Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-10

rights under proper regulation. No such
legislation was passed, but 1 still hope
that we shall ultimately get it.
Public Domain.
In addition to treating Alright for the ben
eft Of the whole people the forests and the
mineral beds, we should similarly try to
preserve for the benefit of all the people the
great stretches Of public domain some 3OO,-
100000 acres In all, which are unfit for Gull
tivation by present methods and valuable
only for the forage which they supply. This
vast area is now open to the free grazing
OF cattle, sheep, horses and goats, with
out restriction or regulation. When pop
ulation has Increased. as is now the case,
Such utter lack OF management means that
the public domain is turned over to be
skinned by men whose only concern Is to
get what they can out of it at the mo-
ment without any regard to whether or not
1t is ruined SO far the next generation
Is concerned. In other words, the range Is
not so much used as wasted by abuse; and
as an incident conflict and bloodshed fire.
quently arise between opposing users. With
the rapid settling of the west the range is
more and mv,e overgrazed. Moreover
much of 1t cannot be used to advantage
unless it is fenced for fencing is the only
way by which to keep in check the absen-
tee owners of nomad flockS which roam
hither and thither, utterly destroying the
pasturage and leaving a waste behind, SO
presence of home-makers. Good judges es-
innate that our public range has now lost
nearly half its value, yet fencing is against
the law, and as the law now stands it is
well-nigh impossible to do anything to
keep the value of the 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
it's use, as our experience with the ma
tional forests has fully proved. 1t would
likewise secure to the west the great bene-
fits of legitimate fencing without infterfer-
Ing in the slightest with the settlement of
the country-on the contrary, while pro-
noting the settlement of the country. Hith-
erto, however, 1t has not proved possible to
get any legislation to secure these ends.
The destruction Of the public range will
continue until, as a nation, we insist upon
the enactment of some such laws as those
i have advocated.
Land Frauds.
For several years we have been doing
everything in our power to prevent fraud
upon the public land What can be done
under the present laws is now being done
through the joint action of the Interior De-
partment and the Department of Justice.
But fully to accomplish the prevention of
fraud there is need of further legislation
and especially of a sufficient appropriation
to permit the Department of the Interior
to examine certain classes of entries on
the ground before they pass into private
ownership The appropriation asked for
last winter, if granted, would have put an
end to the squandering of the public do
main, while 1t would have prevented any
need of causing hardship to individual set
tiers by holding up their claims. However,
the appropriation was not given us, and in
consequence it is not possible to secure as
l would like to secure, the natural resources
of the public land from fraud, waste and
encroachment
Co for hot fr1-J, 70 40 u,
utilizing our public lands for the public;
in securing the use of the water the forage,
the coal and the timber for the public. In
all four movements my chief adviser, and
the man first to suggest to me the courses
which have actually proved beneficial
was Mr.. Clifford Pinchot the chief of the
national forest service. Mr.. Pinchot also
suggested to me movement supplementary
to all of these movements one which will
itself lead the way in the general move
ment which he represents and with which
he Is actively identified, for the conserva-
ton of all our natural resources. This was
the appointment of the inland waterways
commission.
Inability of Railroads.
The inability of the railroads of the
United States to meet the demands upor
them has drawn public attention forcibly
to the use of our waterways for transpor
taton. But it is obvious that this is only
one of their many uses, and that a planned
and orderly development is impossible ex
cept by taking into account all the services
they are capable of rendering. 1t was upor
this ground that the inland waterways
commission was recently appointed. Theil
duty is to propose a comprehensive plar
for the Improvement and utilization of those
great waterways which are the great pc
tential highways of the country Ineil
duty is also to bring together the points
of view of all users of streams, and to sub
nit general plan for the development ant
| conservation of the vast natural resource:
o. the waterways of the United States
Clearly 1t is impossible for the waterways
commission to accomplish Its great tasl
| without considering the relation of stream.
to the conservation and use of all Other
natural resources, and I have asked that Il
do so. Here, then, for the first time, the or.
derby development and planned conservative
use of all our natural resources is present tee
as a single problem. One by one the indi
vidual tasks in this great problem have al
ready been undertaken. One by one in prac-
teal fashion the methods of dealing with
them were worked out. National irriga
ton has proved itself a success by its ac-
tual working. Again, actual experience has
shown that the national forests will full
fill the larger purpose for which they were
created. All who have thoughtfully studied
the subject have come to see that the SOlu-
ton of the public lands question lies with
the homemaker, with the settler who lives
on his land, and that government control OF
the mineral fuels and the public grazing
lands is necessary and inevitable. Each OF
these conclusions represented movement
of vast Importance which would confer
large benefits upon the nation. but which
stood by itself. They are connected to.
gether into one great fundamental problem
that of the conservation of all our natura
resources. Upon the wise solution of this
much of our future obviously depends
Even such questions as the regulation OF
railway rates and the control of corpora