East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-07-08
President signs Order With
drawing Thousands Of
Acres from Public Domain.
SIX STATES ARE
AFFECTED BY ORDER
DakOtas, Washington, Utah, Colo
rado and Arizona Taken From Pub
lie Domain by Act of President
Taft-Lands Withdrawn From sale
Settlement, Location or Entry.

Beverly, Mass, July S.-Contin-
uing his policy of practical conserva-
ton. President Taft late last night
signed orders to withdraw 35,073,1sI
acres of coal lands from the public
domain in the states of North and
South Lawota, Washington, Utah,
Colorado and the territory of Arizona.
OF the total Withdrawals, 20,698,-
469 acres are new, while 14,374,69S
acres are covered in confirmations
and notifications under the new law,
approved June 25, if Withdrawals
made during the last four years By
both Presidents Roosevelt and Taft.
North and South Dakota are the
two states affected by the new with.
drawals. From the public domain in
North Dakota the president has with
drawn from settlement 17.S2S,1Sa
acres of land believed to contain
workable coal in South Dakota, the
amount withdrawn is 2,S70,2S7 acres.
Previous Withdrawals confirmed By
the president last night are divided
among the several states as follows:
Washington 2,207,s67 acres Arizona
61,2s0; Utah 5,S16,2S7 acres; Colo
rado 6,191,161 acres.
The withdrawal orders prepared by
the geological survey and approved
by the secretary Of the interiar, reach
ed Beverly from Washington late last
night. They We're sent to the Taft cot
tage on Burgess Point, where they
were signed by the president. This
was announced as one of the few inn
portant matters that will be called to
Mr.. Taft's attention during his ten
days of real vacation.
All the Withdrawals and confirm
ations were made under the law passed
at the last session of congress which
definitely authorized the president to
withdraw various lands from entry
pending their classification and spec
ial disposition by congress.
The president urged this law as the
first step in his plan for practical
conservation. He hopes to secure adj
ditional legislation at the coming ses-
sion of congress dealing with the
terms under which water power sites,
coal, petroleum and phosphate lands
may be disposed of. In Colorado the
various orders of withdrawal confirm
ed last night date from July 26. 1905,
to June 81, 1910; in Utah, from July
26, 1906 May .. 1910; in Arizona from
November %, 1909. to December 2S,
1909, and in Washington from July 26,
1906 to April Z, 1909 In withdrawing
the vast amount of new lands in
North and South Dakota, the president
and Secretary Ballinger have acted
principally on a report by Arthur G.
Jaffa, practical miner employed by
the geological survey
Director George Otis Smith OF the
geological survey. in his recommen-
dation for Withdrawals in North and
South Dakota says:
"A consideration of the information
available here as well as Of the re-
port of Mr.. Jaffa leads us to the con-
clusion that there are large areas in
these states which are underlaid BY
Ignite considered workable under the
present regulations and which should
be withdrawn from entry"
All the orders state that the lands
are withdrawn from settlement To-
cation sale or entry and reserved for
examination and classification with re-
spect to coal values"
President Taft early this week sign
ed orders Withdrawing approximately
s,500,000 acres of water power sites.
phosphate and petroleum lands in the
United States and all OF the known
coal fields in Alaska.