The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-02-16
COAL land MESSAGE
PRESIDENT COMMUNICATES his
views 70 CONGRESS.
Advocates Conservation Of Coal
and Other Resources on Lands
Still Belonging to the Govern
ment--Would Lease Instead of
Sell Coal Lands.

L
ment--Would Lease Instead of
Sell Coal Lands.
Washington, Feb. 14.-President
Roosevelt yesterday sent to congress
a long message calling attention to
what he calls the urgent need Of leg
islation affecting the different phases
of the public land situation in the
United States"
He advocates the conservation OF coal
and other fuel resources on lands still
belonging to the government, saying
that henceforth the nation should re-
tain its title to its fuel resources;
urges government control of the West
err public land pastures, with sys-
tenn of small grazing fees, ETC., and
asks for an appropriation of half a
million dollars Immediately available,
in addition to present estimates, to aid
in detecting and preventing frauds.
He contends for system of govern
ment leasing of its mineral lands and
for treating these fuel lands as public
utilities.
Cites Land Frauds
The president points out that it
would have been better if some East
ern coal lands had been left under
government control, and suggests pro-
visions in the West against the re-
currence of the conditions we deplore
in the East
Citing 2, 800 cases of public land en-
tries in four districts mentioned, the
president says noncompliance with
the lawn as found in over half of
them, and deliberate fraud in very
many cases.
The president first refers to his pre-
vious message to congress on the sub
ject and again calls attention to the
Importance Of such legislation as
would provide for title and develop
ment of the surface land as separate
and distinct from the right to the
underlying mineral fuels in those re.
gions where these may occur, and the
disposal of those mineral fuels under
a lease system on conditions which
would inure to the benefit of the pub.
lie as whole. He says he cares little
for the details, and that the prime
need is that the system should be es.
tablished.
| Continuing, the message says in
part:
In Other Countries
''Such leasing system as that pro.
posed represents by no means an I'M.
tried policy. In the Australian sys-
tenn during the last fifteen years coal
has been mined under a system Of
government leases and on conditions
Iso favorable for development that
their coal and coke are today being
Isold on the Pacific coast Of both the
American continents.
''In all the great coal producing
icountries excepting this coal is being
mined under leases. In Great Britain
leases are granted almost entirely by
the private land owners, out there, as
in other countries, the surface culture
and the mining occupations are con-
lducted independent of each other.
elm Nova Scotia, British Columbia,
India and other British colonies gov.
eminent leasing system has been adopt.
ed and is working satisfactorily.
| A. Public Utilities
''Mienral fuels, like the forests and
inavigble streams, should be treated
as public utilities. This is generally
recognized abroad. In some foreign
countries practical control of 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
may be safezuarded for the common
good instead of being disposed of for
the benefit of few-though the mis-
take Of the preceding generation in
disposing of these fuels for q nominal
return cannot always be corrected by
the present generation, as the cost
may be so enormous as to be pr0hibi.
ltory.
Elm our own Western states and ter.
ritories the scarcity of both water and
forests has rendered necessary their
preservation as public utilities, and
the preservation of the forests for the
purposes of conserving both the
waters and the timber supply has
come to be recognized as the wise and
\ proper policy Of the federal govern
ment. The quantity of high grade
mineral fuel in . the West is relatively
much smaller than that Of the forests,
and the proper conservation of these
fuels is matter of far reaching inn
portanoe. This government should
not repeat the mistakes Of the past.
Develop Nations Industries
'Iet Us not do what the next gen.
eration cannot undo. We have right
to the proper use of both the forests
and the fuel during our life time, but
we should not dispose Of the birthrigbt
of our children. II the government
sells it's remaining fuel lands they pass
out OF its future control. II It leases
them we retain control and q future