The Raymer enterprise., 1910-09-08
President Taft's Address Before
Congress at st. Paul.
DANGER IN CONTINUED WASTE
Chief Executive Outlines Plans Which
He Believes Should Be Adopted
Statistics Make Speech Com.
prehensive to Hearers.

speech before the National Con-
servation congress here today. Sub
stantially It was as follows:
Gentlemen OF the National Conservation
Congress:
ntcal term has come to mean the preser-
walton OF our natural resources for
economical use, 80 as TO secure the great
est good to the greatest number.
The danger to the state and to the peo-
pie at large from the waste and d!ssipa-
ton Of our national wealth is not one
which quickly impresses itself on the peo-
pie Of the older communities. because Its
most obvious Instances do not occur In
their neighborhood. while In the newer
part OF the country the sympathy with
expansion and development is so strong
that the danger Is scoffed at or ignored.
Among scientific men and thoughtful OBJ
servers. however. the danger has always
been present; but II needed some one to
bring home the crying need for remedy
OF this evil 30 as to Impress itself on the
public mind and lead to the formation OF
public opinion and action by the repre-
sentatives OF the people. Theodore Roose-
welt took UP this task in the last two
years OF his second administration. and
well did he perform It.
Az president OF the United States !
have, as It We're inherited this policy.
and rejoice In my heritage. prize my
high opportunity to do all that an ex-
ecutive can do to help a great people
realize a great national ambition For
conservation is national. 1t affects every
man OF US. every woman. every child.
What | can do In the cause | shall do.
not as president OF n party, bu, as presi-
dent OF the whole people Conservation
is not a question OF politics. or OF fac
tions. or OF persons. II Is n question that
Affects the Vital welfare OF all OF us-of
our children and our children's children.
urge that no good can come from meet
lnEs OF this sort unless we ascrlbe TO
those who take part In them, and who
re apparently striving worthly in the
cause. all proper motives. and unless we
1udlc'ally consider every measure or
method proposed with view to its e.rec-
uveness in achieving our common pur-
pose. and wholly without regard to who
proposes It or who will claim the credit
for its adoption. The problems are OF
very great difficulty and call for the
calmest consideration and clearest fore
sight Many OF the questions presented
have phases that are new In this coun-
try, and 1t is possible that In their solu-
ton we may have to attempt first one
way and then another. What | wish to
emphasize. however. is that n satisfac-
tory conclusion can only be reached
promptly II we avoid acr!mony, imputa-
tionx OF bad faith, and political contro-
versS -r.---.-.-
The public domain OF the government
OF the United States including all the
rarvtppa those n fhp thIrfann at n
that made cessions to the United States
and including Alaska. amounted In nil to
about 500. 90. .0o0 Rcres. or this there Is
left as purely government property out
side OF Alaska something like 90 OF
Rcres. or this the national forest re-
serves Ia the United States proper em-
brace 100000 acres The rest Is largely
mountain or arid country, offering some
opportunity for agriculture by dry farm
Ing and by reclamation. and containing
metals M well as coal. phosphates. oils.
and natural gas. Then the government
owns many tracts OF land lying along the
margins OF streams that have water
,ower. the use OF which Is necessary In
hs-- conversion OF the power into cleo
tricity and It's transmission,
! shall divide my discussion under the
ads OF ~ agricultural lands. t:l min
- ] lands-that is, lands containing
n hA'nlliferous minerals. CD forest lands.
(IS\k kcoal lands. (0 oil and gas lands. and
@ nhosphate lands
Agricultural Lands.
otr Iart laws for the entry OF agricul-
lrlli lands are now as follows:
The orIsnal homestead law. with the
requ irrucnts OF residence and cultivation
for ,h'e Years. much more strictly en-
forced tIan ever before,
,FGc charged homestead act, applying
10 nonIrrlEablc lands only, requiring five
Hears' residence and continuous cultivn-
juOu OF one-fourth OF the area.
I Tho desert-land net. which requires on
( the part OF the purchaser the ownership
Npf water right and thorough reclama-
ton OF the land by irrigation. and the
payment OF N.25 per acre.
fthc donation or Carey act, under which
the state selects the land and provides
for It's reclamation. and the title vests In
the tettler who resides upon the land and
cultit ntcs II and pays the cost OF the
reclamation.
The national reclamation homestead
law. requiring FIVE years residence and
cultivation by the settler on the land ir-
rigated by the government. and payment
by him to the government OF the cost OF
the reel, cl,imation.
The ppcscnt congress passed n bill OF
great Importance. seyering the ownership
of coal b. the government In the ground
from the surface and permitting home
stead entries upon the surface OF the
land. which. wh"n perfected. give the
settler the right 20 farm tho surface.
while tho coal bereat1 the surface Il re-
taIned In ownership by the government
and may be disposed OF by II under other
laws
There Is no crying need Tor radical re-
form In the methods OF disposing OF whnt
are really agricultural lands. NThe pres.
snt laws have worked well. iNhe en-
larged homestead law has ENCOURAGED the
successful farming OF lands In the Scfni.
arid regions. or course the teach'ngy OF
the agricultural department as to how
these subnrld lands may be treated and
the soil preserved for useful culture are
Of the very essence OF conservation. Ther(
conservation OF agricultural lands Is
shown In the reclamation OF arid lands
BY irrigation and should devote few
words to what tho government has done
and Is doing In this regard.
Reclamation.
BY the reclamation act fund has been
created OF the proceeds OF the public
lands OF the United States with which 70
construct, works for storing great bodies
OF water Mt proper attitudes from which,
by n suitable system OF canals and ditch.
en-. the water is TO be distributed over the
arid and subarid lands OF the government
No be sold to settlers at n price sufficient
10 pay for the improvements. Primarily.
the projects are and must be for tho I'm