The San Francisco call., 1909-09-29
Taft Says Administration Policy Is
To Follow Roosevelt, but
Keep Within Law
IFCJSI ALTON NEEDED TO STOP
MONOPOLY OF MINERAL LANDS

since entering llS Ilutl D6ll VI NelO-
.Iado. Today. by direction of the presi-
dent q large quantity of the fruit was
distributed TO the three local hospitals.
Ballinger received a telegram from
the American mining congress IN ses-
sion at Goldfeld New, today, asking
him TO urge upon congress the estab-
rshment in the interior department of
& national bureau of mines of equal
standing with the geological survey,
and which would include in its work
inquiries and Investigations leading to
greater safety and efficiency in mining.
BkLLINGER TO AID MINERS
Ra1inger replied that he would ear
nestly urge such action in his coming
report 10 the president. and hoped con-
7sress would favor this view of the
matter.
Governor NJ. z. Hay. in introducing
The president today, said:
.. I'VE like Taft because Roosevelt
liked him.
=: When the president responded he
said
Your governor said you trusted
Roosevelt. and that because Roosevelt
trusted me you trust me. Now, 1 am
. glad 10 accept this method of winning
your approval
.As to Secretary Ballinger, I want
TO thank the state OF Washington for
giving me such a competent official
an glad that | have come out among
those who know him to testify as TO
his efficiency and integrity
PRESIDENT TAT'T's SPEECH
:. Tafrs speech was as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen of Spokane
Fellow Citizens of Washington am
going to take up today the subject OF
The conservation. of our natural
sources. This has been given very
wide scope. | don't propose to cover
The whole ground today. | shall con-
line my attention TO those parts OF the
policy which are certainly within the
jurisdiction of the national government
and which especially concern the coun-
Try west of the Missouri river.
- ] refer. first. to the preservation of
the national forests; second. TO the re-
clamation of the arid and semiarid
lands by irrigation; third to the dis
: position of water power sites upon pub
. iic lands with proper restrictions upon
1.-The Use, also in respect to the COM
pensation, its extent in point of time
charged TO the public by the beneficiary
Of the grant: fourth. to the disposition
OF coal. OIL and phosphate lands owned
by the government with such restrict
tions as viii permit their. Development
for private profit. and yetAFill prevent
monopoly. and extortiou IN sthe sale of
the product.
NATIONAL F'OREsTER's WORK
The national forests as reserved by
executfh-e order contain about le7 0OO-
600 acres of land in the United States
proper. All of this land is now under
the direct control of the forestry bu
reau and Is being preserved from fire.
and from other destruction. and is be-
ing treated. in accordance with the best
modern methods of treating forests un-
= der the supervision of Clifford Pinchot.
1.-The chief forester and the head of the
bureau Of forestry in the department of
agriculture
= beP land is only about a quarter of the
timber land owned by private individ
ais, and that only 3 per cent of timber
land owned by private individuals is
properly looked after. according to the
modern methods of forestry.
The destruction by fire of forests is
estimated to be s50.000.000 a year. It
would seem. therefore, imperative that
the states should exercise their jurisdic-
tion over these forests to which l have
referred and which are held by private
individuals. and require some system of
IRE protection and the adoption of the
best methods of forestry 1t would
seem that the states have a right to do
This because Of the general interest
which the public has in the preserva-
tiOn OF the forests and in its eoualizing
OF the water supply, and in its effect
the water supply, of course, prevents
erosion OF the soil and the wastefuI
destruction of the best part of the soil
which is carried down the rivers with
the foods
APPROVAL FOR PINCHOT
I do not stop to discuss at length the
foresty question The wonderful pro-
gress made by Mr.. Pinchot with the
earnest support of Mr.. Roosevelt and
Secretary Wilson, at times has met
western country on the ground that
the property was being taken which
congress intended for individuals and
was being held from them. But think
sgf ono i 70 49,
plans has disappeared and that the
great body of American people recog-
nize' the benefit OF the reform in refer
ence to forestry, and greatly regret
Congress has come fully to recognize
the necessity for pursuing forestry re-
form by making liberal appropriations
for the purpose. The forest lands of
and carefully preserved, and its juris-
diction in respect 10 them clearly de-
fined.
REGULATION BY STATES
The regulation of forests in private
ownership within state boundaries is
not plainly within the scope of federal
jurisdiction and it should be under
taken by the state. ] do not think that
the states have taken up the matter
with as much energy as they ought
and have not improved the opportunity
which was given them by way of ex-
diIptt DA lHt loTtSlIN bureau Oh tue
United States
The question whether the federal
government, with the purpose of equal
izing the flow of water in navigable
streams. and. to promote navigation
during the entire year. may enter upon
a plan of regulating existing forests
and reforesting certain denuded ter
Tit0ry in the states, ! need not now
discuss. The subject would involve a
wider discussion than I have time to
give IL.
The plan of the government to re-
claim the arid and semiarid lands
manifested in the reclamation act has
been carried out most rapidly by the
bureau charged with its execution.
had the honor the othereday in Colo
rado of opening the most ambitious
Of these projects. at least the most diff
fcult of them-the Gunnison tunnel
which is to bring water into q valley
in Colorado known as the Uncom-
paghre valley. with some 10000 acres,
and to put il in a condition to grow
fruit and cereals
RECLAMATIoN PROJECTS
There are some 80 projects which
have been entered upon by the RECLAIM
alton bureau. and l believe that all of
them are TO be recommended for their
excellent adaptation to the purpose for
which they were erected. and for the
speed with which the work has been
done.
II is said. however, that in the plan
ming of number of these improve
,,,opse the enthusiasm of the projectors