Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-18
Special Message From
President on Subject.
Touches on Their Needs, Pro-
lection and Development.
Value Of Our National Forests Now
Exceeds $1,000, 000, 900.

Washington, Dec. 17.-F'ellowing is
the full text Of the Presidents mes
sage sent today to Congress on the
subject Of public lands: :.
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives: The developments Of the
past year emphasize with increasing
force the need Of vigorous and imme-
diate action to recast the public land
laws and adapt them TO the actual sit
uation. The timber and stone act has
demonstrated conclusively that it's eff
feet is to turn over the public timber
lands to great corporations. 1t has
done enormous harm, it is no longer
needed and it should be repealed. The
desert land act results SO frequently
in fraud and SO comparatively seldom
in making homes on the land that it
demands radical amendment That
provision which permits assignment
before patent should be repealed, and
the cntryman 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 con-
tinue to assist spectators and other
large holders TO get control Of land
and water on the public domain by in
defensible means.
The Communication clause of the
homestead act serves, in majority Ut
cases TO defeat the purpose Of the
homestead act itself. which is to facili-
tate settlement and create homes. In
theory the cOmmutation clause should
assist the honest settler and doubtless
i'll some cases it does SO. Far more
often it supplies the means by when
spectators and loan and mortgage
companies secure possession of the
land. Actual-not constructive-livinE
at home on the land for three years
should be required before communication
unless it should appear wiser to re-
peal the communication clause alto
gethcr.
| am gravely concerned at the en-
treneiy 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
acquisition of these lands can be defin-
1tely stopped and therefore 1 have
directed the secretary Of the interior
to allow no patent to be issued to pub
lie lands under any law until by an ex-
animation on the ground actual COM
pliance with that law has been found
to exist. For this purpose an increase
Of special agents in the general land
Office is urgently required, unless it is
given. bona fide would-be settlers will
be put to grave Inconvenience. or else
the fraud in large part will go on.
Further the secretary Of the interior
should be enabled to employ enough
mining experts to examine the validity
of all mineral land claims and to
undertake the supervision and control
of the use of the mineral fuels still G.
longing to the United States. The
present coal law limiting the individual
entry to 160 acres puts premium on
fraud by making 1t impossible to
develop certain types of coal fields and
yet comply with the law. 1t is q
scandal to maintain laws which sound
well but which make fraud the key
without which great natural resources
must remain closed. The law should
give individuals and corporations under
proper government regulation and con-
trolthc details of which I shall not at
present discuss) the right to work
bodies of coal land large enough for
profitable development. My own be-
lief is that there should be provision for
leasing coal. oil and gas rights under
proper restrictions. If the additional
force Of special agents and mining ex-
pcrts l recommend is provided and well
used. the result will not be only to stop
tho land frauds but to prevent delays
in patonting valid land claims and to
conserve the indispensable fuel re-
sources of the nation.
The money value Of the national for
ests now reserved for the use and benc-
fit of the people exceeds considerably
the sum of one thousand millions Of
dollars. The stumpage value Of tho
standing timber approaches seven hun
drcd million dollars and together with
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