Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-01-19

Washington, Jan. 14.-Following is
the complete text of the special mes
sage On the conservation of the ma.
tons resources sent to the senate
and house of representatives by Pres.
ident Taft today:
To the Senate and House of Representa-
uvss:
In my annual message I reserved the
subject of the conservation Of our ma
tlonal resources for disposition in a spe-
cial message, as follows:
IN several departments there is pre-
scented the necessity for legislation look
ing to the further conservation of our
nat1onal resources, and the subject is one
OF such Importance as to require more
detailed and extended discussion than
can be entered upon in this communlca-
ton. For that reason I shall take an
early opportunity to send a special mes
sage to congress on the subject of the
improvement Of our Waterways; upon the
reclamation and irrigation Of arid. semi
arid and swamp lands; upon the preser-
walton of our forests and the re-foresting
OF suitable areas; upon the re-classifica-
ton or the public domain with view of
separating from agricultural settlement
mineral, coal and phosphate lands and
SITES belonging to the government bor-
dering on streams suitable for the utili-
cation of water power
In 1860 we had public domain of 1.055-
el1,2SS acres. We have now 731, 1854 OS1
acres, confined largely to the mountain
ranges and the arid and semi-arid plains.
We have, in addition, 1868, OF, 975 acres of
land In Alaska.
Disbursement of Public Lands.
The public lands were, during the earli-
est administrations, treated as a national
asset for the liquidation Of the public
debt and as source Of reward for our
soldiers and sailors. Later on they were
donated in large amounts in aid of the
construction of wagon roads and rail-
ways, In order to open up regions in the
west then almost inaccessible. All the
principal land statutes were enacted more
than quarter Of century ago. The
homestead act the presumption and tim
ber-culture act the coal land and the
mining acts were among these.
The rapid disposition of the public lands
under the early statutes, and the lax
methods of distribution prevailing, due. I
think, to the belief that these lands
should rapidly pass into private owner
ship, gave rise to the impression that
the public domain was legitimate prey
for the INSCRIPTIONS and that it was not
contrary to good morals to circumvent
the land laws. This prodigal manner of
disposition resulted in the passing of
large areas Of valuable land and MANY
or our national resources into the hands
of persons who felt little or no responsi-
bility for promoting the national vel
fare through their development.
Fraudulent Titles.
The truth is that title to millions Of
acres of public lands was fraudulently
obtained and that the right to recover a
large part of such lands for the govern
ment long since ceased by reason of stat
utes OF limitations. There has developed
IN recent years deep concern in the
public mind respecting the preservation
ana proper use OF our natural resources.
This has been particularly directed
toward the conservation of the resources
OF the public domain. A vast amount of
discussion has appeared in the public
prints in generalized form on this sub
ject, but there has been little practical
suggestion. It has been easy to saw that
the natural resources in fuel supply, In
forests, In water power, and in other
public utilities, must be saved from
waste, monopoly, and other abuses, and
the general public is in accord with this
proposition. as they are with most
truisms. The problem, however, is how
| to save and how to utilize, how to con-
! serve and still develop for no sane per-
| son can contend that it is for the com
| mon good that natures blessings are
only for unborn generations.
Noteworthy Reforms.
Among the most noteworthy reform,
Initiated by my distinguished predecessor
| were the vigorous prosecution of land
| frauds and the bringing to public atten.
! ton of the necessity for preserving the
| remaining public domain from furthe,
spoliation, for the maintenance and ex.
tension of our forest resources, and 70,
the enactment of laws amending the oh.
| eolete statutes so as. to retain govern.
| mental control over that part of the pub.
lie domain in which there are valuable
| deposits of coal, of oil, and of phosphate
and, In addition thereto, to preserve con.
troll, under conditions favorable to thu
public, Of the lands along the streams ii
which the fall of water can be made t.
generate power to be transmitted in the
form Of electricity many miles to thu
point of its use, known as water power
sites.
The Investigations into violations of thu
public land laws and the prosecution q
land frauds have been vigorously con
tinued under my administration, as ha:
been the withdrawal of coal lands fo]
classification and valuation and the tenn
uorary Withholding of power sites. Sine,