Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-14
MESSAGE ON LAND LAWS
President Sends Advice to Congress on
subisot Of Public Domain.
LEASING OF COAL LAND Is ADVOCATED
Grazing Land should ne Leased and
Management Placed In Hands of
western Men Familiar
with situation.

Roosevelt today sent TO congress long
message calling attention to what he terms
the urgent need OF legislation in the
United States" He advocates the con-
servation OF coal and other fuel resources
on lands still belonging to the government.
saying that heneeforth the nation should
retain its title to its fuel resources, with
a system OF small grazing fees. etc, and
asks for an appropriation of S5o0Oo0, i'm
mediately available, in addition to the
present estimates, TO aid in detecting and
preventing land frauds. He contends for
a system OF government leasing Of its
mineral lands and for treating these fuel
lands as public utilities.
The president points out that 1t would
have been better IL some eastern coal lands
had been left under government control
and suggests provision in the west against
recurrence of the conditions we deplore in
the east" citing $500 cases of public land
entries in four districts mentioned, the
president says noncompliance with the law
was found in over half of them and de-
lberate fraud in very many cases.
The president first refers to his previous
message to congress on the subject and
again calls attention to the Importance Of
legislation as would provide for title to
and development OF the surface land as
separate and distinct from the right TO the
underlying mineral fuels in regions where
| these may occur and the disposal Of those
mineral fuels under a leasing system on
conditions which would inure to the bene-
4 at Of the public as a whole.
System, Not Details.
| He says he cares little for the details
and that the prime need is that the system
should be established. The message in
/ part, says:
Such a leasing system as that proposed
represents by no means an untried policy.
| In the Australian countries during the last
fifteen years coal has been mined under a
1 system Of government leases, and on con-
/ ditions so favorable for development that
| their coal and coke are today being sold
on the Pacific coast of both the American
European countries. except Great Britain,
coal Is being mined under government
leases. In Great Britain leases are granted
| almost entirely by the private land owners,
| but there, as In other countries, the sur
| face culture and the mining operations are
! conducted independently of each other In
Scotia, British Columbia, India and other
| British colonies, a government leasing sys-
tenn has been adopted and Is working salts
| factorily. In the United States, although
| conveyance Of the mineral right with the
| surface has been common practice, the
| separate development OF the two interests
is Increasing; and in the eastern and middle
! states a large part of the coal Is being
mined under a system Of private leases. II
| is gratifying to note that in these states,
| as in foreign countries. agriculture and
| mining are conducted within the same
ds d S3gny W fns eon
| nict OF interests. Indeed. the mining in
| dustry. and the factories using these fuels
| create large local markets for the products
| of the farm.
Fuel n Public UtiIity.
Mineral fuels. like the forests. and nayi
gable streams. should be treated as public
SHas This some tOfeEn Countries
teal control of large portion of the fue
ernments are endeavoring to regain thi
control in order that the diminishing tue
mon good instead of being disposed of TO
the benefit of the few-though the mistake
Of the preceding generation In disposing o
these fuels for a nominal return cannot al
ways be corrected by the present genera
ton, as the cost may be so enormous a.
In our own western states and territories
the scarcity Of boJh water and forests hal
rendered necessary their preservation a.
public utilities and the preservation of tn
the waters and the timber supply hal
come to be recognized as the wise an,
The quantity Of high grade mineral fuel
in the west is relatively much smalle
conservation Of these fuels is a matter o
tar-reaching Importance. This government
should not now repeat the mistakes OF tn
past. Let us not do what the next genera
ton cannot undo. We have a right TO tn
proper use Of both the forests and the fue
! during our lifetime, but we should no
dispose Of the birthright Of our children
II this government sells its remaining fue
lands they pass out OF its future control
II it NOW leases them ws retain t Z, gE Ssr
change this policy Meanwhile the govern
encourage the separate and Independent
development Of the surface lands for agri
cultural purposes and the extraction OF tn
mineral fuels I'm such manner as will bes
meet the needs OF the people and best IA
cilitate the development of manufacturin
industries.
Objections TO system.
I am aware that objections TO this sys
tenn are being urged II is claimed that 5
large a part Of the coal In some OF tn
western states has already passed into tn
parties endeavorinE TO operate under
lease system other coal deposits would
unable to compete with these corporation
belonging to the government should ais
be allowed to pass into private ownership
presumably into the hands Of the same {
other large corporations. II is also elaine
that reservation OF the fuel supplies sti
belonging TO the government would rails
argument in favor OF this contention II
claimed that the reservation of the naturs
forests is raising the price of lumber I
the best and most accessible bodies OF tin
Der In the west passed into private hold
, lnRS before Nne IoItel reserves were elLai
lished: that while the price OF timber ha
!, advanced in the west. IL has advanced ST
, more IN the east, where there are no forei
, reserves; that supplies Of timber are toda
, being shipped from the west to the maj
, kets OF the Mississippi valley, and even
foreign countries; and that the probabilit
OF obtaining future supplies Of both timbs
4 and mineral fuel in the west at reasonab
a prices will be much greater with a larf
. portion OF both the forests and the fue
] under the control OF the government ths
} II this control should pass TO private pa
ties To secure cheapness OF timber an
fuel for the moment at the cost Of ruin
, our own children would surely be a So
4 eidal policy.
4 Advantages OF system.
, II may be fairly claimed among the al
| vantages OF the leasing system that: q
1t will facilitate the working, under favol
| able conditions, Of coal deposits for LOCI
: markets by miners without large capital, q
! I no land purchase money would be require
and the small royalty charges would
, paid out Of the earnings; % IL win facil
tate larger operations, as the leases coul
. be made sufficiently liberal in the matte
OF time, area and other conditions, 70 II
RAIlW TIME CARD-coNTINUEI