New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-04

The President also appointed the five
engineer officers Of the army who are
20 constitute a board which will pass on
the reclamation projects to be completed
under the recent appropriation Of 800
noo 400
Il is limited that there are other i'm
rortant announcements to come with re-
gard TO the conservation policy of the
present administration. The President
has summoned the Secretary Of the In
terror for conference on Tuesday. when
various phases Of the work to be done In
the near future will he gone over
An Administration Measure.
The withdrawal orders signed by the
President to-day are the first specifically
authorized by law Mr. Roosevelt as
President inaugurated the policy Of with
drawing public lands under the general
theory Of the right Of the Executive to
DO ANYTHING in the interest Of the pubic
domain not prohibited by law. President
Taft has acted in the same way But
the right Of the Executive to make these
7,-ith5ravals has been questioned IN suits
NOW PENDING in the federal courts, ana
rhe President secured the passage OF q
hill ny the last Congress giving him def
77iteI- the authority to withdraw ianos
r,endfng special legislation for their dis
rosition. The bill was made an ADMIN
ss-ra+ion neasure and was finally ap-
-,roved the day Congress adjourned
President Taft also signed orders OF
-.-irtdraw wal to-day covering public lands
and lands in national forests in Alaska
IN which workable coal is known 10 oc-
e,,r thus ratifying. confirming and con-
inning in full force and effect the order
oe ,,-ithdraval made by direction of for
-ner President Roosevelt on November
%. 1906
Secretary BaIlinger sent on the new
orders Of withdrawal from Washington
In order that there might be no room
fer mistake or misunderstanding. he for
u-arded photograp hic copies of the orig
iral orders in which there have been no
notifications. The modified orders were
specifically designated. This method also
expedited the preparation Of new orders
The water power sites withdrawn by
President Taft cover a total of 1454439
acres The phosphate lands withdrawn
total 2594.113 acres. and the petroleum
lands 441.119 acres.
The areas involved in the power site
withdrawn are as follows: Arizona,
1o7.5J0 acres: California, 47.S19 acres:
Colorado. 201.549 acres; Idaho, 230971
acres: Montana, 122.515 acres. Nevada,
81 .50I acres: New Mexico. 1856 acres;
oregon. 1921 acres: Utah. 1892
acres; Washington. 55.439 acres; Wyo-
ming. 1888 acres
The phosphate land Withdrawals are
as follows: Florida -. 100 acres: Idaho
l,l02,3l1 acres; Utah, 107. 90 acres:
Wyoming. 1851. s51 acres.
Petroleum land Withdrawals covered
the following; Arizona, go, 100 acres:
California. 2,4s2, 40 acres: Colorado.
S7,414 acres; Louisiana, 314I20 acres;
New Mexico 419.901 acres: Oregon, IA
$40 acres; Utah. Isl. 564 acres, and
Wyoming, 20. 461 acres.
Engineering Board Appointed.
The board Of engineers appointed by
the President to-day to examine and re-
port upon reclamation projects which it
ig proposed TO complete or extend with
funds provided for in the act authoriz-
Gates Of Indebtedness is headed by
Lieutenant Colonel John Biddle, who
vas until recently the engineer commits
sioner of the District Of Columbia, and
who is now on duty at San Francisco.
The other four members of the board
are Lieutenant Colonel William c. Lang
Att and Major William W. Harris,
Charles ". kutz and Harry Burgess,
=, Of the engineer corps Of the army
Colonel Langitt is the commandant of
THE engineers school at Washington.
TIE order designating these officers to
serve on the reclamation projects has
been forwarded 10 the Secretary OF War
q Washington. The officers viii be
directed 10 report in person as early as
Practicable 10 the Secretary Of the In
terror for such data and information as
VII! enable them promptly TO make the
required examination Their reports as
made will be forwarded to the Secretary
Of The Interior, who in turn will trans
nil them 10 the President. with such
recommendations as he may see nj.
Must Have Presidents Approval.
n The expenditure Of the s20ooooo
the President is made the final arbiter
He must approve each project before
any q the money can be expended
The act provides that no part OF TINS
appropriation shall be expended upon
any existing project until it shall nave
been examined and reported upon by
hoard Of engineer officers Of the army
designated by the President of the
United States. and until IL shall be ap-
Proved by the President as feasible ana
prscticab bic and worthy Of such eX-
penditure; nor shall any portion OF TINS
appropriation be expended upon any ne"
project"
General William L. Marshall, VINO
yesterday was appointed consulting en-
gineer OF tbs. Reclamation Service. has
been requested by the President to lena
such aid 10 the board Of engineers as az
compatible with his new duties
President Taft attended services al
Grace Episcopal Church in Salem to-
Gay, where the fortieth anniversary Vi
the pastorate Of the Rev. j. r. FRANKS
Rss celebrated Mrs. Taft, MISS Helen
Taft and Captain Butt accompanied 'he
treslder-