The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-29
TAFT AGAIN
 BEARS OLIVE Praises Both Ballinger
 And Pinchot. DISCUSSES RECLAMATION ACT Wants Congress To Issue $I0,o00,- E GOO In Bonds. Promises westerners That He wsn Continue Great Projects Begun
 by MT. Roosevelt ia
 Aria Regions.

 ident Taft declared that he would ask Congress to authorize the Issuance of t10.000,o 900 in bonds to complete irri- gation projects already begun tn the West, and on which work had been stopped for lack of funds.
 The President declared that many newspapers had drawn unfair infer. ences as 10 the attitude of his admin istrativn On the general conservation of natural resources.
 'The truth is," he said. 'iny admin istr6 ton is pledged 10 follow o.t the policies of MT. Roosevelt in this re- gard and while that pledge does not involve me in any obligation to carry them ou: unless have Congressional authority to do so. 1t does require that take every step to exert every legit- innate influence upon Congress to en- act the legislation which shall best subserve the purpose indicated.
 The President declared that Secre- tary of the Interior Ballinger Is in accord with him on the necessity TOT promoting the conservation of natural resources.
 He also praised Chief Forester Gif- ford Pinchot and referred to his won derfuI work for the conservation or the forests. supp ,ted by Mir. Roose- velt."
 President Taft declared as to water power sites that Congress must author izo the Government to aliot these sites to private interests for development the Governmen. retaining general con. trol and supervision. He declared also that he would urge upon Congress the necessity of an authoritative classi- fication of public lands to prevent dif- faculties of the past, such as the set ting aside of coal and mineral lands as agricultural lands, and vice versa. Dictates Speech on Train. The President sat up Tn his train until after midnight dietating this speech. He consulted freely with Sec retary Bailinger.
 sThe subject of the conservation of our natural resources has been given very wide scope, don't propose to cover the whole BfouMa today. z shall confine my attention to those parts of the policy. which are certainly within the Jurisdiction of the National Government and especially concern the country west of the Missouri River. T refer. first, to the preservation of the national forests. second. to the rec clamation of the arid and semi-arid lands by irrigation: third, to the dis position of water power sites upon lands. with proper restrictions upon the use, both in respect to the compen- sation, its extent in point of eme and the adjustment of rates to be charged to the public by the beneficiary of the grant: fourth. to the disposition of coal oil and phosphate lands owned by the Government with such restric- tions as will permit their develop ment for private profit, and yet will owsA l. sale of the product.
 "The national forests, as reserved by executive order. contain about I67,- 100000 acres in the United States proper. All of this land Is now un- der the direct control of the Forestry Bureau. and Is being preserved from fire and from other destruction, and is being treated in accordance with the best modern methods of treating forests under the supervision of Mir. Pinchot. the Chief Forester.
 .. Forest Destruction Great.
 Tt appears that the Government timber land is only about one- fourth the timber land owned by private in- dividuals. and is properly looked after, according to modern methods of for estry. The destruction by fire of for ests is estimated to be y5O,OO0.OO0 a year.
 Tt would seem. therefore, impera- tive that the States should exercise their Jurisdiction over these forests to which I have referred and which are held by private individuals. and requre some system of fire protection and the adoption of the best methods of forestry.
 "It would seem that the States have right to do this because of the gem eral interest which the public has in the preservation of the forests.
 T do not stop to discuss at length the 1re forestry question. The wonderful earnest support of MT. Roosevelt and Secretary Wilson. at times has met the denunciation of persons in this Wes- erty was being taken which Congress intended for individuals and was be- ing withheld from them.
 But think general opposition to MT. Pinchots plans has disappeared and that the great body of the AmerI- can people recognizes the benefit of the reform In reference to forestry, and greatly regret that 1t was not begun years before. Congress has come full ly to recognize the necessity of pur- suing forestry reform by making lIb- eral appropriations for the purpose The forest lands of the United States ought to be surveyed and carefully pre- served, and its jurisdiction in respect to them clearly defined.
 States Should Act.
 'srhe regulation of forests in private ownership within State boundaries is not plainly within the scope of Feder- al jurisdiction and it should be under taken by the states. I don't think that the states have improved the oppor- tunity which was given them by way of example by the Forestry bureau Of the United States.
 ''The question whether the Federal government, with the purpose of equal. izing the flow of water in navigable streams and to promote navigation during the entire year. may enter upon @ plan of regulating existing forces and reforesting certain denuded territory in the states. I need not now discuss. The subject would involve wider discuss sion than I have time to give it.
 ''The plan of the government to re- claim the arid and semi-arid lands, manifested in the reclamation act. has been carried out most rapidly by the bureau charged with it's execution"
 Here the president described hls ex- perience in opening the Gunnison irri- gatIon tunnel last week. and contin- ued.
 ["There are some thirty projects