The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-09-01
WATCHCOAL LANDS
Roosevelt Says They Should
be Leased Not Sold.
PRAISES FORESTRY SERVICE
Declares Bureau Has Enemies Be-
cause It is Effective and Takes
Ray at Secretary
Ballinger

Denver Colo, Aug. oV. No'"hNi
Theodore Roosevelt gave forth his idea
on the conservation of the nation =
natural resources before an audience
of over 1900 In the Auditorium. and
in doing so made some references that
had a bearing on the bitter contro-
yersy betkeen Clifford Plnchot. the for
mer chief forester. and Richard A.
Ballinger. the secretary OF the interior.
Neither was mentioned by name.
but the forest service, of which PIN
chot was so long the head and the
mouthpiece for the PRONUNCIATION OF
the Roosevelt conservation policy, re-
ceived unstinted praise. On the other
hand. what was considered by many
of the former presidents audience a
direct slap at Ballinger came In his
discussion OF the Alaska coal lands.
These coal Mines" declared the
colonel. should be leased. not sold.
and those who mine the coal should
give back part Of their profit to the
people" Then he added:
1T is the right and the duty OF the
people to demand the most vigilant
trusteeship on the part OF that branch
of the federal government In charge
of the fuel resources of the United
States"
This he urged for the industrial de
velopment of the west and the needs
~ tho navy In tho Pacific
Colonel Roosevelt made no direct
reference to the Taft administration,
but he denounced in strong terms bills
that were introduced in the last SEES
sion Of congress with the purpose Of
transferring water power sites In the
national forests and the public domain
TO the control Of the states.
Then swinging rapidly into the dis
cusslon Of the forest service. OF which
Plnchot was so long the controlling
factor he said:
"The forest service has enemies be
cause ii is effective Much
of the oppositic2 to the forest service
like much Of the opposition to conser'
walton. takes the form OF direct mis-
representation. Like the for.
est service. the reclamation service
has clashed with certain private In
terests and has had to pay the pen
atty in the form Of bitter
opposition"
New York state politics crept into
the speech for a minute. when the
former president regretted that he
would not be able to attend the SEES
sions of the National Irrigation Con.
gress. the latter part Of September.
Just about the time the Republican
convention will meet at Saratoga. n.
Y. Il must" he said. "be in the east
at that time"
Colonel Roosevelt also aroused con
siderable interest by a definition OF
interstate commerce included in his
speech.
"All commerce on a scale sufh-
cientlv large to warrant any control
over It by the government is now
adays interstate or foreign commerce.
he said. Until courts and legislative
bodies recognized this, be declared.
the interests of the people would suf-
fer.
RooseveIts Conservation Ideas.
81 do not believe that a single acre
of our public lands should hereafter
pass into private ownership except for
the single purpose of homestead set
Element. This is absolutely necessary
on the agricultural lands. 1t Is at least
equally necessary on the mineral
lands"
"The forest service has enemies be-
cause it is effective. Some Of its best
work has been met by the bltterest
opposition"
Much OF the opposition to the for
est service. like much Of the opposi.
ton to conservation. takes the form of
direct Misrepresentation"
Like the forest service. the recla-
nation service has clashed with GER
tain private interests and has had to
pay the penalty of its service to the
public in the form Of bitter opposition
from those with whose profit 1t has in
terfered"
"This country has shown definite
signs of waking up to the absolute ne
cessity of handling its natural re-
sources with foresight and common
sense"
"In the first place, the needless
waste of the natural resources must
be stopped"
"In the second place, the natural
resources must be developed prompt
ly, completely and in orderly fashion"
"In the third place, so far as posi-
BILE, these resources must be kept for
the whole people and not handed over
for exploitation to single individuals"