Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-15
ne PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
- sscS7a,Suxd From Page One,

moth, II national welfare through
their dew .opment. The truth is that
title To mil lions of acres OF public lands
was fraus ulently obtained, and that
the right to recover q large part OF
such land for the government long
siEce. ceas Il by reason of statutes OF
imitation. vel
Taere ha developed in recent years
o deep con ,ern in the public mind re-
sfecting II preservation and proper
use OF our natural resources. This
has been lrticularly directed toward
the conser alton of the resources of
the public orrain.
The prob IN Is how to save and how
70 utilize. wv 20 conserve and still de-
relop Tor 0 sane person can contend
that 4 Is Or the common good that
natures BILE sings are only for unborn
generations.
AMong tn most noteworthy reforms
initAted by my distinguished prede-
cessor were the vigorous prosecution
d lAnd frauos and the bringing to pub
lie attention of the necessity for pre-
serving the. remaining public domain
from further spollation. for the
maintenance and extension of our for
est resources and for the enactment of
laws amend lS the obsolete statutes so
as to retain governmental control over
that Fart the public domain in
which Their. are valuable deposits. of
coal. o. oil, md of phosphate, and, in
addItlon tn eto, to preserve control,
under condf ons favorable to tie pub
lie. of the 7! lds along the streams in
which he IA of Water can be made to
genera e power to be transmitted in
the form of electricity many miles to
the point Of It's use, known as water
power" sites.
The Investigations into violations of
he nuilic land and laws and the pros
ec'i.i0n Of land frauds have bccn vigor-
otisly continued under my administra-
ton as has 1oen the withdrawal of
coal lands & classification and valu-
alton and IT, temporary withholding
Of power sites
Since March 4, 1909, temporary with
draWals OF power sites have been made
on 1R streamH and these withdra walls
therefore COZ II 229 per cent more
streams thar We're covered by the
The present statutes, except so far
as they dispose of the precious metals
and the purely agricultural lands are
not adapted to carry out the modern
view OF the best disposition of public
lands to private ownership, under con-
ditiOns offering. on the one hand, suf-
fcient inducement to private capital to
take them over for proper develop
ment, with restrictive conditions on the
other which shall secure to the public
that character of control which will
prevent monopoly or misuse of the
lands or their products. The power of
the Secretary of the Interior to with
draw from the operation of existing
statutes tracts of land, the disposition
Of which under such statutes would
be detrimental to the public interest,
is not clear or satisfactory. This DOW
er has been exercised in the interest of
the public, nth the hope that Congress
might affir THE action of the execu-
tive by laws adapted to the new condi-
tions. Unfortunately Congress has not
thus far fully acted on the recommen-
dations Of the, executive, and the ques-
tim as TO what the executive Is to do
isrunder the circumstances, full of diff
fculty. Il seems to me that it is the
duty,of Congress now. by a statue. to
validate the withdrawals which have
been made by the Secretary of the In
terror and tn President and to author
ize the Secretary of the Interior tenn
porarily "a, withdraw lands pending
submission to Congress of recommen-
cations as to legislation to meet condi-
tons or emergencies as they arise.
One of@the most pressing needs in
the matter OF public land reform is
that lands should be classified accord
ing to their principal value or use.
This ought to be done by that depart,
ment whose force is best adapted to
that work. 1t should be done by the
interior Department through the geo
logica! survey. Much Of the confusion,
fraud and contention which has exist
ed IN the past + is arisen from the lack
Of an off'cialsar determinative CLASH
fieation OF the public lands and their
contents
II Is now proposed to dispose of ag-
rlcultural lands as such, and at the
same time to reserve for other dispos-
itioh the treasure of coal, oil. asphalt
tunl. natural gas and phosphate con-
'alned therein. This may be best ac-
coinplished by separating the right to
mine from the title to the surface, Civ
ing the necessary use of so much OF
@ne latter as may be required for the
extraction Of the deposits. The sur
FACE nigh. be disposed of as agricul-
.arat land und' the general agricul-
'urai statutes. hile the coal or other
mineral couid / disposed of by lease
On u royalty ba S, with provisions re-
turing certai, amount of develop
ment each yehr: and in order to pre-
'the use and cession of such lands
WIN Others Of nilar character, so as
70 constitute onopoly forbidden by
raw the lease ould contain suitable
provision subjec ing to forfeiture the
interest Of per 'ons participating in
such monopoly. Such law should ap-
ply to Alaska as well as to the United
States 49,,
X is exceeding difficult to frame a
statute to retail government. control
"'ef a property l'b be developed by pri
AMe CAPITAL in : CHI manner as to Sc
.ure the govern entail purpose and at
.nt same time. not frishten away the
Investment OF the. necessary capital.