The Forrest City times., 1910-12-09
Abolish Navy Yards.

The president calls attention to cer- tain reforms urged by the secretary of the navy which he recommends for adoption, and continues:
 The estimates of the navy depart ment are s5,000,000 less than the ap- propriations for the same purpose last year, and included in this is the build. ing program of the same amount as that submitted for your consideration last year. It is merely carrying out the plan of building two battleships a year, with few needed auxiliary yes sels. l earnestly hope that this pro gram will be adopted
 The secretary of the navy has given personal examination to every navy yard. and has studied the uses of the navy yards with reference to the necessities of our fleet With a fleet considerably less than half the size of that of the British navy. We have shipyards more than double the number. and there are several of these shipyards expensiyely equipped with modern machinery, which. after inves- tigation the secretary of the navy be- lieyes to be entirely useless for naval purposes. He asks authority to aban. don certain of them and to move their machinery to other places. where it can be made of use"
 The complete success of our coun- try in arctic exploration should not re- main unnottced. The unparalleled achievement of Peary in reaching the north pole April 6, 1909, approved by critical examination of the most ex- pert scientists. has added to the dis tinction of our navy, to which he be. longs, and reflects credit upon his country l recommend fitting recogni lion by congress of the great achieve ment of Robert Edwin Peary."
 Conservation.
 The subject of the conservation of the public domain has commanded the attention of the people within the last two or three years.
 There is no need for radical re- form in the methods of disposing of what are really agricultural lands. The present laws have worked well. The enlarged homestead law has encour. aged the successful farming ot lands in the semiarid regions
 Nothing can be more important in the matter of conservation than the treatment of our forest lands. It was probably the ruthless destruction of forests in the older states that first called attention 10 the necessity for halt in the waste of our resources.
 In the present forest reserves there are lands which are not properly for est and which ought to be subject to homestead entry This has caused some local irritation. We are care fully eliminating such lands from for est reserves or where their elimina- ion Is not practical listing them for entry under the forest homestead act
 Congress ought to trust the execu- tive 10 use the power of reservation only with respect to land most valu. *rle for forest purposes. During the resent administration. 62.250.000 acres of iand largely non-timbered, tave been excluded from forest re. aorves, and 3,5OO,0O0 acres of land valued for forest purposes have been included in forest reserves. 4aking reduction in forest reserves e. non-timbered land amounting to ..7s0. .6o0 acres
 Coal Lands.
 The next subject. and one most i'm. portant for your consideration. is the disposition of the coal lands in the ! ntted States and Alaska Al the ho-