Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-09-11
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CONSERVATION AND COMMON
SENSE.

NV SSV""S'~
SENSE.
Much of what l have to say on the
subject OF conservation will be but
repetition of what was so admirably
said from this platform yesterday
These were the words of Mr.. Roose-
welt on Tuesday, referring to Mr..
Taft's talk a day earlier. He added
that: All friends of conservation
should be in hearty agreement with
the policy which the president laid
down in connection with the COAL oil
and phosphate lands, and l am glad
to be able to say that at its recent
session congress finally completed the
work of separating the surface title
to the land from the mineral beneath
it. Thus there is no material diver
gence between the policy which the
president urges and that which was
started under his predecessor, except
that in the present case the work is
done under the authority of statute,
while in the former instance some of
it was performed through executive
fiat. The desire of both was and is
to prevent monopoly and to avert ex-
orbitant charges by private exploiters,
but not to tie up the lands from
utilization. While the future Is to be
looked after, the needs of the pres
ent generation should be kept con.
stantly in mind. This appears to be
the purpose of the president, says
the st. Louis Globe-Democrat. The
coal and oil lands must be opened,
and the people of the present age and
of the locality in which these minerals
are found must get the benefit of
these cheap materials of industry. The
president, as we'll as a great many
other persons who have given some
thought to this subject, believe that
this can be done by a system which
puts most of these lands under the
control of the national government,
and which places some of the pro-
ceeds of the working of those min
erals in the United States treasury.
When the question is considered
calmly there will not be much room
for conflict between the moderates on
each side Of the conservation issue.
In it's larger phase conservation began
with the enactment of the national
irrigation law in 1902. A law on those
lines had been urged by statesmen
of the east and west for many years
and through several presidencies. and
in 1902 it became a fact. 1t is esll-
mated that that act. when 1t gets
fully into. operation. will increase the !
capacity of the states in !
he arid belt, which is chiefly west |
If Missouri, Iowa and Arkansas, to
he extent of 10.O00,0 900 or 100000
If people. AS a supplement to ma
ional irrigation has come national
of tie countrys basic
iron, oil. phosphate
nd other minerals. The country is
making some progress in conserva-
ion. Oae measure on that subject
vas passed in the recent session, en-
lowering the president to withdraw
certain lands from immediate pur-
base and placing the control in the
lands of the national government
1alf a dozen measures dealing with
Their phases of the general subject of
are now before congress,
nd some of them may be passed in
he short session this winter. But
ongress may be relied on to proceed
! an orderly, conservative way. Hys-
eria will not be permitted to exer-
ise any sway over legislation, if the
epublica1 leaders can prevent it. It
rin be the duty of the leaders to
revent conflict between national
aeas and legitimate state functions.
N rights which belong to the states
ill be respected. While much OF
hat passes for conservation in 1910
toald have beea called radicalism a
~ years ago, yet there 10 still a