Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-14

1 CllDSus
Washington, Jan. 14=Presidcnt
Tafts special conservation message was
delivered to the house by Mr. Latta, as
s!stant secretary to the president. soon
after that body convened today.
Pension legislation was interrupted
for the reading of the document and the
speaker advised members to pay close
attention thereto. because no printed
copies had arrived for distribution
among them
Practically all of the members present
remained in their seats and followed
the reading closely and carefully.
When the reading OF the message had
been concluded a roar of applause arose
from the Republican side of the cham
Der and several Democratic members
also joined in the demonstration of ap-
proval.
To the senate and house of represent
ativcs:
In my annual message I reserved
the subject of the conservation of our
natural resources for discussion in a
special message as follows:
in several departments there Is
presented the necessity for legislation
looking to the further conservation of
our natural resources and the subject
is one OF such Importance as to require
n more detailed and extended discus
sion than can be entered upon in this
communication. For this reason.
shall take an early opportunity to send
special message to Congress on the
subject of the Improvement of our
waterways; upon the reclamation and
Irrigation of arid, semiarid and
swamp lands: upon the preservation
of our forests and the re-foresting
OF suitable areas; upon the reclassi-
1ication of the public domain with a
view of separating from agricultural
settlement, mineral. coal and phosphate
lands and sites belonging to the gov
ernment bordering on streams suitable
for the utilization OF water power"
In 1860 we had public. domain of
1.05S,9l1, ,2SS acres We have now 49,,
i54,0S1 acres. confined largely to the
mountain ranges and the arid and
scmi-arld plains. We have In addition.
36S.035,S75 acres of land in Alaska.
The public lands were. during the
earliest administrations, treated as
national asset for the liquidation of
public debt and source of reward for
our soldiers and sailors. Later on they
were donated in large amounts in aid
of the construction of wagon roads and
railways in order to open UP regions
In the west then almost inaccessible,
OLD LAND LAWS.
The principal land statutes were en-
ttaat 0rfn nf n
fury ago. The homestead act. the pre-
emption and timber culture act, the
coal land and the mining acts were
among these. The rapid disposition OF
the public lands under the early
statutes and tho lax methods of dis
trsbution prevailing, due, L think, to
the belief that these lands should
rapidly pass into private ownership,
gave rise 10 the impression that the
public domain was legitimate prey fol
tie Inscriptions, and that 1t was not
contrary To good morals to circumVent
land laws. This prodigal manner OF
disposition resulted in the passing OF
large areas OF valuable lands and many
OF our natural resources into the hands
OF persons who felt little or To respon-
sibility for promoting the national vel
fare through their Development Tho
truth is that title to millions of acres
of public lands Was fraudulently OBJ
taincd. and that the right to recover
II a large part of such lands for the gov
Il crpment long since ceased by reason oi
stututes OF limitation.
There has developed In recent years
deep concern in the public mint
respecting the preservation and proper
use OF our natural resources. This ha:
been particularly directed toward the
conservation OF resources of the public
domain.
The problem is how to save. how Il
utilize. how to conserve and still de
velop; for 10 sane person can contcnc
that it IS FOR the common good tha
natures blessings are only for the un
born generations.
ROOSEVELT. REFORMS.
Among the most noteworthy reforms
initiated by my distinguished predeces
sor, Were the vigorous prosecution o
land frauds and the bringing TO public
attention of the necessity Tor presery
Ing the remaining public domain from
further spolintion. for the maintenance
and extension OF our forest resources
and for the enactment OF laws amend
Ing the obsolete statutes so as TO re
tain government control over that par
OF the public domain In which ther
are valuable deposits OF COAL oil an
phosphate. and In addition thereto, I
preserve control. under conditions Ia
vorablc 20 the public, OF lands alon
the streams IN which the fall of waite
can be made to generate power to b
transmitted In the form of electrlcit
many miles to the points OF Its us'
known as water power sites.
Investigations into violations of put
lie land laws and prosecution OF Ian
frauds have been vigorously continue
under my administration, as has bee