The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-09-09

Suggestions have been made that the
United States ought to aid in the drain
age Of swamp lands belonging 10 the
states or private owners. because. II
drained. they would be exceedingly val
liable for agriculture and contribute 10
the general welfare by extending the
area of cultivation. deprecate the agi-
tation In favor of such legislation. II Is
inviting the general government into
contribution from its treasury toward en-
terprises that should be conducted either
by private capital or at the instance Of
the state. II these days there Is dispo-
sition 70 look too much to the federal
goveruueEt for everything ! am liberal
tn the construction Of the Constitution
with reference to federal power: but I
ana firmly convinced, that the only safe
course fer Us TO pursue is to hold fast
10 the limitations of the Constitution and
10 regard Gs sacred the powers Of the
states We have made wonderful p-oE-
ress and 20 tho same time have pre-
served with judicial exactuess the re-
st-ictio0s OF the Constitution There is
an easy way i'm which the Constitution
caE be violated Ly congress without
Judicial, inhibition, to-wit, hy arrvorr!l-
tons frou the national treasury for u--
constitutional purposes IL will ho sorry
day for this country if the time ever
cones when ot- fundamental compact
shall Pc hlhituai!y disra=arded in this
manner.
Mineral Lands.
By mi9eral lands I mean those lands
hearing metals. CT what ere called metal
4 lfs-oUs minerals. The rules of owner
ship and disposition Of these lands We're
first fixed ny custom in the west. and
then wore embodied In the law and they
I have worked, on the whole. 81 fairly AMI
T. q. tfr,t- - vs.fs b,
| attempt 10 change or better them.
Forest Lands.
Nothing can be more taapcrtant in the
matter of conservation than the treatment
/ Of our forest lands It was probably the
| ruthless destruction of forests in the
| older states that first called attention 20
a halt In the waste of our resources. This
| was recognized by congress by an act
1 authorizing the executive TO reserve from
/ entry and set aside public timber lands
/ as 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 Gncluding 2j,010020
/ acres in two forests in Alaska) are 1872
! 00oO00 of acres. of which 100000 Of
| acres are in the United States proper and
! include within their boundaries some
! thing like 92.0Qo COO Of acres that belong
to the state or TO private individuals. We
4 have then. excluding Alaska forests a
! total of about 100000 acres of forests
| belonging to the government which IS
being treated in accord with the p-inci-
| pies 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
ership. Only three per cent OF that which
| is In private ownership is looked after
properly and treated according to mod
ern rules Of forestry. The usual de-
structive waste and neglect continues in
! the remainder Of the forests owned by
| private persons and corporations. L IL
| estimated that fire alone destroys $4,000
eco worth of timber year. The
! MANAGEMENT of forests not on public
! land is beyond the jurisdiction Of the fed
eral government If anything can be done
| by law II must be done by the state leg
| 'slatures. I believe that 1t is within their
| constitutional power to require the en-
/ forcement Of regulations in the general
public interest as 70 fire and other
causes Of waste in the management OF
! forests owned by private individuals and
I 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-
4 lection TO national forests and an act
vesting the executive with full power to
make forest reservations in every state
where government land is timbar-covered,
or where the land is needed for forestry
purposes.
CcaI Lands.
The next subject. and one most impor-
tant for our consideration. is the d'sposi-
ton Of the coal lands in the United
States and in Alaska First. as to those
! In the United States. At the beginning
of this administration they were CLASH
fed coal lands amounting TO $4,000
acres. and there We're withdrawn from
I entry for purposes Of classification H.
$4,000 acres. Since that time there have
1 been withdrawn by my order from entry
for classification 77.Gis.oC0 acres making
! q total withdrawal Of 9j5i5.Co0 acres.
I Meantime. Of the acres thus withdrawn.
1871. 600 have been classified and found
not 20 contain coal, and have been re-
stored to agricultural entry, and 4,35i.O0O
acres have been classified as coal lands:
/ while Ts.7SS 600 acres remain withdrawn
from entry and await classification. In
addition 3S5C00 acres have been CLASH
! fed as coal lands without prior withdraw
/ al thus increasing the classified coal
lands to 10l6S.Co0 acres.
Under the laws providing for the d.spo-
| S'tlOn or coal lanes, TIE minimum price
| at which lands are permitted to be sold
| is $40 an acre; but the secretary of the
interior has the power 10 fix maximum
price and sell at that price. BY the first
| regulations governing appraisal. ap-
| proved April 8, 1907 the minimum was $40.
| as provided by law. and the maximum
was 500. and the highest price actually
placed upon any land sold was So I'm
der the new regulations, adopted April 10.
4 1909. the maximum price was increased to
/ $500. except in regions where there are
/ large mines. where no maximum limit is
/ fixed and the price is determined by the
estimated tons of coal to the acre. The
/ highest price fixed for any land under
! this regulation has been Sc0S The ap-
/ praisal value of the lands classified as
coal lands and valued under the new and
/ old regulations is shown to be as follows:
! i.S03,92l acres. valued under the old ra-,,-
/ lations at S71G44.329, an average Of SIS an
! acre. and 5.S64.70 acress classified and
/ valued under the new regulation at 1884,
203,242. or total of iO,l5S,G23 acres, val
ued at i7l.Si757l.
For the year ending March 81 1909, 227
coal entries were made, embracing an
area of 1881 acres. which sold for $685.
02O.D. For the year ending March 81.
1910, there were l76 entries. embracing an