tremely unsatisfactory condition Of the
public land laws and at the prevalence
! Of fraud under their present provisions.
! For much Of this fraud the present laws
are chiefly responsible. There is but
one way by which the fraudulent ac-
quisitIOn Of these lands can be definitely
/ stopped, and therefore I have directed
/ the Secretary Of the Interior to allow 10
patent TO be issued to public land under
any law until by an examination on the
/ ground actual compliance with that law
/ has heen found TO exist. For this pu--
/ pose an increase of special agents In
1 the General Land Office is urgently re-
CURED
The present coal law, limiting the in
dividual entry to 100 acres puts a pre-
MUM on fraud by making il impossible 10
develop certain types Of coal fields and
yet comply with the law. by own be
1 lief is that there should be provision for
/ leasing coal. oil. and gas rights under
proper restrictions.
Revision of Right Of Way Laws.
Many Of the existing laws affecting
rights of way and privileges on public
lands and reservations are illogical and
unfair 1 urge the revision and re-enact-
mcnt Of those laws in one comprehensive
act. providing that the regulations and
the charge now in force in many cases
may be extended TO ALL 10 the end that
unregulatsd and monOpOIistic control OF
great natural resources may not be ac-
CURED or misused for private ends.
The boundaries of the national forest
reserves unavoidably included certain
valuable timber lands not owned by the
government For more than two years
negotiations with the land grant rail-
roads have been in progress looking to-
ward an arrangement by which the for
est on railroad lands within national for
est reserves may be preserved by the re-
der rules prescribed by the Forest Ser
vice, and its perpetuation may be asur-
ed by the transfer Of the land 20 the
government without cost
1T is possible that legislation will be
required 10 authorize this or a similar
arrangement with the railroads and other
owners. If so. / recommend that il be
enacted
Money Needed to Develop Forests.
The money value Of the national for
ests now reserved for the use and bene-
fit Of the people exceeds considerably the
sum of one thousand millions of dollars.
The stumpage value of the standing tim
Der approaches seven hundred million dol
lars. and, together with the range and
timber lands, the water for irrigation and
power. and the subsidiary values. reaches
an amount equal 10 that OF the national
property now under the immediate control
OF the army and navy together But this
vast domain is withheld from serving
the nation as freely and fully as it might
by the lack Of capital to develop it.
7 recommend that the Secretary Of
the Treasury be authorized 70 advance 10
the Forest Service. upon the security Of
the standing timber, an amount. say. s.
0odon. sufficient TO provide a reasonable
INNS 'tet4t-ti AuA lAle l1Uuldl forests.
TO bear interest. and 10 be reD9fd in
annual instaliments in ten years
should Purchase Indian Lands.
The President recommends the transfer
of the national parks now under the
charge Of the Secretary Of the Interior
to the Secretary of Agriculture.
Within or adjoining national forests
says the message, are considerable areas
OF Indian lands OF more value under forest
than Tor any other purpose II would
aid greatly in putting these lands 10 their
best use II the power 10 create national
forests by proclamation We're extended 10
cover them. The Indians should be paid
the full value Of any land thus taken for
public purposes. from the proceeds of the
lands themselves
Changes Urged in Fence Laws.
I recommend that a bill be enacted
which viii provide for government control
Of the public range through the Depart
meUt of Agriculture. which alone is
equipped for that work Such bill
should insure to each locality rules for
grazing specially adapted to its needs
and should authorize the collection of a
grazing fee.
Much of the public land can only be
used TO advantage for grazing when
fenced. Reasonable fencing. which pro
notes the use OF the range, and yet IN
terferes neither with the settlement nor
with other range rights. would be thor
0ughly desirable. if IL were legal Yet