The Lamar register., 1907-02-20
new LAND LAWS
PRESIDENT URGES RADICAL LEG
lSLATlON.
NATION TO RETAIN THE TITLE
Special Message Advocates Leasing
system Both for Coal Lands and
Grazing lands-Wants Appropria-
tion to Detect and Prevent Frauds.

| "SuSSudy sent to congress long
message calling attention to what lie
terms the urgent need of legislation
Affecting the different phases of the
public land situation in the United
| States"
He advocates the conservatism OF
coal and other fuel resources On lands
sui belonging to the government.
say ing that henccfnrth the nation
should retain It's tile 10 its fuel TO-
sources; urges soreiGa;cnt ccntrol o.
the western public ras;Y-es with a
system of small grazing fees. ETC.. and
asks for an appropriation of half mil
lion dollars, Immediately available, in
addition to present estimates. to aid
IN detecting and preventing land
frauds.
| He contends for system of govern
ment leasing of its mineral lands and
for treating these fue; lands Gs public
utilities.
The President points out that :.
would have been better !: some EASTERN
coal lands had been left under govern
ment control. and suggests provIsion
In the West against recurrence of the
conditions we deplore in the East"
Citing 1890 cases of public land en-
tries in four districts mentioned, the
PRESIDENT says no compliance With tho
law was found in over half OF them and
deliberate fraud In many cases.
me President first refers to his pre-
vious message to Congress on the sub
| jcct and again calls attention 20 the
Importance of such legislation as
would provide for title to and Develop
ment of the surface land as separate
ana distinct from the right to the uu.
DERIVING mineral fuels IN regiona
where these may occur. and the dis.
| posal of those mineral fuels urder n
| Leasing system on conditions which
would inure to the benefit CT the public
as whole. He says he cares little
Tor the details and that the prime need
Is that the system should be estab-
lished- The message in part says:
Such leasing system ne that pro
posed represents by no meals IN I'M
tried policy. In the Australian cOun-
tries during the last fifteen years Goa:
has been mined under u system OF gov
| crnment leases and OIL conditions so
| favorable for development that their
coal and coke are today being sold or
the Pacific coast of both the American
continents. In all the great coal-pro-
ducing European countries except
Great Britain coal is being mined I'M
der government leases.
IN Great Britain leases are granted
almost entirely by the private land
owners. but there. ms in other coun-
| 10 rfo nd vvntv,
ing operations are conducted indie
pendently of each other. In Nova SEQ
tia. British Columbia. India and other
British colonies government leasing
system has been adopted and is work.
ing satisfactorily.
Mineral fuels, like the forests and
navigable streams. should be treated
as public utilities. This is generally
| recognized abroad. In some foreign
| countries practical control of a large
portion of the fuel resources was al.
lowed years ago to pass into private
hands. but the existing governments
are endeavoring to regain this control
in order that diminishing fuel supply
NAV be safeguarded for the common
good. instead Of being disposed Of for
\ the benefit of the few-though the mis-
take of the preceding generation In
d.sposing Of these fuels for a nominal
return cannot always be corrected by
the present generation. as the cost
may be SO enormous as to be prohib-
itory.
I'm our own western states and ter.
ritories the scarcity OF both wafer and
forests has rendered necessary their
preservation as public utilities and the
preservation of the forests for the pur-
pose of conserving both the waters
and the timber supply has come to be
recognized as the wise and proper
policy Of the federal government.
1.-THE quantity of high grade mineral
fuels in the West is relatively much
smaller than that OF the forests and
the PROPER conservation of these fuels
is a matter of far-reaching importance.
"This government should not now
repeat the mistakes Of the past. Let
us not do what the next generation
cannot undo.
I'VE have a right to the proper use
of both the forest and the fuel during
our lifetime, but we should not dispose
of the birthright of our children. II
this government sells its remaining
fuel lands. they pass out of its future
control, and a future congress will be
at liberty to decide whether 1t will con-
tinue or change this policy.
Let me also again urge that legisla-
tion be passed to provide for govern.
ment control of the public pasture
lands of the West on the same general
principles which now apply in the gov
eminent control of the forest reserves.
The local control of the range should
be in the hands of Western men ia
miliar with stock raising. and there
should be full local participation in the
management of the range. There is
no need that the government should
ret n revenue from grazing on the pub
lie range. but only enough to pay for
administration and improvement and
1t may be wise to provide that any
surplus shall go to the states and ter
ritories in which the fees are collected
Il am exceedingly anxious to protect
the interests OF bona fide settlers and
TO prevent hardships being inflicted
upon them. But surely we are work
ing in their interests when we try to
prevent the land which should be re.
served for them and those like them
from being taken possession of for
speculative purposes or obtained in
any fraudulent fashion"