Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-06
TAFT | AXES A
F|R|MSTANO0N
CONSERVATION
PRESIDENT IN ST. PAUL SPEECH
RECOMMENDS NEW LAWS TO
BOTH UTILIZE AND SAVE THE
couNTRY,s RESOURCES.
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preservation of our natural resources
4 Tor economical use, so as to secure the
greatest good to the greatest number
En the development of this country, II
the hardships of the pioneer, in the
energy of the settler, in the anxiety
Of the investor for quick returns. there
was very little time, opportunity, OF
aesire to prevent waste OF these re
\ sources supplied by nature which could
not be quickly transmitted into money;
while the investment of capital was
10 great a desideratum that the PEG
pie as . community exercised little OF
no care to prevent the transfer of alb
solute ownership of many of the valu
able natural resources to private in
dividuals, without retaining some kind
Of control of their use. The impulse
Of the whole new community was tc
encourage the coming of population
the increase of settlement, and the
opening up Of business; and he who
demurred in the slightest degree to
any step which promised additional
development of the idle resources at
hand was regarded as traitor to his
neighbors and an INSTRUCTOR to public
progress. But now that the communl'
ties have become old, now that the
lush OF enthusiastic expansion mas
HE'D away, now that the would-be plo'
neers have come to realize that all
the richest lands in the country have
been taken up, we have perceived the
necessity for change of policy in the
disposition of our national resources
30 as to prevent the continuance OF
the waste which has characterized our
phenomenal growth in the past. Today
We desire to restrict and retain under
public control the acquisition and use
by the capitalist of our natural re-
sources.
The danger to the state and to the
people at large from the waste and
dissipation of our national wealth Is
not one which quickly impresses itself
On the people of the older communi-
ties, because its most obvious in
stances dsnot occur in their neigh
borhood, while in the newer part of the
seUuntf the sympathy with expansion
and Development is so strong that the
danger is Scoffed at or ignored. Among
scientific men and Thoughtful observers
however, the danger has always been
present; but it needed some one to
bring home the crying need for a
remedy OF this evil so as to impress
itself on the public mind and lead to
the formation of public opinion and
action by the representative Of the PEG
pie. Theodore Roosevelt took up this
task in the last two years Of his second
administration, and we'll did he per
form 1t.
Not 4 Question OF Faction.
As president Of the United States
have, rs it were, inherited this policy
and rejoice in my heritage. priz'
my high opportunity to 60 all that al
executive can do to help great pee
pie realize great national ambition
For conservation Is national. 1t al
fects every man of us, every woman
every child. What l can do in tn
cause shall do, not as president of
party Shut as president of the Who'll
people. Conservation is not question
Of politics, or of factions, or Q
persons. It IL a question tina
Affects the vital welfare Of all Q
us-of our children and our children
children. urge that no good ca
come from meetings of this sort III
less We astribe to those who take par
In them, and who are apparently stri,
Ing worthily In the cause. all prope
motives, and unless we judicially COZ
Sider every measure or method pre-
posed with q view to it's effectiveness
In achieving our common purpose, an
wholly without regard to who prt
poses 1t or who will claim the credi
for it, adoption The problems 4 ar
81 very great difficulty and call for tn
calmest consideration and cleares
foresight Many of the questions prt
rented have phases that are new i
this country, and 1t is possible that i
their solution we may have to attemr
nrst one way and then another. Wha
wish to emphasize, however, is tina
satisfactory conclusion can only
reached promptly if we avoid acr
mony, imputations of bad faith, an
political controvers.-.
Facts About Public Domain.
The public domain Of the government
Or Lu6 Ou4tCU OSoCcS, illSluuIAS Gil III
cessions from those Of the thrice
vtates that made cessions to tn
United States and including Alasks
amounted In all to about 1,800000.00
acres. or this there is left as purel
government property outside of Alask
Domething like 7O0.0oO,OO0 of acre.
OF this the national forest reserves i
the United States proper embrac
IA. 100000 acres. The rest is Target
mountain or arid country, offerin
some opportunity for agriculture
dry farming and by reclamation, an
containing metals as we'll as Goa
phosphates, oils, and natural gas. The
the government owns many tracts {
land lying along the margins {
streams that have water power, tn
nae Of which is necessary in the col
4 version of the power into electricit
md its transmission.
shall divide my discussion unde
the head of "a agricultural lands; e
mineral lands-that is, lands contain
Ing metalliferons minerals; co fores
lands: ~ coal lands; go oil and ga
lands: co phosphate lands; and G.
water power sites.
feel that it will condnce to be
ter understanding of the problem