Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-02-13
President ASKS
FOR LEASE Law
ADVOCATES CONSERVATION or
COAL AND OTHER FUEL re.
SOURCES.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE
Urges Government Control OF West.
ern Public Land Pastures With
System of Small Grazing Fees.

Washington. Feb. Ia President
Roosevelt today sent TO congress u
message calling attention to What
be terms the urgent need of iegls
lation affecting the different phases
Of the public land situation In th"
United States He advocates the
conservation Of coal and other fucl
resources o. the government lands.
urges government control of he
western public land pastures with a
system Ut small grazing fees. and
asks for an appropriation of a half
million dollars 10 aid In the detec.
ton and the preventing Of land
frauds. He contends for a system
Of government leasing Of its miner
al lands for treating these fuel lands
as public utilities. The president
points out that It would be better II
some Of the eastern coal lands had
been left under government control
and suggests a provision i'm the west
against the recurrence OF condi.
tions which We Aeplore In the east"
Citing 1900 cases OF public land en-.
tries In the four districts mention.
ed. the president says that non.
compliance with the law was found
In over half and fraud In many 9th.
ers. The president asks for legisla,
tion which win provide for two dis.
ttnct titles 70 public lands: one for
the surface and another for underly.
ing minerals. These mineral lands,
the president would dispose Of BY
lease. Details OF the plan. he leaves
for congress to cork out. only ar.
guing for the adoption OF the plan.
Instances OF the successful leasing
of such lands by foreign govern
ments is cited by the president and
he argues at length for separate de.
velopment OF farming and mining on
American land. Foreign practices al.
so cited as a reason why mineral
fuels. like forests and navigaable
streams. should be treated as public
utilities. In this way only, can
rights of future generations be ade.
quately protected. The quantity of
high grade mineral fuel In the west
is relatively smaller than the for.
ests. and Its preservation should be
subject to wisest legislation. ruti.
mately these rich lands will pass out
of federal control and future gener
ations will be deprived Of their
birthrfght unless the leasing system
is adopted. Answering the charge
that the reservation OF the natural
forests raises the price OF lumber in
the west the president says:
1T should be remembered that the
best and most accessible bodies of
timber in the west, passed into pri
vate holdings before the forest re-
serves were established; that while
the price of timber has advanced In
the west, it has advanced still more
10 the east, where there are no for.
est reserves: that supplies of timber
ar" today ho'ns shinned from the
west to the markets of the Missis-
sippi valley and even foreign coun-
tries"
Advantages of Leasing System.
It may be claimed fairly among the
advantages of the leasing system,
that:
l. It will facilitate the working
of coal deposits for the local market,
by miners without large capital:
2. 1t will facilitate larger opera
tions;
3. 1t will prevent waste In the ex-
traction and handling of these fuels:
4. The system can be operated In
such a manner as to prevent the
evils Of monopolistic control;
S, 1t viii permit the government
to reserve from general use the fuel
supply suitable for. special industries
and
6. It will enable the government
to protect the public against unres
sonable and discriminating charges
for fuel supplies.
The president urges care in the
disposal of these mineral land inter-
ests, foreseeing when the so-called