Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-02
HOUSE FACTIONS
PULL AND HAUL ON
TAFT'S LAND BILL
Republicans Split on AdminiStra-
ton Measure, and Democrats
Oppose Both Sides
ASK PRESIDENT TO REPORT
Minority Leaders Claim Proposed
Legislation Is for Validating
Past Withdrawals
ASK PRESIDENT TO REPORT
ASSOCIATED Pressl
tAssociated Pressl
I" ASHINGTON, April 1.-Three
w factions of the house committee
7 al, r,1,IIin 1nndc tndnN rn111led and


" ASHINGTON, April 1.-Three
w factions of the house committee
on public lands today pulled and
hauled at the administration bill for
the withdrawal of public lands for con-
servation purposes.
Republicans from public land states,
who object to any change in public
land policies, and Republicans who are
followers of the modern conservation
program could not come to an agree
ment as between the two bills.
In the end the Democrats denounced
both measures as being designed to give
the present and past administrations
clean bills of health in relation to the
administration of the land laws. They
then introduced a bill of their own.
Republicans were divided in support
of the bill introduced in the senate by
Mr.. Nelson, which would give the pres
ident absolute authority to withdraw
lands for conservation purposes, or for
classification, and the bill introduced
in the house by Mr. Pickett Of Iowa,
which would accomplish the same pur-
pose and I'm addition validate all past
Withdrawals. Both measures would
provide that the Withdrawals remain in
force until revoked by the president or
by act of congress.
REPUBLICANS SEEK RECONCuIATTON
After the Democrats on the commit
tee assailed the attitude of both fac
tions of the Republicans, the latter
attempted TO reach an agreement, and
| it was reported tonight Mr.. Pickett
would consent TO the elimination of
that portion of his bill specifically val
idating past Withdrawals by the in
terror department.
The latter clause, ii is said, was in
tended to validate certain Withdrawals
made under the Roosevelt administra-
ton. It had been charged in debates
on the floor of both houses that many
of these Withdrawals were without au-
thority of law.
That contention was rejected by the
senate committee on public lands, and
the validating of past acts was declared
to be unnecessary.
A statement issued by the Democrat
&c members says their bill authorizes
the president to make Withdrawals of
public lands for classification and other
purposes, requires reports to be made
to congress of Withdrawals, and pro-
vides for the classification of with
drawn lands.
1.-THE primary purpose Of the admin
istration bills relating to the withdraw
ais of public lands" it says, seems TO
be to validate existing Withdrawals and
thus give the interior department anu
the administration a clean bill or
health. While the withdrawal bill is
to be labeled conservation it in fact
accomplises nothing toward that end,
merely gives the president an express
power which the interior department
for many years has been exercising. No
measure merely legaliZing Withdrawals
is a true conservation measure.
classification is a primary and very
important step toward intelligent hand
ling of the public domain, and without
it congress will be forced to proceed as
in the past by permitting the interior
department to perform functions that
properly belong to congress-"