The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-12-24
CAR FIELD POINTS
OUT PRESIDENT
TAFT'S DUTY
Former Secretary of Interior Says
Strict Government Regulation Is
Necessary II Natural Resources
Are To Be Conserved.
Danger Is That the Public Interest
in the Great Problem May
Be Forgotten.
az JAMES r. GARFIELD.

CLEVELAND, o.. Dec. 24.-ln 1906
Secretary Ethan Allen Hitchcock OF
the interior withdrew about 10000, 900
acres of coal land from general entry,
for the purpose OF examination and In
order to prevent further illegal or
fraudulent acquisition. When | be-
came secretary OF the interior | con-
tinued these Withdrawals and direct
ed that the coal lands in the western
states be classified and valued in &C
cordanCe with their market value.
During my administration about 3d.
100000 acres were classified and re-
valued.
President Roosevelt urged upon
congress the need of a change In the
coal land laws. He recommended that
the coal be separated from the sur
face, the latter disposed OF for the
most available use-agriculture. graz
ing or timber--and the coal disposed
OF al fair price by sale or lease, In
accordance with the public needs, but
under such regulations as would pre-
vent monopoly. | advocated such leg
islation before the house committee on
public lands. and made report on a
bill providing for II.
Congress. however, passed a law
merely authorizing the separation or
surface and coal in certain pending
bona fde homestead entries. step
In the right direction, but far from
what Is needed
Suspicious About Claims.
MY order for valuation and classifi-
cation could not apply TO the coal
- A hx Ia hpi W. q
was fixed at $40 per acre. but | con-
tinued Secretary Hitchcock's order, as
I believed that most of the attempted
locations or entries in Alaska (includ-
ing the Cunningham claims) were
fraudulent or illegal.
The Alaska coal fields are OF pecu-
liar interest. They were conferred In
two great Alaska fields, comparatively
small in area, but enormously valu-
able ! found that some great inter
ests were trying To acquire control or
the Alaska fields. and some bills were
pending in congress which. II passed.
would have validated many fraudulent
entries.
opposed. by report and oral hear
Ing, the bills that proposed to vail
date fraudulent or illegal entries, and
pointed out the danger Of those fields
passing under monopolistic control
and urged that the proposed law apply
ONLY to bona fide entries or claims.
illegal and fraudulent acquisition
of coal lands was stopped. the greater
cart of the main land coal was classl-
fed. much coal land illegally acquired
was recovered. the dangers or waste
and monopolies were exposed, and
definite suggestions were made for a
system ot lease or conditional sale.
Bio Interests Active.
The enormous increase in the use
of water for power, irrigation and do
nestle consumption has. induced great
activity on the part Of big interests to
acquire as many available reservoir
and power sites as possible.
There was imminent danger that
such sites left on the public domain
would be filed upon and obtained I'M
der conditions that would In no wise
protect the public. but would make
monopoly possible in the near future.
President Roosevelt brought the
question OF control of power developed
on navigable streams directly to the
attention of congress and stated the
policy he believed necessary to pro-
tect the public interests. The essenS
tial features of that policy were that
power sites should be granted only
under conditions that would limit
grants 10 a definite period and yield
fair compensation TO the government.
The work under the reclamation
law is directly connected with power
development. Wherever reservoirs
and dams are needed for irrigation
projects there may be opportunity for
power. Hence both objects may be
often combined with advantage TO the
public.
The irrigation work done by the
federal government during the past
eight years is practical conservation
of the highest order. The intensive
cultivation required upon irrigated
land results in an enormous increase
OF the yield per acre.
The policy of President Roosevelt in
dealing with water included all its