The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-14
THE PREsIDENTs MESSAGE.


special message. presented to congress
today, on the conservation of the nat
uraI resources of the nation would be
devoted to a discussion of the Balm
ger-Pinchot row, and particularly that
feature of it which necessitated the re-
noval Of Mr. Pinchot from Office. will
be disappointed. There is not men
ton in the message of the merits of
this controversy. 1t is ignored as
though it never existed. Attention is
called to the proposed congressional in
vestiEation of the administration OF the
department of the interior and the
forestry service but it is made merely
for the purpose of directing the atten-
ton of congress to the fact that the
results of this investigation are not
needed for the new legislation which
the president recommends in respect to
the management of public lands and in
respect to reclamation.
And this is most important. AS MI
Taft points out in his message. and has
been generally known, the present laws
for the conservation of the national re-
sources. are wholly inadequate TO meet
present conditions and to properly pro-
tect the great interest OF the puolc IN
these possessions. Such being the case
the longer these ineffective laws are IN
force the longer will be the opportunity
for an improper despoiiation OF the
public domain. It is also a we'll known
fact that congress is far from oelng
free as yet OF representatives ana SEN
ators who have something of friendly
feeling for the interests those large
aggregations of capital which have
been especially active in the aggran-
dizement of the most valuable property
in the public domain, water-power
sites. coal lands. etc. Now this lnvesr-
cation of the department of the interior
and the forestry service, which has de-
welcomed as a result of the Ballinger-
Pinchot row. will offer a good excuse IN
the minds of some for the delay OF ac-
ton on legislation to perfect the pubic
land laws. They will point out that
much might develop in the investlsa-
ton which would be of value to the
framing of such legislation. Inasmuch
as it is admitted that the investl-
CATION will not be concluded so
that a report can be made be-
fore the next session of congress
such a delay would be merely
playing into the hands of those who are
DESTROYS of gobbling up everything of
value in the public domain and which
they can do without much trouble I'M
der existing laws.
1t is apparent, therefore, that Mr.
Taft is hitting an important nail with
ru-6o RrpSS
to take up the matters of amending the
present land laws at the earliest posi-
BILE moment without awaiting the re-
suits of the investigation that has been
determined upon.
Every detail of this latest special
message of the president will also cause
keen disappointment in the minds OF
many who have seemed to take great
delight in insisting that President Taft
has forgotten the Roosevelt policies.
Among my policies" the conservation
of the nations resources occupied a
paramount place. There is not a single
one of them that Mr.. Taft does not fol-
low up with recommendations for their
into law. In fact, as was
the case in respect to the regulation of
Mr.. Taft has out-Roosevelted
Roosevelt He favors enacting into law
the recommendations made by Secre-
tary Ballinger in his annual report for
the handling of public lands. These
suggestions have been widely discussed
of late and the public is pretty familiar
with them. 1t is generally admitted,
too. that these recommendations of Mr..
Ballinger and the president go much
further and are more drastic in protect
ing the rights of the people in their
public properties than did any of the
more or less definite suggestions made
by Mr.. Roosevelt.
An important feature of Mr.. Taft's
is his insistence that there is
no danger of the water power sites of
the nation being monopolized by any
one company or set of men provided
there is legislation which will permit of
the disposal of such sites as are now
owned by the government in such a
way as to prevent their union for the
purposes of monopoly with other water
power sites which have already been
secured from the government.
He also makes a most important
point in relation to the protection and
of the timber supply of the
nation. He calls attention to the fact
that the private holdings of timber land
at the present time are enormous and
that only three per cent of this timber
land is handled by its owners in a
proper fashion. And che says that the
control to be exercised over private
owners in the treatment of the forests
which they own is matter for state,
not national legislation.
Mr.. Taft is strongly in favor of the
of the inland waterways
and thinks that some of the projects al
ready undertaken in this connection
should be finished up and that congress
should provide the means for other
projects when they assume a definite