Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-07
CONSERVATION OF
NATIONAL RESOURCES

In several departments there is pre-
sented the necessity for legislation
looking to the further conservation of
our national resources, and the subject
is one of such importance as to require
q more detailed and extended discussion
than can be entered upon in this COM
mun1cation. For that reason I shall
take an carly opportunity to send a
special message to Congress on the sub
Ject of the improvement OF our water
ways. upon the reclamation and irriga-
tion of arid, semi-arid, and swamp
lands; upon the preservation. of our
forests and the re-foresting of suitable
areas; upon the re-classification of the
public domain with view of separat-
ing from agricultural settlement, min
eral. coal and phosphate lands and
sites belonging to the government bor-
dering on streams suitable for the utll-
iZatlon of water power.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
I commend to your careful considera-
tion tho report of the secretary of ag-
riculture as showing the immense
sphere OF usefulness which that de-
partment now fills and the wonderful
addition to the wealth OF the nation
made by the farmer OF this country
in the crop Of the current year.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
AND LABOR.
The light house board now discharg-
cs it's duties under the department of
commerce and labor, For upward of
40 years this board has consisted of
military and naval officers and two or
three men of science. with such an abb
sence of a duly constituted executive
sl1-A T.
has been accomplished. In the period
of construction the energy and enthus-
iasm of all the members prevented the
inherent defects of the system from
interfering greatly with the beneficial
work of the board, but now that the
work Is chiefly confined to maintenance
and repair for which purpose tho coun-
try is divided into 16 districts. to which
arc assigned an engineer officer of the
army and an inspector of the navy,
each with a light house tender and the
needed plant for his work, 1t has be-
come apparent by the frequent friction
that arises. due to the absence of any
erntral independent authority, that
there must be complete reorganiza-
tion of the board. / concede the ad-
vantagcs of keeping in the system the
dignity of discipline that the presence
OF naval and military officers In charge
insure. but unless the presence of
such officers in the board can be made
consistent with a responsible executive
head that shall have proper authority,
/ recommend the transfer of control
over the light houses to a suitable civ
ilian bureau. This Is In accordance
with the Judgment OF competent per-
sons who arc familiar with the work.
ings of the present system. am conf
dent that a reorganization can be ef-
fccted which shall avoid the recurrence
OF friction between members instances
of which have been officially brought
to my attention and by such re-organi-
cation greater efficiency and substan-
tial reduction in the expense of opera
ton can bo brought about.
CONSOLIDATION OF BUREAUS.
I request Congress for authority to
enable the secretary of commerce and
labor to unite the bureaus bf manufac-
lures and statistics. This was recon-
mended by a competent committee ap-
pointed in tho previous administration
for the purpose OF suggesting changes