The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-08

already in existence, the proposed APP
palachian and White mountain ma
tional forests and the state forests of
New York. Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
and other states.
20. The protection of forests against
fire is the first duty in forestry of
states and nation alike. The way to
stop fires is to get men to them as
soon as they begin. The maintenance
and extension of forest fire patrol by
the nation. the states and their subdf-
visions, and by associations or private
citizens who own timber lands, is abb
solutely necessary.
''3. The protection of existing forests
by wise use is the first step in for
estry. demonstration is the second.
"a. Land bearing forests should be
taxed annually on the land value alone
and the timber crop should be taxed
when it is cut, so that private forestry
may be encouraged.
IS. The private ownership of forest
land is a public trust, and the people
have both the right and the duty to
regulate the use of such lands in the
general interest.
Lands.
LAS to lands:
a. Every acre of land should be put
to whatever use will make it most use
full to all the people.
az. The fundamental object of our
land policy should be the making and
maintenance of permanent prosperous
homes. Land monopoly and excessive
holdings must not be tolerated.
"3. Settlement must be encouraged
that will support homes Thus the
tillable land in public ownership with
in and without the national forests
should be disposed of in fee simple to
actual home makers, but not to specu-
lators.
"a. The first and most needy thing
to do for our cultivated lands is to
preserve their fertility by preventing
erosion.
"5. The non-irrigable arid public
grazing lands should be administered
by the government in the interest of
the small stockmen and the home
maker until they can pass directly into
the hands of actual settlers.
IS. Rights to the surface of the pub
lie land should be separated from
rights to the forests upon 1t, ana the
minerals beneath it, and each should
be held subject to separate disposal.
The timber and stone act should be
repealed.
Minerals.
LAS to our minerals:
81. Those still remaining in govern
ment ownership should not be sold. but
should be leased upon terms favorable
for their development up to the full
requirements of our people. Until leg
islation to this effect can be enacted.
temporary Withdrawals of land contain
ing coal, oil. Gas, and phosphate rock,
are required in order to prevent spec
ulation and monopoly.
20. 1t is the clear duty of the fed
eral government, as well as that of
the states in their sphere, to provide,
through investigation, legislation, and
regulation against loss of life and
waste of mineral resources in mining.
with regard to national efficiency:
81. The maintenance of national and
state conservation commissions is nee
essary to ascertain and make public
the facts as to our natural resources.
Such commissions supply the funda-
mental basis for cooperation between
the nation and the states for the de-
velopment and protection of the foun-
dation of our prosperity.
"2. A national health service is need
agencies within the states for the pur-
pose of frightening life, decreasing suf-
fering, and promoting a vigor and eff
ficiency of our people,
I'm the effort to conserve our nat
ural resources, we recognize that COM
binations against the public welfare
which extend beyond tates lines.
by agencies equally capable of
operating across such boundar-
les. 1t is clear that the control of in
terstate commercial power is possible
only by the use of interstate federal
power. We are opposed to the extern
sion of state jurisdiction at the expense
of real control by the people over mon
opoly as in the case of waterpower.
while do not believe that the state
alone can carry out the conservation
program in the face of interstate at
tacks upon it, I do not fail to recog-
nize the great and useful part which
the states must play in this great move
ment for the permanent welfare of all
our people. Also, l appreciate that in
much of the work ahead cooperation
between the states and the nation is an
essential condition of success. But
when I see the special interests at
tempting to take refuge behind the
doctrine of states rights 1 propose to
say so.
1T is not possible in a speech like
this to give the details of propositions
covering so wide field as the conser-
walton question to which 1 have re-
ferred To carry out this program in
the coming and future sessions of con-
gress and of the state legislature, the
friends of conservation will devote
themselves with ever increasing energy
and ever increasing prospects of sue
generally wins not only the belief,
which it has already, but the determin-
ed fighting support of our people,
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