Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-03-16
BALLINGER ON
CONSERVATION
Secretary Delivers Address Which
Has Taft's Approval

ST, PAUL. March Is.-I In an ad-
dress today before the Minnesota
conservation convention. Secretary 81
the Interior BAlIInger gave his inter
probation Of the national obligations
regarding che public domain and Its
disposition. The speech according Ia
reports from washington had the
personal o. X. of President TAFT.
The greater portion or the burden
Of conserving the natural resources
OF the country was laid by Secretary
Baliinger az the doors 0f the states.
There has been and 10. he said,
70 grossly exaggerated Ension among
some people as to what the general
government can do In conserving the
natural resources that lie IN the de-
posits Of minerals and are contained
In the soils and streams. For the
most part they have passed into pri-
yate ownership and are under the
municipal Jurisdiction Of the states.
Amy national conservation policy
must be predicated on the policy az.
feciing the public domain, since for
the most part the states are sovereign
within their own spheres OF jurIsdlc.
ton. Therefore / believe a greater
obligation rests upon the state than
upon the national government co In
augurate laws TO prevent waste IN
the utilization OF natural resources. Z"
Referring to the duty OF the ma
tional government In this connection.
he first regarded It AZ essential that
the public domain be studied and sur
veyed and an adequate scientific
classification Of the remainder OF the
public lands be made.
He scored the ''idealistlc eonserva-
tionists" heavily Tor tackIIng the
proposition without a sound knowl-
edge of conditions"
Il grant you such people are. for
the most part. sincere. but their very
sincerity gives them such a vigor
Of imagination and prediction that Il
Is oftsntimes hard TO combat their
yagaFies except through practical
demonstration.
Then, 10 give hem their due" he
added. they have this virtue that
they do not let US forget that ex-
tremes often prove fruitful OF sound
reason to those who may be over
optimistic"
OF his own stand In the matter.
Secretary Ballinger said:
II am a. ardent an advocate OF
wise conservation as the most radi-
cal, but IL must be wise conserva-
ton to appeal to me. II must simply
be as full aud free q development OF
cur natural resources as is consist
ent with our civilization and needs.
It may mean the reservation from use
for limited periods OF certain Of our
deposits OF coal. OF mineral oils and
gas. OF phosphate or Of timber. TO
protect against the inordinate greed
of men who wish 10 exploit the pres
ent with no regard for the future or
the general welfare, and when this
becomes necessary Il Ii a natural da-
ty to make such reservations out Of
public domain.
But we must not forget that we
are not through with the policy OF
Development. of building up new
communities and settlements. even In
far-off Alaska. We have not realized
that period where we can say the
remainder OF our public lands shall
be auetioned OF to the highest bid
der 70 increase the revenues of the
national treasury.
Congress Is now struggling with
the problems relating 10 water pow
eF. and other measures designed TO
retain In the government the powe4
of control and supervision
Discussing Alaskan matters he
continued:
These Alaskan coal lands and
claims. 81 their market value, arc
Withdrawn from entry. awaiting elas-
slEcaiiOn. and all the unentsrsd or
INDICATED coal lands in Alaska are
under 80 absolute Withdraw
a act OF 1906. and not a patent has
ever been Issued 10 an acre OF coal
land IN Alaska. In fact nearly all
the coal lands that have been patent
ed have been obtained not as coal
lands bat under the KuEse of some