Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-09-08

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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 10 $50, N3,
25S22, and OF that all but So 491 1854 has
been expended. It became very clear to
; congress at its last session, from the
statements made by experts, that these
30 projects could not be promptly COM
pleted with the balance remaining on
hand or with the funds likely to accrue
| in the near future. 1t was found, more
| over. that there are many settlers who
| have been led into taking up lands with
the hope and understanding OF having
water furnished in a short time, who are
| left in a most distressing situation. 1
! recommended to congress that authority
| be given to the secretary OF the interior
| to issue bonds in anticipation Of the as
| sured earnings by the projects, so that
| the projects, worthy and feasible, might
| be promptly completed, and the settlers
| might be relieved from their present In
convenience and hardship. In authorizing
| the issue of these projects, congress lin
| tied the application of their proceeds to
| those projects which board OF army en-
| gineers. to be appointed by the president
should examine and determine to be
| feasible and worthy of completion. The
board has been appointed and soon will
| make Its report.
| Suggestions have been made that the
United States ought to aid in the drain
age Of swamp lands belonging to the
states or private owners, because, II
| drained, they would be exceedingly val
liable for agriculture and contribute to
the general welfare by extending the
| area OF cultivation. I deprecate the agi-
tation in favor of such legislation. 1t is
inviting the general government into
contribution from It's treasury toward en-
terprises that should be conducted either
by private capital or at the instance OF
the state. In these days there is a dispo
stion to look too much to the federal
government for everything. ! am liberal
in the construction OF the Constitution
with reference to federal power: but I
am firmly convinced that the only safe
course for us to pursue Is to hold fast
to the limitations OF the Constitution and
to regard as sacred the powers Of the
states. We have made wonderful prog
ress and at the same time have pre-
served with judicial exactness the re-
strlctions OF the Constitution. There is
an easy way in which the Constitution
can be violated by congress without
judicial inhibition, bo-wit, by appropria-
lions from the national treasury for I'M
constitutional purposes. 1t will be a sorry
day for this country IL the time ever
comes when our fundamental compact
shall be habitually dlsregarded in this
manner.
Mineral Lands.
By mineral lands I mean those lands
bearing metals, or what are called metal
liferous minerals. The rules OF owner
ship and disposition OF these lands were
first fixed by custom in the west. and
then were embodied in the law, and they
have worked on the whole, 80 fairly and
we'll that I do not think 1t is wise to
attempt to change or better them.
Nothing can be more important in the
matter OF conservation than the treatment
of our forest lands. 1t was probably the
ruthless destruction OF forests in the
older states that first called attention to
a 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
! 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 dncludng $4,000 900
acres in two forests In Alaska) are 49,
| 900 900 Of acres, OF which l66,OoOOOO OF
acres are in the United States proper and
| include within their boundaries Some
thing like 22.Oo0o 900 OF acres that belong
| to the state or to private individuals. We
| have then, excluding Alaska forests.
| total of about 14,0 900 acres OF forests
| belonging to the government which Is
| being treated in accord with the princl-
| 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. 1t is
estimated that fire alone destroys $50, 000,-
| 900 worth OF timber year. The
| management Of forests not on public
land is beyond the jurisdiction Of the fed
eral government. II anything can be done
by law IT must be done by the state leg
.slatures. 1 believe that 1t 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.
| I 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 acI
vesting the executive with full power e
make forest reservations in every state
where government land Is Undiscovered
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
in the United States At the beginning
Of this administration they were classi
fed coal lands amounting to b,Eeoo
acres, and there were withdrawn from
entry for purposes of classification IT,,
| S67 900 acres Since that time there hav'
been withdrawn by my order from entry
for classification 77,64s.O0o acres. making
total withdrawal OF s5.515,Ooo acres
Meantime. OF the acres thus withdrawn
11371, 900 have been classified and founC
not to contain coal. and have been re
stored to agricultural entry, and 4356, 90
acres have been classified as coal lands
while 1875 900 acres remain withdraw
from entry and await classification. Il
| addition 1886, 900 acres have been classi
fed as coal lands without prior withdraw
al, thus increasing the classified Goa
lands to 10, 158, 900 acres.
Under the laws providing for the dispo
| sition Of coal lands, the minimum pric
at which lands are permitted to be sol
Is SO an acre; but the secretary Of tn
interior has the power to fix a maximum
price and sell at that price. By the frs
regulations governing appraisal, ap
proved April 8, 1907, the minimum was 81
as provided by law, and the maximum
was 500, and the highest price actuall
placed upon any land sold was SIS. Ur
der the new regulations. adopted April Il
4 1909, the maximum price was increased
$500 except in regions where there ar
large mines. where no maximum limit
| fixed and the price Is determined by tn
estimated tons of coal to the acre. TIL
highest price fxed for any land undo
this regulation has been sos. The ar
| praisal value OF the lands classified q
coal lands and valued under the new an
old regulations is shown TO be as follow!
4,so3, s21 acres, valued under the old req
lations at $77,644,329, an average Of SIS a