The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-01-14

lOests ana the ref0reSting of suitable
areas; upon the Reconsideration of the
public domain with view of separat-
ing from agricultural settlement min
eral, coal and phosphate lands and
bordering on streams suitable for
the utilization Of water power.
In 1860 we had public domain OF
1,O55,91l,288 acres, we now have 731,-
S54,O6l acres, confined largely to the
mountain ranges and the arid and
semi -arid plains. We have, in addition
S6s,OS5,975 acres Of land in Alaska.
Obtained by Fraud.
The public lands were. during the
earliest administrations, treated as a
national asset for the liquidation of
the public debt and as source of
reward for our soldiers and sailors.
Later on they were donated ia large
amounts 20 aid in the construction of
wagon roads and railways, in order to
open up regions in the west then al
most Inaccessible. All the principal
land statutes were enacted more than
quar- sr of a century ago The
homestead act, the pre- emption and
timber culture act, the coal land and
the mining acts We're among these.
The rapid disposition OF the public
lands under the early statutes, and
tbs lax me+hods Of distribution pre-
vailing, due, / think to the belief that
these lands should rapidly pass into
private ownership, gave rise to tie
impression that the public domain was
legitimate PREF for the unscrupulous,
and that 1t was not contrary to good
morals to circumvent the land laws.
This prodigal manner of disposition
resulted In the passing of large areas
Of yaluabl land end many of our natu-
ra. resources into the ands of persons
who felt little or no responsibility for
promoting the national welfare
through their development. The
truth Is that title to millions of acres
Of public lands was fraudulen.ly OBJ
tanned, and thet the right to recover
a large part of such lands for the
government long since ceased by rea-
son Of statut of limitation.
There has developed in recenS years
a deep concern in the public mind
respecting the preservation and proper
use of our natural resources. This
has been particularly directed toward
the conservation of the resources of
the public domain.
How to Save Land.
The problem is how to save and how
to utilize, how to conserve and still
to develop; for no sane person can con-
tend that 1t is for the common good
that natures lessings are only for I'M
born generations.
Among the most noteworthy reforms
decessor were the vigorous prosecution
of land frauds and the bringing to pub-
lie attention of the necessity for pre-
serving the remaining public domain
from further spoilation, for the main
tenance and extension of our forest
resources, and for the enactment of
laws amending the obsolete statutes so
as to retain governmental control over
that part Of the public domain. in
which there are valuable deposits of
coal, of OIL and of phosphate, and, in
addition thereto to preserve control,
under conditions favorable to the pub
lie, of the lands along the streams in
which the fall of water can be made. to
generate power to be transmitted in
the form of electricity, many miles to
the point of its use, known as water
power sites.
The Investigations into violations of
tho public land laws, and the prosecu-
ton of land frauds have been vigor-
ously continued under my administra-
tion, and has been the withdrawal of
coal lands for classification and val
uation, end the temporary withholding
of power sites.
Since March 4, 1909, temporary
i.
made on 102 streams and these with
drawals therefore cover 229 per cent
more streams than are covered by the
Withdrawals made prior to that date.
Present Law Weak.
The present statutes, except so far
as they dispose of the precious metals
and the purely agricultural lands, are
not adapted to carry out the modern
view of the besA disposition Of pub
lie lands to private ownership, under
conditions Offering on the one hand
sufficient induce ment to private cap
ital to take them over for proper de-
with restrictive conditions
on the other which shall secure to the
public that character Of control which
will prevent a monopoly or misuse of
the lands or their products.
The power OF the secretary of the
interior to withdraw from the operat-
ing of existing statutes tracts of lands,
the disposition of Winch under such
STATUTES would be detrimental to the
public interest, Is not clear or salts
factory. This power has been exer-
cised In the interest of the public, with
the hope that congress might affirm the
action of the executive bylaws adapt
ed to the new conditions. Unfortu-
nately congress has not thus far fully
acted on the recommendations of the
executive and the question as to, what
the executive Is to do, is, under the
circumstances, full of difficulty. 1t
seems to me that 1T Is the duty of
congress now, by statute, to validate
the Withdrawals which have beenmade
by the secretary of this interior and
the president and to authorize the
secretary Of the interior temporarily
the withdrawals which have been made
to congress of recommendations as too
to meet conditions o. emer-
gencies as they arise,
One Of the most pressing needs in
the matter OF public land reform is
1ndl 1dslAuG SlAOuiM pC ClcSoIAGQ az
cording to their principal value or use.
This ought to be done by that depart
ment whose force is best adapted to i
that wo-k. 1t should be done by the
department through the geo.
logical survey. Much of the confusion, |
fraud, and contention which has ex
listed in the past. has arisen from the
lack Of an official and determiniative
of the public lands and |
their conta-ts.