The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-12-02
BAI..L.|NGER TELLS
OF YEARS WORK
report Of the Secretary Of the In
terror Received.
PROBLEM OF PUBLIC LANDS
Development Through Private Enter.
prise Under National Supervision
and Control Desired-Reclama-
ton Service Discussed.

Washington Nov. @ The annual re-
port TO the president OF Richard A,
Ballinger, secretary of the interior,
was made public today. and makes
interesting reading The report GOV.
ers a portion of the time under the ad.
minIstraton OF James r. Garfield. and
Mr.. Ballinger gives him credit for his
earnest and efficient services.
Secretary Ballinger comments on
the old public land statutes. and con
tinues:
The liberal and rapid disposition Of
the public lands under these statutes
and the lax methods of administration
which for long time prevailed nat
! urally provoked the feeling that the
public domain was legitimate prey for
the INSCRIPTIONS and that 1t was no
crime TO violate or circumvent the
and laws. II is TO be regretted that
We, as a nation, were so tardy to real.
ize the importance of preventing so
large q measure Of our natural re-
sources passing into the hands OF land
pirates and spectators. with no view
70 development looking to the national
welfare
Must Continue Prosecutions.
IT may be safely said that millions
! OF acres Of timber and other lands
have been unlawfuIly obtained, and 1t
| is also true that actions to recover
| such lands have in most instances Ions
since been barred by the statute Of
| limitations. The principal awakening
| 10 our wastciul course came under
| yCur predecessor administration, The
bold and vigorous prosecutions OF land
| rauds through Secretaries Hitchcock
| and Garfield. have restored Il salutary
| respect for the law, and the public
mind has rapidly graspcd the impur
| lance OF safeguarding the further dis.
! position of our natural resources In
the public lands in the interest Of the
public good AZ against private greed
notwithstanding this. 1t is necessary
! 10 continue with utmost yigor, through
! all available sources. the securing Of
information Of violations Of the public
land laws and TO follow such viola
lions with rigid prosecutions.
Use Private Enterprise.
"On this present policy Of conscrv.
! ing the natural resources Of the pub
! lie domain while development is the
| .cynOto, the best thought Of the day
not that development shall be by ma
tinnaI agencies, but that wise utiliza
ton shall be secured through private
| enterprise under national supervision
and control Therefore II material
progress is to be made in securing tho
| best us" Of our remaining public
lands congress must be called upon
to enact remedial legislation"
Mr. RallInger then gives In detail
| his recommendations for tho classif.
| cation OF public lands, and the fen.
lures OF measure which he advises
FOR the direction Of the disposal OF wa
terpower sites.
This Reclamation Service.
Concerning the reclamation service
the report says in part:
In Ticw OF the importance Of n
speedy completion of existing projects
and their proper extension. and OF the
necessity in 1912 Of an adjustment be.
tween the states by which the major
portion Of the funds arising from the
sale OF public lands within each state
and territory shall have been eX.
pended so far as practicable within
such state or territory. and In view
Of the importance OF making Il beno.
fetal use OF waters already ap.
propriated or capable Of appropria.
ton to which rights may be lost
for nonuse, | believe an urgent ap.
peal should be made to congress to
authorize the issuance of certificates
Of Indebtedness. or of bonds against
the reclamation fund. to an aggregate
Of not exceeding 100000 900, or 40
much thereof as may be needed"
Energetic reorganization of the In.
dian bureau is In progress. says Mr..
Ballinger, and he recommends that
the Indian warehouses at New York.
Chicago, Omaha, St louis and San
Francisco be closed as soon as pos
slble more advanced poicy re.
specting the maintenance, improve
ment and operation of the yellow.
stone and Yosemite national parks Is
urged on the government.