The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-15

after which the House returned to
consideration of It's pension bill.
TO the Senate and House OF .Representa-
| tives:
] In my annual rncssage I reserved the SUBJ
! Ject of the conservation OF our national ra-
sources for discussion in special SO.
as follows:
! In several departments there is presented
the necessity for legislation looking to the
i further conservation OF our national ro-
sources. and the subject is of such iui-
| portance as TO require more detailed and
| extended discussion than be entered
| upon in this communication. For that rea-
I, son shall take an early onportunlty to send
special message to Congress on the sub
Ject OF tho Improvement OF our waterways
upon the reclamation and irrigation OF arid
semiarid and swamp lands: upon the pre-.
Iservation OF our forests and the reforestine
| OF suitable areas: upon the reclassificatior
of the public domain With q view OF sepa-
lrating from agricultural settlement mineral
coal and phosphate lands and sites belong
/, ing to the government bordering on stream:
|tsuttable for the utilization OF water-power
In 1850 we had public domain of 1,o55.9ll.-
.ss acres. We have now I3,35i.6Sl acres con.
| fined largely to the mountain ranges and
the arid and semiarld plains. We have. In
addition. 3ss.oaS.975 acres Of land In Alaska
Former Use Of Public Lands.
/ The public lands were, during tho earliest
administrations. treated as national assct
for tho liquidation OF the public debt and
4 as source OF reward for our soldiers and
| sailors. Later ON they were donated in large
amounts In aid of tho construction of wagon
roads and railways. III order to open UP
| regions In the West then almost inaccessible.
| All the principal land statutes were enacted
more than quarter OF a century ago. The
homestead act. the presumption and timber
\ culture act, the coal land and the mining
acts were among these. The rapid disposi-
ton OF the public lands under the carly
! statutes. aud the lax methods OF distribute.
ton prevailing, due. I think. to the belief
/ that these lands should rapidly pass into
4 private ownership. gave rise TO the impress
| sion thatsthc public domain was legitimate
prey for the INSCRIPTIONS. and that 1t was
not contrary TO good morals to circumvent
the land laws. This prodigaI manner of dis
position resulted in the passing OF large
| areas OF valuable land and many OF our
national resources into tho hands OF persons
| who felt little or no responsibility for pro-
| noting the national welfare through tpcir
development. The truth is that title to Mlil.
lions of acres of public lands was fraudu-
| lently obtained, and that the right to re-
cover large part OF such lands for tho
| government long since ceased by reaEon Of
statutes of limitation.
| There has developed In recent years deep
concern in the public minds respecting tho
| resources This has been particularly direct
cd toward the conservation of tho resources
OF tho public domain vast amount OF
| discussion has appeared in the public print
in generalized form on this subject, but
there has been little practical suggestion.
It has been easy to say that the natural
resources in fuel supply. in forests in
water-power, and in other public utilities
must be saved from waste. monopoly. and
other abuses. and tho general public are In
accord with this proposition. as they arc
with most truisms. The problem. however,
is how to save and how to utilize, how to
conserve and still develop: for no sane per-
son can contend that 1t is for the common
good that Natures blessings are only for
unborn generations.
Prosecution OF Land Frauds.
Among the most noteworthy reforms initi-
ated by my distinguished predecessor were
the vigorous prosecution Of land frauds and
the bringing to public attention of the
necessity for preserving the remaining pub
lie domain from further spol'atlon. for tho
resources. and for tho enactment of laws
amending the obsolete statutes so as to
| retain governmental control ovar that part
OF the public domain In which there arc
valuable deposits OF COAL OF oil and OF
phosphate. and, in addition thereto, to pre-
serve control under conditions favorable to
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 it's use known as ''water-power'' sites.
The Investigations into violations of the
public land laws and the prosecution OF
land frauds have been vigorously continued
under my administration, as has been the
withdrawal of coal lands for classification
and valuation and the temporary withhold
Ing of power SITES
Since March 4. 1909 temporary withdraw
ais of power sites have been made on 109
streams and these Withdrawals therefore
cover 229 per cent. more streams than We're
covered by the Withdrawals made prior to
The present statutes. except so far as they |
dispose OF the precious metals and the pure
" agricultural lands, are not adapted to
carry out the modern view OF the best dis. |
position of public lands to private owner |
ship, under conditions Offering on the ono
hand sufficient inducement to private capl. (.
tai to take them over for proper develop
ment. 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 operation OF
existing statutes tracts Of land. tho DISPOSE
ton OF which under such statutes would be |
detrimental to the public interest, is not
clear or satisfactory. This power has been
exercised in the interest of the public, with
the hope that Congress might affirm the
action Of the Executive by laws adapted to
the new conditions Unfortunately, Congress
has not thus far fully acted on the recon- i
mendations OF the Executive. and the ques-
tion az to what the Executive is to do Is,
under the circumstances, full OF difficulty.
1t seems to me that 1t Is the duty Of Con-
gress now. by statute. to validate tho
Withdrawals which have been made by the
Secretary OF the Interior and the President, |
and to authorize tho Secretary of the In
terlor temporarily to withdraw lands pend
Ing SUBMISSION 70 4COuSTeS6 u GeSouAi1cuua-
lions as to legislation to meet conditions
or emergencies as they arise.
One OF tho most pressing needs in the
matter OF public-und reform is that lands
should DO classified according to their prin-
cipal value of use This ought to be done
by that department whose force Is best
adapted to that work. 1t should be done by
tho Interior Department through the Geo.
logical Survey. Much OF the confusion,
fraud and contention which has existed in
tho past has arisen from the lack of an off,
clal and determnative classification OF the
public lands and their contents.
1t is now proposed to dispose Of agricul-
tural lands as such, and at the same time
to reserve for other disposition tho treasure
of coal oil, asphaltum. natural gas and
phosphate contained therein. This may be
best accomplished by separating the right
to mine from the tito TO the surface. tgiy-
Ing the necessary use of SO much OF the lat
ter as may be required for heBextraction /
OF the deposits. The surface might be dis
posed OF as agricultural land under tho
general agricultural statutes, while the coal
or other mineral could be. disposed OF by
lease on royalty basis. With provisions re-
nuiring a certain amount OF development
each Year; and In order to prevent tho use
and cession of such lands with others OF
similar character SO as to constitute a
monopoly forbidden by law, the lease should