Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-03-17
Sec. BALL|N6I2'S
ST. PAUL SPEECH

|0l. pAUL 0rCtGn
St. Paul, Mimi, Mar. 15.-As an ar
dent an advocate of wise conserva-
ton as the most radical, was the way
in which Secretary Ballinger, of the
interior department, in speech to.
day before the State Conservation
convention, expressed his policy in
regard to the public land question.
"But," he added, ut must be wise
conservation to appeal to me-"
Secretary Ballinger declared him.
self out of sympathy with those radi-
Gals who fear that all natural resour.
ces are being used up without any
consideration for future generations.
"Our country he said, 'is the
richest of all in natural resources.
Its soil, it's minerals, it's coal, its
iron, its granite, it's limestone, it's
water power and it's climate possess
Unreasonable wealth, and, If prop
erly utilized, contain sufficient re-
sources to care for all probable in
INAOooO Ia Viz pOPuAokAOA VI Jul NOun-
try in the years to come"
He said that while "the doctrain-
aires figure that the coal deposits of
the United States and Alaska will be
exhausted in a period of one hun
dred years, the fact is that, according
to the production Of coal in the
United States at the close of 1908,
only O.4 of per cent of the original
supply of coal had been exhausted,
leaving as the apparent supply still
available 99.6 per cent of the origi-
nal supply, or coal enough to last.
as some claim, for period Of 1000
years."
after long indifference on the
part of the people as to the public
domain" he declared, "a deep con-
Germ has suddenly arisen respecting
the remnant Of the national estate,
with wholly exaggerated notion of
what should be done with it by the
government There is much talk
about the conservation Of our nation
al resources, and nebulous theories
that sound good to the ear, but are
impossible of practical application
to existing conditions, are advanced.
Between the hysteria that exists on
the one side and the tendency to
despoil the public domain on the
other, we will, it is hoped, be able
to find the true policy Of the gov
ernment.'
He expressed the opinion that "A
greater obligation rests upon the
states than upon the general govern
ment to inaugurate laws to prevent
waste in the utilization of national
resources" There has been a gross
ly exaggerated notion among some
people, he declared, as to what the
general government can do in con-
serving the natural resources that
lie in the deposits of minerals. and
are contained in the soils and the
streams. For the most part, he
pointed out, they have passed into
private ownership and are under the
municipal ownership of the states.
1T seems to- me-" he continued,
that we should not try to impose
the whole burden of conservation on
the general government but leave it
to the states and to the municipal.
ties to work out, except insofar as
national interference is necessary to
protect national interests; and
want to be understood as opposed
to the theory that, because the state
has not exercised to the full it's pow
ers in the matter Of reforms, ipso
facto, the national government must
exercise them"
The national government, he said,
cannot center the state and dictate
the means or method Of the develop
ment of its streams and rivers, ex-
cept insofar as tteir navigation is
concerned" Wise conservation, in
his opinion implied ''as full and free
a development Of our natural resOur-
ces as is consistent with our civiliza-
ton and needs"
"But we must not forget" he as
serted, that we are not through
with the policy of development, Of
building up new communities and
settlements, even in far-0ff Alaska.
We have not reached that period
where we can say the remainder of
our public lands sl.all be auctioned
off to the highest bidder to increase
the revenues Of the national treasury.
They must still be used as induce
ments to increase thrifty settle
ments and provide new homes to
landless settlers and to promote COM
merce and industrial pursuits in the
most remote regions of the west.
"What the public domain needs
today is speedy survey of all
available areas for settlement; an
adequate and scientific classification
Of the remainder of the public lands,
and such legislation as will enable a
determination of all private entries
and rights in the interest of the bona
fide claimant without unreasonable
delay, and, above all, protection
against the monopolization or waste
of our natural resources"
| Mr.. Ballinger declared that the
present laws and methods of disposal
of deposits of coal, phosphates, oil
and natural gas are utterly impracti-
cal, either from the standpoint of
the locator or that Of the govern.
ment, land no adequate method ex-