The Washington herald., 1910-09-06
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
BEFORE CONSERVISTS

St. Paul. Sept SIN his address to-
day before the National Conservation
Congress. President Taft said:
Conservation as an economic and po-
litieal term has come 20 mean the pres
ervation OF our natural resources for
economic use. so as 10 secure the great
est good to the greatest number. In
the development of this country. in the
hardships OF the pioneer. in the energy
Of the settler. in the anxiety OF the IN
vestor for quick returns, there was very
little time. opportunity. or desire to pre-
vent waste OF those resources supplied
by nature which could not be quickly
Transmitted into money; while the in
vestment OF capital was so great de-
slderatum that the people as a community
exercised little or no care TO prevent the
transfer OF absolute ownership OF many
of the valuable natural resources to pri-
vate individuals. without retaining some
kind Of control Of their use.
The impulse of the whole new oommu'
nifty was 70 encourage the coming Of
population, the increase OF settlement.
and the opening up OF business: and he
who demurred in the slightest degree 10
any step which promised additional de-
velopment Of the idle resources at hand
was regarded as a traitor 70 his neigh
bOrs and an obstructor TO public progress.
But now that Il O communities have be-
come old, now Il at the flush Of enthusi-
astic expansion has died away. now that
the would-be pioneers have come TO re-
alize that all the richest lands in the
country have been taken up. We have
perceived the necessity FOR a change OF
/ policy in the disposition Of our national
resources so as 10 prevent the continu-
ance OF the waste which has character
lied our phenomenal growth in the past
Realization OF Danger.
THE danger to the state and to the
people at large from the waste and dis
sipatlon OF our national wealth Is not one
lyhich quickly lmpresses itself on the
people Of the older communities. be-
cause 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 20
strong that the danger Is scoffed at or
/ ignored. Among scientific men and
thoughtful observers. however the dan
ger has always been present; but Il need
/ ed someone 10 bring home the crying need
! for remedy OF this evil so as 10 i'm
/ press itself on the public mind ane lead
TO the formation OF public opinion and
action by the representatives, OF the peo-
Pile Theodore Roosevelt took up this
task in the last two years OF his second
administration. and well did he perform It.
The public domain OF the United
States. including all the cessions from
those OF the thirteen States and Alaska.
amounted In all 70 about 1.S00 o00. 900
acres. or this there IS left as purely
government PROPERTY outside OF Alaska
something like 700,000O00 os acres. OF this
the national forest reserves in the United
states proper embrace 100000 acres
The rest is largely mountain or arid
country, offering some opportunity for
agriculture by dry farming and by
reclamation, and containing metals as
well as coal phosphates, oils. and natu-
raj gas. Then the government owns
many tracts OF land lying along the mar
gins Of streams that have water power.
the use Of which is necessary in the con-
version Of the power into electricity and
its transmission.
OF Agricultural Lands.
The present Congress passed a bill of
great Importance. severing the ownership
OF coal by the government in the ground
| from the surface and permitting home
stead entries upon the surface Of the
land. while the coal beneath the surface
is retained in ownership by the govern
ment and may be disposed OF by It under
other laws.
There IS no crying need for radical re-
form In The methods OF disposing OF what
are really agricultural lands. The pres
ent laws have worked well. The enlarged
homestead law has encouraged the sue
cessful farming OF lands in tie semi
arid regions. OF course. the teachings OF
the Agricultural Department as to how
these subarid lands may be treated and
the soil preserved for useful culture are
Of the very essence Of conservation. Then
conservation Of agricultural lands is
shown IN the reclamation Of arid lands
by irrigation. and I should devote a few
words to what the government has done
and is doing in this regard.
Reclamation Advance.
by the reclamation act a fund has
been created Of the proceeds OF the pub
lie lands OF the United States with which
to construct works for storing great
bodies Of water at proper attitudes from
which. by a suitable system OF canals
and bitches, the water is to be distribut-
ed over the arid and subarid lands OF the