Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-05

vinced that the only safe course for us
to pursue is to hold fast to the hmlta-
tons of the constitution and to regard
as sacred the powers of the states
We have made wonderful progress and
at the same time have preserved with
judicial exactnesJ the restrictions OF
the constitution. There is an easy way
In which the constitution can be vio-
lated by congress without judicial In
hibition-to wit, by appropriations
from the national treasury for uncon-
stitutional purposes. 1t will be sorry
day for this country il the time ever
comes when our fundamental compact
shall be habitually disregarded In this
manner.
Our Forest Lands.
Nothing can be more important In
the matter of conservation than the
treatment of our forest lands. 1t was
probably the ruthless destruction Of
forests in the older states that first
called attention to a halt in the waste
of our resources.
This was recognized by congress by
an act authorizing the executive to re-
serve from entry and set aside pub
lie timberlands as national forests.
Speaking generally, there has been
reserved of the existing forests about
20 per cent of all the timberlands Of
the government.
Within these forests Qncluding 26,-
100000 acres in two forests in Alas
10000, 900 of acres are in the United
States proper and include within their
boundaries something like 22,000,000
of acres that belong to the state or to
private individuals. We have, then,
excluding Alaska forests, a total Of
about 144.000.OO0 acres of forests be-
longing to the government which is
being treated in accord with the prin-
ciples of scientific forestry.
The law now prohibits the reserva-
ton of any more forests lands in
Oregon, Washington. Idaho, Montana,
Colorado and Wyoming, except by act
of congress. l am informed by the de-
partment of agriculture that the gov
ernment owns other tracts of timber
land in these states which should be
included in the forest reserves.
expect to recommend to congress
that the. limitation herein imposed
shall be repealed. In the present for
est reserve there are lands which are
not properly forest land and which
ought to be subject to homestead en-
try. This has caused some local irri-
tation.
We are carefully eliminating such
lands from forest reserves or, where
their elimination Is not practicable,
listing them for entry under the forest
homestead act Congress ought to
trust the executive to use the power
of reservation only with respect to
Land covered by timber or which will
be useful in the plan of reforestation
Another source of profit in the for
estry is the receipts for timber sold.
This year they amounted TO 81 .O43, 900.
an increase of $307 900 over the re-
ceipts of last year. This increase is
due TO the Improvement in transporta-
ZION to market and TO the greater facfl-
ity with which the timber can be
reached.
Coal Lands.
The next SUBJECT and one most i'm
portant for our consideration is the
disposition of the coal lands in the
United States and in Alaska. First as
to those in the United States. at the
beginning Of this administration there
were classified coal lands amounting to
5,416OOO acres, and there were with
drawn from entry for purposes of
classification 1856, 900 acres. Since