The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1910-09-08
TAFT FNRM FRIEND
OF CONSERVATION
~ AAAss 1sfass & - cssssss Lsssss Ne DssSe
- - HI Rssieiss-..cs.seys 0su Risis II 0seivss
Mhe Eapkseieslb.

CaaDasvattoo eoaSTsas Isft his AaaF-
ees = - aosbt - 70 his positioa- In
ssssGasoe his aAArsss vas - follows:
0sa1asass q ths Natssaa csnssrvsssss
CaAReas:
Caa6sFvasssa a. q sesssnie 81 -
ntica1 Assa Aas come 70 mean ths preees.
ecoa1ascal uss. - a. to secure the great.
sst CssA - ths greatest number.
Ths danger to the state and to the pes-
~ - larGs fro0 the waste and disoipe-
ooa q our national wealth u not oao
VAscA quickly impreasss ITSELF on the pse-
pc 0f tho elder communitiss. because NJ
0AA sbvisus instances - not occur iA
thss asashborhood. whiis In the newer
past of tbs country the sympathy with
sAeAagsa and Development 10 20 strong
~ ~ danger IL scoffed At or ignored
A0oAg octentihc men and thoughtful o0-
0aeVas2 howevsr. the danger has aiwayo
6ooa Desssnt: but II needed some one to
beiAg home tbs crying need for . remedy
- ~ evil 20 a. to impress itself on the
Dsblsc mind and lead to the formation q
DseaGc spinion and action By tbs repre-
ooataGivss Of the people. Thsodore Rooss-
W. t04k up this task In the last TIVE
yeAso of his second administration. and
wsn ~ b perform It
A. Dresidsnt Of the United States I
hAvA - II we're. Inherited this policy.
end I ssjeios n my heritage. I prize my
ocstivs can do to help . great people
sealiss . great national ambition. For
esn0sevation 10 national. II Affects every
0Aa 0f ". every woman, every child.
What I can do in the cause I shall do.
nst ~ president Of . party. but a. presi-
1ant q the whole people. Conservation
y so< . question of politics. or OF fac
49, = n n q thai
a0oets the vital welfare Of all of us-of
oSr chiidren and our children's children.
! 01gs that no good can come from meet
taSD Of this sort unless we ascribe to
thooe who take part in them. and who
are apparently striving worthily In the
5udlcially consider every measure or
method proposed with . view to its effec-
uvene0 In achieving our common pur-
pose. and wholly without regard to who
proposes 1t or who will claim the credit
for Its adoption. The problems are Of
very great difficulty and call for the
calmest consideration and clearest fore
sight. Many of the questions presented
have phases that are new in this coun-
try. and 1t IL possible that in their solu-
th0n We may have to attempt first one
way and then another. What l wish to
emphasize, however. is that a satisfac-
tory conclusion can only be reached
ptC1nptiy II we dVOlu dCFlfnOHys unpuIa~
tfons Of bad faith, and political contro-
versy.
The public domain Of the government
Of the United States. including all the
c%aatons from those OF the thirteen states
II made cessions to the United States
ahd including Alaska, amounted in all to
abost Lsoo, ,o00 900 acres. OF this there -
side sf Alaska something like 100 0oo. 900 Of
acres. OF this the national forest re-
serves in the United States proper en-
brace H4coO. 900 acres.
7 shall divide my discussion under the
heads Of a. agricultural lands; a. min
erai iands-that is. lands containing
metailIferous minerals; (O forest lands:
~ coal lands: t5) oil and gas lands; and
% phosphate lands.
Agricultural Lands.
Osr land laws for the entry Of agricul-
turai lands are now As follows:
The original homestead law, with the
requirements of residence and cultivation
for i've years. much more strictly en-
forced than ever before.
The enlarged homestead act. applying
- nonirrigable lands only. requiring i've
yeArT residence and continuous cultiva-
uoa q one-fourth Of the area.
The desert-land act. which requires on
the part of the purchaser the ownership
OF water right and thorough reclama-
tioa 0f the land by irrigation. and the
payment of $1.25 per acre.
Tho donation or Carey act. under which
the state selects the land and provides
for It's reclamation. and the title vests in
the settler who resides upon the land and
cutivates 1t and pays the cost of the
reclamation.
Tho national reclamation homestead
law. requiring five years residence and
cultivation by the settler on the land ir-
rigated by the government, and payment
by him to the government of the cost of
the reclamation.
The present congress passed bill Of
great importance severing the ownership
q coal by the government in the ground
from the surface and permitting home
stS entries upon the surface of the
lafH which. when perfected. give the
settler the right to farm the surface,
while the coal beneath the surface is re-
tafned in ownership by the government
and may be disposed of by it under other
laws.
There is no crying need for radical re-
fern in the methods Of disposing of what
ere really agricultural lands. The pres
snt laws have worked well. The en-
lafged homestead law has encouraged the
successful farming Of lands in the semi
arid regions.
Reclamation.
By the recla act . fund has been
created of the proceeds Of the public
lands of the United States with which to
construct works for storing great bodies
Of water at proper attitudes from which,
by q suitable system of canals and ditch
-, the water is to be distributed over the
arid and subarid lands of the government
to be sold to settlers at a price SUFFICIENT
to pay for the improvements. Primarily,
tho projects are and must be for the i'm
provement of public lands. Incidentally,
where private land is also within reach
Of the water supply. the furnishing at
cost or profit of this water to private
owners by the government is held by the
federal court Of appeals not to be a
usurpation of power. But certainly this
ought not to be done except from sur
plus water, not needed for government
land. The total sum already accumula-
ted In the reclamation fund is 360 273.-
Hs1 and of that all but SS. .49l .955.3 "a has
been expended. 1t became very clear to
congress at Its last session, from the
statements made by experts, that these
% projects could not be promptly COM
pleted with the balance remaining on
hand or with the funds likely to accrue
in the near future. It was found. more
v.,h~