The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-09-08
CONSERVATION A DUTY,
DECLARES PRESIDENT TAFT
Members Of National Congress at St. Paul Find
Him Thoroughly in Accord with Their
Ideas---His Speech.


deep interest to President Taft's ad-
dress today. The chief executive
spoke substantially as follows:
Gentlemen of the National Conservation
Congress:
Conservation as an economic and po-
htical term has come to mean the preser-
walton of our natural resources for
economical use, SO as to secure the great
est good to the greatest number.
The danger to the state and to the peo-
pie at large from the waste and dissipa-
ton of our national wealth is not one
which quickly impresses itself on the peo-
pie of the older communities, because its
most obvious instances do not occur in
their neighborhood, while in the newer
part of the country the sympathy with
expansion and development is so strong
that the danger Is scoffed at or ignored.
Among scientific men and thoughtful OBJ
servers, however, the danger has always
been present; but 1t needed some one to
bring home the crying need for a remedy
OF this evil so as to impress itself on the
public mind and lead to the formation Of
public opinion and action by the repre-
sentatives Of the people. Theodore Roose-
velt took up this task in the last two
years of his second administration, and
well did he perform 1t.
AS president of the United States I
have, as 1t were, inherited this policy,
and rejoice in my heritage. 1 prize my
high opportunity to do all that an ex-
ecutive can do to help a great people
realize a great national ambition. For
conservation is national. 1t affects every
man of US, every woman, every child.
What I can do in the cause 1 shall do
not as president of a party, but as presi-
dent of the whole people. Conservation
is not a question of politics. or of fac
tions, or of persons. 1t is question that
affects the vital welfare of all of us--of
our children and our children's children.
l urge that no good can come from meet
ings Of this sort unless we ascribe to
those who take part in them, and who
are apparently striving worthily in the
cause, all proper motives, and unless we
1udicially consider every measure or
method proposed with view to it's effec-
tiveness In achieving our common pur-
pose, and wholly without regard to who
proposes it or who will claim the credit
for its adoption. The problems are Of
very great difficulty and call for the
calmest consideration and clearest fore
sight. Many of the questions presented
have phases that are new in this coun-
try, and it is possible that in their solu-
tion we may have to attempt first one
way and then another. What I wish to
emphasize, however, is that satisfac-
tory conclusion can only be reached
promptly If we avoid acrimony, imputa-
tions of bad faith, and political contro-
versy.
The public domain of the government
of the United States, including all the
cessions from those of the thirteen states
that made cessions to the United States
and including Alaska, amounted in all to
about 1,8O0,0OO,0OO acres. OF this there is
left as purely government property out
side of Alaska something like 100000, 900 Of
acres. OF this the national forest re-
serves in the United States proper en-
brace 144, 100000 acres.
l shall divide my discussion under the
heads of O) agricultural lands; ~ min
eral lands-that Is, lands containing
metalliferous minerals; (3) forest lands;
~ coal lands; GO oil and gas lands; and
(0 phosphate lands
Agricultural Lands.
Our land laws for the entry of agricul-
tural lands are now as follows:
The original homestead law, with the
requirements of residence and cultivation
for five years, much more strictly en-
forced than ever before.
The enlarged homestead act, applying
to nonirrigable lands only, requiring FIVE
years residence and continuous cultiva-
ton of one-fourth of the area.
The desert-land act, which requires on
the part of the purchaser the ownership
of a water right and thorough reclama-
tion of the land by irrigation, and the
payment of $125 per acre.
The donation or Carey act, under which
the state selects the land and provides
for its reclamation, and the title vests in
the settler who resides upon the land and
cultivates 1t and pays the cost of the
reclamation.
The national reclamation homestead
law, requiring five years residence and
cultivation by the settler on the land ir-
rigated by the government, and payment
by him to the government Of the cost Of
the reclamation.
The present congress passed a bill Of
great Importance, severing the ownership
of coal by the government in the ground
from the surface and permitting home
stead entries upon the surface of the
land, which, when perfected, give the
settler the right to farm the surface,
while the coal beneath the surface is re-
tanned in ownership by the government
and may be disposed of by 1t under other
laws.
There is no crying need for radical re-
form in the methods of disposing of what
are really agricultural lands. The pres
ent laws have worked we'll The en-
larged homestead law has encouraged the
successful farming Of lands in the semi
arid regions.
Reclamation.
By the reclamation act fund has been
created of the proceeds of the public
lands Of the United States with which to
construct works for storing great bodies
of water at proper attitudes from which,
by suitable system of canals and ditch
ea, the water is to be distributed over the
arid and subarid lands of the government
to be sold to settlers at a price sufficient
to pay for the improvements. Primarily,
the projects are and must be for the inn
provement of public lands. Incidentally,
where private land is also within reach
of the water supply, the furnishing at
cost or profit Of this water to private
owners by the government is held by the
federal court of appeals not to be a
usurpation of power But certainly this
ought not to be done except from sur
plus water, not needed for government
land. The total sum already accumula-
ted in the reclamation fund Is $50, 273,-
25S.22, and of that all but $6.491 ,955.34 has
been expended. 1t became very clear to
congress at its last session, from the
statements made by experts. that these
80 projects could not be promptly COM
pleted with the balance remaining on
hand or with the funds likely to accrue
in the near future. 1t was found, more
over that there are many settlers who
have been led into taking up lands with
the hope and understanding of having
water furnished in a short time, who are
left in a most distressing situation.
recommended to congress that authority
be given to the secretary of the interior
- issue bonds in anticipation of the as