The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-14

In a message sent to the two Houses Of
Congress yesterday, President Roosevelt
contends for a system of leasing govern
ment mineral lands. and for the treat
ment of its mineral fuels as public utili-
ties
The message urges the conservation OF
coal and other fuel resources on lands
sun belonging to the government the
title to which. the President declares,
should be retained. He recommends gov
eminent control of the Western public
pastures. with system Of small grazing
fees. and asks for am appropriation. in
addition to present estimates, to aid in de
tecting and preventing land frauds. Citing
$50 cases Of public land entries. the
President says noncompliance with the
law was found In over half Of them, and
deliberate fraud in very many cases.
In the Western States and Territories,
saws the President, the scarcity of both
water and forests has rendered necessary
their preservation. and the preservation
of the forests for the purpose Of cOnserv-
inc both the waters and the timber sup
ply has come To be recognized as the
wise and proper policy Of the Federal
government.
Il would surely he greatly 10 the advan-
tage Of this country. the President de-
cIares II some. at least, OF the coal fields
Of the East. and especially Of the anthra-
cite fields. had been left under the control
Of the government.
In part. the text Of the message fol-
lows:
Says Need Is Urgent.
Il can your attention to the urgent need
of legislation affecting the different phases
Of the public land situation ia the United
States. In my last annual message l rec
commended to Congress the enactment of
such legislation as would provide for title
10 and development Of the surface lands
as separate and distinct from the right
10 the underlying mineral FUELS in regions
where they may occur, and the disposal
of these mineral fuels under a leasing
system which will inUre 10 the benefit OF
the public as a whole. Such a leasing sys-
TEN as that proposed represents by no
means an untried policy. In all Of the
great coal producing European countries,
except Great Britain. coal is being mined
under government leases.
Mineral fuels, like the forests and navi-
gable streams, should be treated as public
utilities. This government should not now
repeat the mistakes Of the past II the
government sells its remaining fuel lands,
they pass out of its future control II 1t
now leases them We retain control, and "a
future Congress will be at liberty 10 de
eide whether il will continue or change
this policy. Meanwhile. the government
can inaugurate a system which viii en-
courage the separate and independent de-
velopmeut of the surface lands for agrl-
cultural purposes and the extraction OF
the mineral fuels in such maner as will
best meet the needs of the people and
best facilitate the development of manu-
featuring industries.
1T may be fairly claimed among the
advantages of the leasing system, that #
will facilitate the working. under favor
able conditions, Of coal deposits for local
markets by miners without large capital;
IL viii facilitate large operations; the sys-
tenn can be operated in such manner as to
prevent the evil Of mOHODOlistic control.
II viii enable the government TO protect
The public against unreasonable and dis
eliminating charges for fuel supplies.
Profit by Past Mistakes.
Let us provide in the West against a
recurrence of the conditions which we
deplcre in the East Our experience with
the interstate commerce and antitrust
laws shows that what is needed is not
prohibition of all combinations, but such
supervision ana control over combinations
and over corporations entering into them
as will prevent the evil while giving to
the public the advantages of COmbina-
tions.
Let me also again urge that legislation
be passed TO provide for control Of the
public pasture lands of the West on the
same general principles which now apply
in the government control Of the forest
reserves. At present it Is unlawful %
fence public domain. All fences unlaw-
fully maintained will have To be taken
down. Unless Congress takes action q
legalze reasonable and necessary fencing
through government control of the range
there viii be serious loss 10 st0ckmen
throughout the West. and this loss viii
often fall hardest on the small man, fOI
I'm many cases the stock business cannot
Doe conducted without fences"
Special Committee Reports.
The special committee appointed by the
President to confer with the public lands
commission regarding the most effective
manner of controlling, protecting and
improving the public range has submit.
ted report 10 him, the main feature OF
which is the draft Of a bill agreed on bJ
the committee. The members are Senator
Warren. of Wyoming. II. 4. Jastro, Mar
tin earn. Dan 7. Smythe. WIN G. Barnes
and Il. NJ. Stewart The bill is that here
tofore introduced by Senator BuTkett. as
an amendment 10 the agricultural bill
with some notifications Tile priuCipa
changes provide for the organization o.
grazing districts. and for the issuance o
grazing permits or leases for periods not
exceeding ten Years, that bona hde home
stead settlers OF residents shall be per
mitted 60 Craze free of charge an stock
used for necessary domestic purposes 81
the public lands affected; that such set
tiers and residents shall be given prefer
ence in allotments, that receipts from
grazing fees in excess of expenses shal
be paid 10 the States and Territories IL
which said fees originate. TO be used fO1
schools, roads, irrigation, or other publ,
purposes, as prescribed by the legisla
lures.
The special committee SAYS that with
out a dissenting vote, il believes the en-
actment of this bill into law would be o.
great benefit to live stock interests. I,
bona fide hOmesteaders and settlers anC
10 the whole publjc-land region.
Recommendations Ignored.
ih+ Iiuu'e COMMITTEE on fuoil
Lands yesterday favorably reported Z
bill amending the coal lands of tn
United States. IN which the President
proposition for leasing of sach land
is totally ignored.
The bill provides that an association
OF four men can take up 1,2S0 acres ant
must spend $4,000 i'm improvements
Twice the acreage can be taken up. bu
100000 must be expended. The fmi
on the amount Of land that four peopl