The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-12-29

In 1906 Secretary Ethan Allen
Hitchcock If the interior, withdrew
about 100000 acres of coal land
from general entry, for the purpose
Of examination and in order to pre-
vent further illegal or fraudulent &C.
QUESTION. When l became secretary
of the interior l continued these with
drawals, and directed that the coal
lands in the western states be CLASH
fed and v~lued in accordance with
their market value. During my ad-
minstration about 30,000,000 acres
we're classified and revalued," said Jos.
R. Garfield in an interview just pub
lished.
Pre- sident Roosevelt urged upon
:or gress the need of a change in the
.rai land laws. He recommended
hat the coal be separated from the
urface, 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 an
cordance with the public needs, but
under such regulations as would pre-
vent monopoly. l advocated such leg
islation before the house committee
on public lands, and made report on
a bill providing for it.
Now Not Through.
Congress, however, passed law
merely authorizing the separation OF
surface and coal in certain pending
bona fid, HON st ad entries, a step in
the right direction. but far from what
| is needed.
My order for valuation and classif-
cation could not apply to the coast
lands of Alaska, as by law their value
tinued Secretary Hitchcocks order. as
| belieced that most of the attempted
locations or entries in Alaska Gnclud-
ing the Cunningham claims) were
fraudulent or illegal.
The Alaska coal fields are of pc
culiar interest. They are centered in
two great Llaska fields, comparatively
small in area, but enormously valua-
BILE | found that some great inter-
ests were trying to acquire control OF
the Alaska fields, and some bills wer,
pending in congress which, if passed
would have validated many fraudulent
entries.
I opposed by report and oral hear
ing the bills that proposed to validate
fraudulent or illegal entries, and point
ed out the danger of those fields pass
ing under monopolistic control and
urged that the proposed law apply
only - bona fide entries Or claims.
Public Domain i'm Danger.
There was imminent danger that
such sites left on the pubic 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 develop
ed on navigable streams directly tc
| the attention of congress and started
| the policy he believed necessary to
protect the public interests. The es-
sential features of that policy were
that power sites should be granted
only under conditions that would linn
! it grants to a definite period and yield
| fair compensation to the government
| No more intolerable monopoly car
be imagined than that which would
control the water supply of any grea
section of our country.
| This policy does not mean govern
ment operation. The proposition /!
not to operate the water powers, bu
to permit their development and oper
alton by private interests under regu
| lationS of the character | have abov,
! efcrred to. Thus the public interests
are safe-guarded and the private in
terest is given what 1t is entitled t.
no more, no less
! Tho next step in the policy of con
servation is legislative action to sup
element what the executive has don,
and to provide the means for further
safeguarding the public interest
wherever necessary.
| The danger of the conservation
movement now is inaction. The publ,
| welfare demands action. No condi
private interest as inaction on the par
of the public authorities. The con
slant striving by private interest 70
its own profit, for larger share o
control of natural resources, can onl,
be kept within proper bounds b,
"easeless vigilance and activity on tn
part of the peoples representatives.
| Fight is Now On.
| The fight for conservation is now il
the halls of congress. 1t now rest
with our representatives in senate ant
house to do their share in fulfilling
the pledge given our people that ou
vital natural resources shall be con
served
1t is not an easy task to Obtain