The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-12-02
BALLINGER'S REPORT.


The controversy over the public
land question, in which Secretary of
the Interior r. A. Ballinger and Chief
Forester Clifford Pinchot have figured
lends additional interest to Secretary
Ballinger's annual report
In dealing with the public lands
question the Secretary says:
THE liberal and rapid disposition
of the public lands under these
statutes and the lax methods of adj
ministration which for a long time
prevailed naturally provoked the
feeling that the public domain was
legitimate prey for the INSCRIPTIONS
and that it was no crime to violate
or circumvent the land laws. 1t is
to be regretted that we, as Nation,
were so tardy to realize the import
ance Of preventing so large a mea-
sure of our natural resources pass
ing into the hands of land pirates and
spectators, with no view to devel-
opment looking to the national well
fare. 1t may be safely said that mil
lions of acres of timber and other
lands have been unlawfully obtained,
and it is also true that actions to re-
cover such lands have in most in
stances long snce been barred by
the statute of limitations. The princi-
pal awakening to our wasteful course
came under your predecessor ad-
ministration. The bold and vigorous
prosecutions of land frauds, through
Secretaries Hitchcock and Garfield,
have restored salutary respect for
the law, and the public mind has
rapidly grasped the importance of
safeguarding the further disposition
Of our natural resources in the pub
lie lands in the interest of the pub
lie good as against private greed. Not
withstanding this, it is necessary to
continue with utmost vigor, through
all available sources, the securing of
iceland laws and to follow such vio-
lations with rigid prosecutions.
This does not sound as though Mr..
Ballinger was lacking in sympathy
with the plans of the Taft administra-
ton to protect and conserve the pub
lie rights. 1t is certain that the
President never would consent to
keep in his Cabinet for day the kind
of man that certain papers and
magazines have pictured Secretary
Ballinger to be. Because public Of
fetal insists upon proceeding in le-
gal manner there should be no fling
ing of epithets, even though the pro-
cess may be a little longer than to
take short cut across lots.
In proposing constructive legisla-
ton the Secretary makes the follow
ing suggestion:
Specific legislative authority should
be given the department to classify
and segregate our public lands into
well-defned divisions according to
their greatest apparent use, with the
continuing power of Redistribution
to meet changing conditions and the
increased knowledge of their charac-
ter which may necessitate the trans
fer of lands from time to time from
the one class to the other. Full legal
effect should be given such classiti-
cation when made so as to prevent
entries, under laws applicable to one
class, of land belonging to another
class, except after application for and
review of the classification; in 9th
er words, if lands are classified as
coal lands, they should be enterable
only in coal lands, and in case it be
shown that they are improperly clas-
sitied as coal lands and are, in fact
agricultural, they should then be en-
terable only as agricultural lands
This, to my mind, is the only way the
Government can scientifically and eff
fectiyely proceed to conserve the nat
ural resources of the public domain
To leave to the self-interest OF appli'
cants the option to claim a particular
tract of land as more valuable fol
mineral, agricultural, timber, phos
phate, oil, or gas, or for power sites
is to invite confusion, fraud, and con
tcntion, and this has been the source
Of a major portion of the difficulties
of the Interior Department in admin
istering the public domain"
In dealing with power sites in thu
public domain the Secretary suggests
that the Government return the title
granting only an easement for the pur
pose of developing and TRANSMITTING
electrical power, and for the storage
OF water for power, irrigation, etc
He would make the maximum perio'
flo such grant 80 years, with the op
ton of renewal for stated periods up
on satisfactory terms.
If you haven't the time TO exercise
| oo,,lo,lv noan's ReeuletS. will pre-