Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-04
New Conservation Move Affects
California Petroleum and
Power Site AcreageS
FOLLOWS ROOSEVELT POLICY
8aIIinger Called to Conference;
Alaska Coal Ground at Last
Protected
Associated Press1

BEVERLY, Mass, July 3.-President
Taft today took the first step in his
own conservation policy by signing or
ders of withdrawal covering S495.731
J., acres of power site, phosphate and
petroleum lands.
The president also appointed the en-
gineer officers of the army who will
constitute board to pass on the re-
clamation projects to be completed
under the recent appropriation of $780,
100000. 1t is limited that there are other
announcements to come with regard to
conservation policy of the administra-
tion. The president has summoned
Secretary Ballinger for a conference on
Tuesday.
The withdrawal orders signed by the
president today are the first specifically
authorized by the new law. Mr.. Roose-
velt as president, inaugurated the
policy of withdrawing public lands and
the general theory of the right of the
executive to do anything In the interest
of the public domain not prohibited by
law. President Taft has acted In the
same way.
wITHDRAwS ALASKA COAL
President Taft also signed orders of
withdrawal today covering public lands
and lands In national forests in Alaska,
in which workable coal Is known to
occur, thus ratifying and continuing in
full effect the withdrawal made by Mr..
Roosevelt on November 12, 1906
The water sites, withdrawn by Pres
ident Taft cover a total of 1.415, ,499
acres. There phosphate lands withdraw
total 2.594113 acres, and the petroleum
lands 4,447, ,119 acres
The areas involved in the power sites
withdrawn are as follows:
Arizona, 107, $50 acres; California, A.
S19; Colorado, 201.549; Idaho. 230,971;
Montana, 122, 515; Nevada, 14,501; New
Mexico, 1885; Oregon, 176.721; Wash
ington, 55,439; Wyoming, 1O3,396; Utah,
379,912.
The phosphate land acreage with
drawals are: Florida, 27.40O; Idaho. L.
102,S17; Utah. 1O7,545; Wyoming, 1,3S1.-
S51.
Petroleum land acreage Withdrawals
are: Arizona, 10000; California, g.
4S2,750; Colorado, s7,474; Louisiana,
314,720; New Mexico, 419.901 Oregon,
74,S49; Utah, 5S1,564; Wyoming, 255, ,461.
APPOINTS ENGINEERING BOARD
The board of engineers appointed by
the president today to examine and
report upon reclamation projects
which it Is proposed to complete or
extend with funds provided by the act
authorizing the issuance of 500, 900, 900
in certificates of Indebtedness, is
headed by Lieutenant Colonel John
Riddle, who was until recently the en-
g1neer commissioner or the District or
Columbia, and who is now on duty at
San Francisco. The four other MEM
bers of the board are Lieutenant Col
onel William c. Langfitt, Major Will
liam w. Harts, Charles w. Kutz and
Harry Burgess, all of the engineer
corps of the army. Lieutenant Colonel
Langfitt is the commandant Of the en-
gineers school at Washington.
In the expenditure of the $1,000, 900
the president Is made the final arbiter.
He must approve each project before
any OF the money can be expended.
The act provides that mo one part Of
this appropriation shall be expended
upon any existing project until 1t shall
have been examined and reported upon
bv board of engineer officers of the
army, designated by the president of
the United States, and until 1t shall be
approved by the president as feasible
and practicable and worthy of such
expenditure, nor shall any portion of
this appropriation be expended on any
new project"
General William L. Marshall, who
yesterday was appointed consulting en-
gineer of the reclamation service, has
been requested by the president to lend
such aid to the board of engineers as
is compatible with his new duties.