Willmar tribune., 1909-12-08
BALL|NGER TELLS
OF YEARS WORK
Report Of the Secretary of the In
terror Received.
PROBLEM OF PUBLIC LANDS
Development Through Private Enter
prise Under National Supervision
and Control Desired-Reclama.
ton Service Discussed.

Washington, Nov. a.. The annual re-
port to the president of Richard A.
Ballinger, secretary of the interior,
was made public to-day, and makes
interesting reading. The report COW
ers portion of the time under the ad
ministration of James r. Garfield, and
Mr.. Ballinger gives him credit FOR his
earnest and efficient services.
Secretary Ballinger comments on
the old public land statutes. and con-
tinues:
The liberal and rapid disposition of
the public lands under these statutes
and the lax methods of administration
which for long time prevailed nat
urally provoked the feeling that the
public domain was legitimate prey for
the unscrupulous and that it was no
crime to violate or circumvent the
land laws. It is to be regretted that
we, as a nation, were so tardy to real.
1ze the Importance of preventing so
large measure of our natural re-
sources passing into the hands of land
pirates and spectators, with no view
to development looking to the national
welfare.
Must Continue Prosecutions.
1T may be safely said that millions
of acres of timber and other lands
have been unlawfully obtained, and it
is also true that actions to recover
such lands have in most instances long
since been barred by the statute of
limitations. The principal awakening
to our wasteful course came under
your predecessors administration. 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 impor-
tance of safeguarding the further dis
position of our natural resources in.
the public lands in the interest of the
public good as against private greed.
Notwithstanding this, It is necessary
to continue with utmost vigor. through.
all available sources, the securing of
information of violations of the public
land laws and to follow such viola
tions with rigid prosecutions.
Use Private Enterprise.
"On this present policy of conserv--
ing the natural resources of the pub
lie domain, while development is the.
keynote, the best thought of the day
is not that development shall be by ma.
tional agencies, but that wise utiliza-
tion shall be secured through private.
enterprise under national supervision
and control. Therefore, if material
progress Is to be made in securing the
best use of our remaining public
lands, congress must be called upon
to enact remedial legislation"
Mr.. Ballinger then gives in detail
his recommendations for the classifi.
cation of public lands, and the fea-
lures of measure which he advises.
for the direction of the disposal of wa.
ter-power sites.
The Reclamation Service.
Concerning the reclamation service.
the report says in part:
I'm view of the Importance of a
speedy completion of existing projects
and their proper extension, ana of the
necessity in 1912 of an adjustment be,
tween the states by which the major
portion of the funds arising from the
sale of public lands within each state
and territory shall have been ex.
pended so far as practicable within
such state or territory, and in view
of the Importance of making bene'
fetal use of waters already ap.
propriated or capable of appropria,
tion to which rights may be lost
for nonuse, I believe an urgent ap.
peal should be made to congress to
authorize the issuance of certificates
of Indebtedness, or of bonds against
the reclamation fund, to an aggregate
of not exceeding $30,O0O,OOO, or so
much thereof as may be needed"
Energetic reorganization of the In
dian bureau is in progress, says Mr.
Ballinger, and he recommends that
the Indian warehouses at New York,
Chicago, Omaha, st. Louis and San
Francisco be closed as soon as pos
sible. A more advanced policy re-
specting the maintenance, improve
ment and operation of the Yellow
stone and Yosemite national parks is
urged on the government.
Contracts Made on Feast Days.
The fixed date for Easter is prob
ably matter of little concern in the
United States, but of great impor-
tance In continental Europe, where
rent and other contracts are written
on such feast days rather than at New