Arizona republican., 1909-11-29
Set Forth In Annual Report
 Of Secretary Ba|fRger SAVING OF PUBLIC LANDS
And Resources Receives Special Attention - Rec concentrations Made Con corning Work of Recla- nation

Washington. Nov. 23-The annual report of the secretary of the interior to the president was made public tonight The report covers a part of the administration of MT. Garfield who, Mir, Ballinger says greatly con- tributed to the advancement of the department in organization and eff cieney of administration Throughout the work of MT. Garfield is highly praised.
 Mir. Ballinger believes that the re- forms which have been undertaken in the interest of efficiency should go further in the removal of dead or decayed timber from the depart ment. Speaking of the efforts which have been made from time to time. to retire members of the clerical or lab bring forces who have become in- capacitated bS age. the report says:
 An involuntary retirement and sus- tenance statute. by which all persons after arriving at a prescribed age or for other reasons. should be re- quired to stand an examination before competent board as to physical and mental ability. with a fund created by national appropriation-in the first instance. and maintained by some equitable system of contribution from salaries-would seem to me to be advisable"
 More space is devoted to the sub ject of public lands than to any other one feature of the report. There is a description of the growth of the liberal and lax methods of dealing with the. public domain which for some years it has been the special effort of the national administration to correct. Says the report:
 The principal awakening to our wasteful course came under your pre- decessor's administration. The bold and vigorous prosecutions of land frauds, through Secretaries Hitch cock and Garfield. have restored a sautary respect for the law. and the public mind has rapidly erasped the importance of safeguarding the further disposition of our natural resources in public lands in the interest of the public good as against private greed. Notwithstanding this. it is necessary to continue with utmost vigor. through all available sources. the se- curing of information of violations of the public land laws and 10 fol- low such violations with rigid prose cutionS"
 Mr Balinger believes that there should be a reclassification of the public lands, or rather, a subdivis- ion of the present classifications of agricultural. mineral. desert, timber and coal lands. Specific legislative authority should be given the de- partment to classify and segregste the public lands into well defined divis- ions according to their apparent use with the continuing power of reclas- sfication to meet changing condi- tiOns and the increased knowledge of their character. The present sys=- tenn. says the report. leaves to the self-interest of applicants the option to claim a particular tract of land as more valuable for mineral, agricul- ture. timber. phosphate. oil or gas. or for power sites, to invite confusion. fraud and contention, and this has been the source of a major portion of the difficulties of the interior de- partment in administering the public domain.
 As to the proper disposition of coal lands, the report continues:
 
 As regards new legislation. the present coal land laws respecting the states and territories. as well as Alas ka, should be supplanted by an act fully meeting existing as well as fu- ture conditions. The Inducements for much of the crime and fraud, both constructive and actual. committed under the present system can he pre- vented by separating the right to mine from the title to the soil. The surface would thereby be open to en- try under other laws according to it's character and subject to the right to extract .he coal. The object to be attained in any such legislation is to conserve the coal deposits as public utility and to prevent monop- oly or extortion in their disposition This may be accomplished either through a leasing system. by which the title would remain in the govern- ment. under proper regulation and supervision by the secretary of the interior or through the sale of the deposits and in either case with re- strictions on their mining and use winch would control the minimum out put and conserve the deposits as public utility. <f believe the most advantageous method will be found ir,. a measure authorizing the lease [, sale of the coal deposits in the lands. subject to forfeiture for fail he r-fO ad