New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-06-11

managed on a coherent plan. and in way that
augurs we'll for the future.
The mineral fuels of the Eastern United states
have already passed into the hands or large
private owners. and those Of the West are
rapidly following This should not be, for such
mineral resources belong in peculiar degree 10
the whole people Under private control there
Is much waste from shortsighted methods OF
working, and the complete utilization Is oII5h
sacrificed for greater immediate pront- Inc
mineral fuels under our present COndltlonS are
- essential to our prosperity as the forests VIII
always be. The difference Is that the supply Is
definitely limited. for coal does not grow anu
trees do. 1t is obvious that the mineral fueIs
should be conserved, not wasted and thaL
enough of them should remain In the hands Oh
the government to protect the people against un-
just eXtortiOnate prices so far as that can
stiu be done What has been accomplished in
the regulation Of the great oil fields Of the
Indian Territory offers a striking example OF the
good results Of such d policy Last summer
ing public lands temporarily from disposal. and
asked for the legislation necessary 10 protect
the public interest by the conservation OF the
mineral fuels: that ts. for the power 70 keep tne
fee in the government and to lease the coal. oil
and gas rights under proper regulation No
such legislation was passed, but still hope that
we shall ultimately get II.
FEDERAL CONTROL OF RANGES.
In addition to treating Alright for the benefit
OF the whole people the forests and the mineral
beds, should similarly try 70 preserve for the
benefit of all the people the great stretches of
public domain some three hundred million acres
In all. which are unfit for cultivation by present
methods and valuable only for the forage which
they supply. This vast area ia now open to the
free grazing OF cattle. sheep. horses and goats.
without restriction or regulation. When pOpu-
latiOn has increased. as is now the case, such
utter lack OF management means that the pubic
domain Is turned over 10 be skinned by men
whose only concern Is to get what they can out
Of II at the moment, without any regard 10
whether not ii is ruined so far as the next
generation IS concerned. In other words, the
range IS not much used a wasted by abuse;
and as an incident conflict and bIoodshed fire.
rsrrR f1y- rfS "a hat nr1VpN NC
the rapid settling OF the West the range IS
more and more overgraZed. Moreover, much or
II cannot be used 10 advantage unless II Is
fenced. for fencing IS the only way by which
TO keep In check the absentee owners OF nonad
hocks which roam hither and thither. utterly
destroying the pasturage and leaving O waste
behind. so that their presence is incompatible
with the presence OF home makers. Good Judges
estimate that public range has now lost
law. and as the law now stands IL is wellnlgh
impossible TO do ANYTHING to keep the value of
tho range. The only practical remedy Is TO give
control OF the range to the federal government
Such control would not only stop all conflict.
but would conserve the forage without stopping
its use. as our experience with the national
forests has fully proved. II would likewise Sc
cure to the West the great benefits OF legitimate
fencing without interfering in the sH6hIest Win
the settlement OF the COuntry-On the contrary,
while promoting the settlement OF the country.
Hitherto. however Il has not proved possible
to get any legislation 10 secure these ends. The
destruction OF the public range will continue
until, as nation we insist upon the enactment
For several years we have been doing every
thing in our power TO prevent fraud upon the
public land. what can be done under the pres
ent laws ia now being done through the joint
action Of the Interior Department and the De-
partment OF Justice. But fully to accomplish
tho prevention OF fraud there Is need OF further
legislation and especially of n sufficient appro-
priation to permit the Department OF the In
terror to examine certain classes OF entries on
the ground before they pass into private own
ershp The appropriation asked for last win
ter. II granted, would have put an end to the
squandering OF the public domain, while IL
would have prevented any need OF causing hard
ship TO individual settlers by holding UP their
claims. However. the appropriation was not
given us. and in consequence IL is not possible
TO secure, as I would like to secure, the natural
resources OF the public land from fraud, waste
and encroachment
So much for what we are trying to do in util
izng public lands for the public; in
curing the OF the water. the forage. the coal.
and the timber for the public. In all four move
ments my chief adviser, and the man first 10
suggest to me the courses which have actually
proved beneficial, was Mr.. Clifford PinChot,
chief OF the National Forest Service Mr.. Pin
chot also suggested to me a movement supple
mentary to all of these movements; which
will Itself lead the way in the general move
actively identified, for the conservation of all
our natural resources. This the appoint
ment of the Inland Waterways Commission.
WATERWAY TRANSPORTATION.
The inability of the railroads of the United
States TO meet the demands upon them has
our waterways for transportation. But 1t is
obvious that this Is only one Of their many
uses, and that a planned and orderly develop
ment is impossible except by taking into ac-
count all the services they capable OF rem
dering 1t was upon this ground that the Inland
Waterways Commission was recently appointed.
Their duty is to propose comprehensive plan
for the Improvement and utilization of those
great waterways which the great potential
highways of the country. Their duty is also to
bring together the points OF view OF all users OF
streams, and to submit general plan for the
ural resources OF tho waterways OF the United
States. Clearly II IS impossible for the water
ways commission to accomplish it's great task
without considering the relation of streams 10
the conservation ana use OF all other natural
resources, and l have asked that 1t do Here,
ment and planned conservative use OF all our
natural resources is presented as a single prob
lem. one by one the individual tasks in this
great problem have already been undertaken.
One by one in practical fashion the methods OF
dealing with them were worked out National
irrigation has proved itself a success by its
actual working Again. actual experience has
shown that the national forests Will fulfil the
larger purpose for which they We're created.
All who have thoughtfully studied the subject
have come to see that the solution of the public
lands question lies with the home maker with
the settler who lives on his land and that gov
eminent control OF the mineral fuels and the
public grazing lands is necessary and inevitable
Each of these conclusions represented move
ment of vast Importance which would confer
by itself. They are connected together into one
great fundamental problem-that OF the con-
servation OF all our natural resources. Upon
the wise solution of this much of future
obviously depends. Even such questions as the
regulation of railway rates and the control OF
.I--4I4.