The Forrest City times., 1910-09-09

rn- | pieted with the balance remaining An hahd or with the fund.- likely to accrue | Tn the near future. 1t was found mora over that there are many settlers who nave been led into taking up lands with the hope and understanding of having water furnished in yheTrl time who arc reeomm.naea m S't so annSa1 noarSa1 situation, ! be gfyen to the secretary of the interior 10 issue bonds In anticipation of the as- sured earnings by the projects. 50 that the projects, worthy and fes sible might be promptly completed, and the settlers might bs relieved from their present in- convenience and hardship. In authorizing the issue of those projects, congress lim- ited the application of their proceeds to those projects which a board of army en- ginsers to be appeiatsd by the president, should examine and determine to be feasible and worthy of completion. The board has been appointed and soon will make it's report
 Mineral Lands.
 By mineral lancs I mean those lands bearing metals. or what are called metal hferous minerals. The rules of owner ship and dispesltien of these lands were frsS fixed by custom in the west. and then were embodied in the law, and they have worked. on the whole. 50 fairly and II attempt to change or better them.
 Forest Lands.
 Nothing can be more important in the matter of conservation than the treatment of our forest lands. ft was probably the ruthless destruction of forests in the older states that first called attention to halt in the waste of our resources This was recognized by congress by an act authorizing the executive to reserve from entry and set aside public timber lands a. national forests Speaking generally. there has been reserved of the existing forests about seventy per cent. of all the timber lands of the government Within these forests Qncluding 2s 900 oo0 acres in two forests in Alaska are 192, 900 O00 of acres. of which 1ss, ,eeo, 600 of acres are in the United States proper and include within their boundaries some thing like 22.coo 600 of acres that belong to the state or to private individuals. We have then, excluding Alaska forests. a total of about IA. COG 600 acres of forests belonging to the government which Is being treated in accord with the princi- ples of scientific forestry
 The government timber in this coun- try amounts to only one-fourth of all the timber the rest being in private own ershlp Only three per cent of that which is in private ownership Is looked after properly and treated according to mod srn ruies of forestry. The usual de- struotive waste and neglect continues in the renainder of the forests owned by private persons and corporations. It Is .stln,ate6 that fire alone destroys 50, o0o aye we-th of timber year. The uaauags ent of forests not on public la 1e fs eyond the Jurisdiction of the fed
 se5 rnment. If anything can be done
 must be done by the state leg ssIa ' belieVe that if is within their constitutional power to require the en- forcement of regulations in the general public interest. as to fire and other causes of waste in the management of forests owned by private individuals and corporations.
 have shown sufficiently the conditions as to federal forestry to indicate that no further legislation Is needed at the mo- ment except an increase in the fire pro- lection to national forests and an act vesting the executive with full power to make forest reservations in every state where government land Is umber-covered or where the land Is needed for forestry purposes
 Coal Lands.
 The next subject and one most impor- tant for our consideration. is the disposi- ton of the coal lands in the United States and in Alaska. First, as to those
  of thls administration they were classi- fled coal lands amounting to 6,46,00 acres, and there were withdrawn from entry for purposes of classification IT, S67 600 acres Since that time there have been withdrawn by my order from entry for classification 77.e4s,0 900 acres, making a total withdrawal of 95 5l5 900 acres. Meantime of the acres thus withdrawn. II, ,s71. .ooo have been classified and found not to contain coal. and have been re- stored to agricultural entry. and 1856 0oo acres have been classified as coal lands; while 7e 900 acres remain withdrawn from entry and await classification. In addition S3s. 900 acres have been classi- fled as coal lands without prior withdraw al. thus increasing the classified coal lands to f0.16s0o0 acres,
 Under the laws providing for the dis7o- sition of coal lands, the minimum price at which lands are permitted to be sold is BIO an acre: but the secretary of the interior has the power to fix a maximum price and sell at that price By the first regulations governing appraisal, ap- proved April 8, 1907. the minimum was s1o. as provided by law. and the maximum was slOo and the highest price actually nlaced upon any land sold was s75. Un- der the new regulations. adopted April 10, 1909 the maximum price was increased to s2oA except in regions where there are 
 fixed and the price Is determined by the estimated tons of coal to the acre. The bi-hest urice fixed for any land under this regulation has been s60s. The ap- nraisai value of the lands classified coal lands ard valued under the new and old regulations Is shown to he as follows: s0s o2f acres. valued under the old regu- iatious at S77. 144 S29. an average of SIS an acre. and 6s64lo2 acress classified and valued under the new regulation at s59t.- 9as 942 or a total of l0.les,623 acres, val ued at s47fS4I.5IL
 For the year ending March si, 1909, 227 coal entries were made, embracing an area of 5.s3l acres. which sold for ssss.- a2N 40 For the year ending March 3l, 1910 there were t76 entries. embracing an area of 94is acres. which so'f ff Sss- sia: and down to August. 70 Here Nefs hut IT entries with an arr of 5 % seres. ,-htrb sala for sss gi0 5o 8sing s disp2- sition of the coal lands ess tNe sesrs os ahout 60 Ooo acres ar 5 os. 9oo
 The present congress, aa s' a9 ss..-t has separated the surface eh@ss