The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-14
URGES CONGRESS- TO
 PASS HIS PUBLIC LAND LEGISLATION

Washington, Feb. 13.-President Roosevelt sent to both houses of Con- grsss long message calling attention to what he terms the urgent need of legislation affecting the different phases of the public land situation in tho United States" f
 He advocates the conservation of coal and other fuel resources on lands still belonging to the Government, say tng that henceforth the nation should retain It's title to it's fuel resources. urges Government control of the Vest srn public pastures. with a system of an appropriation of half million doi- lars immediately available, In adition 10 present estimates. to aid in detect sax ana preventing land frauds. He conrends for a system of Government leasing of its mineral lands and for treating these fuel lands as public utilities.
 The President points that 1t would have been better if some Eastern coal lands had been left under Government control. and suggests provision in the West ''against recurrence of the condi- tions we deplore In the East" Citing 2.300 cases of public land entries in four districts mentioned. the President says non compliance with the law was found in over half of them. and delib- crate fraud in very many cases. The message. in part, says:
 Such a leasing system as that pro- posed represents by no means an un- tried policy. Tn the Australian coun- tries during the last fifteen years coal has been mined under a system of Gov ernment leases. In all the great coal producing European countries except Great Britain leases are granted all Ir<-fz zx,&f sal Exrt ha vf lon eres but there, as in other countries, the surface culture and the mining op- crations are conducted independently of each other.
 Tn Nova Scotia, British Columbia. India and other British colonies, a Gov ernment leasing system has been adopted and is working satisfactorily. Tn the United States, although convey ance of the mineral rights with the surface has been common practice. the separate development of the two in- terests is increasing; and in the East ern and Middle States. a large part of the coal Is being mined under a system of private leases. It is gratifying to note that in these States. these two great industries. agriculture and min ing. are conducted within the same boundaries. and the country thus at- tains it's highest dual development without conflict of interests. Indeed. the mining industry. and the factories using these fuels. create large local markets for the products of the farm.
 Conditions in West.
 ''In our own Western States and Ter ritories the scarcity of both and wa ter and forests has rendered necessary their preservation of public utilities and the preservation of the forests for the purpose of conserving both the wa. ters and the stimber supply has come 10 be recognizsd as the wise and prop CT policy of the Federal Government.
 "The quantity of high grade mineral fuels in the Vest Is relatively much smaller than that of the forests, and the proper conservation of these fuels Is a matter of reaching importance We have right to the proper use of both the forests and the fuel during our life times0but we should not dis pose of the birthright of our children. If this Government sells it's remaining fuel lands, they pass out of It's future control
 If 1t now leases them, we retain control and q future Congress will be at liberty tHlJdecide whether it will continue or change this policy Mean while the Government can inaugurate system which will encourage the separate and independent development