The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1909-12-04


by congress will remove many of the
point of difference that today exist
between the interior department and
forest service, and will also guaran-
tee the practical development of the
remainder of the public domain.
But of all the recommendations made
by the secretary, none is more i'm
portant to the west than his urgent
plea for $30,000,000 bond issue to
facilitate the construction of irriga-
ton works. The recommendation is
in strict accord with the appeals so
often made by Senator Borah, and,
as heretofore stated in the dispatch
es, both Secretary Ballinger and SEN
atcr Borah now feel hopeful that
this bond issue will be authorized.
There is one other suggestion made
by Senator Borah that has been in
corporated in the secretary's report,
namely that congress make special
appropriation for surveying railroad
lands within forest reserves SO that
these areas may be forced to bear
their just share of taxation. The
secretary finds that this railroad
land, now exempt from taxation, be-
cause unsurveyed, would pay an an
nual tax of approximately $30O, 900 if
surveyed. He strongly urges an ap-
preparation for this purpose.
The report is one of the strongest
ever put forth by a secretary Of the
interior, and while straightforward,
plain and convincing, is absolutely
devoid Of sensational features. There
is no reference whatever to recent
sensations; no slurs cast upon any
branch Of the service; nothing upon
which to base startling yarns Of
quarrels in the official family. The
report is entirely dignifed in its
terms and has been aapproved ~
President Taft.
The following extracts are taken
from the more important parts of the
report:
PUBLIC LAND,
The proper use and disposition of
he public lands have been ques-
toned involving no little legislative
as well as administrative difficulty
from the beginning of their history
They were, during the earliest adj
ministrations, treated as a national
asset for TIE liquioation of the public
debt and as a source of reward for
our soldiers and sailors. Not until
the discovery of gold on the Pacific
slope did the policy change for one
of exploitation, by which our citi-
zens were encouraged to develop the
mineral and agricultural resources Z.
the public domain on condition Of re-
ceiving limited areas at a nomir
cost. For similar reasons, railway
and wagon road grants were liber.
ally donated by congress in order to
add facilities for the opening up Of
these almost inaccessible regions.
"The liberal and rapid disposition
were limited to non-mineral lands, ex.
cept such as contained coal and iron,
which latter minerals were taken to
be essential for railway construction
and operation. New states were,
when admitted, literally endowed
with public lands for school and other
purposes; so that out of a public
domain in 1860 of 1,055,911, 1888
acres ALASKA then not belonging to
the United States,) we now have
only about 731,S54,081 acres, confined
largely to the mountain ranges and
the arid and semi-arid plains, ex-
cept lands within some of the Indian
reservations and the 36s,035, 975
acres of undisposed land in Alaska.
"All of the principal land statutes
were enacted over. rs years ago; the
homestead act, the presumption and
the timber culture act, the coal land,
and the mining act, for the aid of
the Industrious prospector, were
among the earlier acts of this ma
ture.
"The lib alerand rapid disposition
of the public lands under these stat
utes and the lax method of admins
tration which for a long time pre-
vailed naturally provoked the feeling
tkat the public domain was legitimate
prey for the INSCRIPTIONS and that
it was no crime to violate or circum-
vent the land laws. 1t is to be re.
GREETED that we, as a nation, were so
tardy to realize the Importance of
preventing so large a measure of our
natural resources passing into the
hands Of land pirates and specula-
tors, with no view to development
looking to the national welfare. Il
may be safely said that millions OF