The Washington times., 1910-03-29
CONGRESS ARRAIGNED
FOR INPROYIDENCE
Chamberlain Questions
Right TO Rob President of
Withdrawal Power.

While there has been a conservs ton
or natural resources at the Presidential
splgot- there has been an enormous
waste going on at the Congressional
bung, declared Senator Chamberlain
today in charging 20 the statesmen AZ
the Capitol a share Of the responsibility
for wastefuI and careless msnagemer-
Of the public domain
Mr- Chamberlain vas addressing tho
Senate IL favor Of a bill giving tie
President power 20 withdraw from set
dement public lands for forestry, v-ate~
power sites, irrigation. classification or
lands or other public purposes. His res-
s1ns. he said were these three.
The main principle involved, that is
tine right Of the President 70 withdraw
portions or the public domain from en-
try, settlement or sale, has been au-
proved BY everv department OF tha
Government from the earliest days ut
the republic
Cites Court Decisions.
The exercise Of the power is neces-
sary TO protect. for the benefit Of The
whole people. what is left Of the publ--
domain from the result Of Iegislatly.
imProvideEce-
TT Is necessary TO conserve the ur-
disposed Of and unapprOpriated natU
resources.
He cited more than a dozen Federa-
Court decisions which upheld the Pres
lJents power Of Withdrawal
''I have not been able 70 ind" He
said, where the authority was qUeS-
Toned until the point was raised by Jr-
Secretary OF the Interior in his annuar
report last year and possibly later hE
the President himself II seems 10 me-
thar a policy that has proven salutsry
in years past and has resulted in tn
prevention OF the mOD0liZation o.
many Of the natural resources Of thr
country, ought not 10 have been liShJ.
swept aside by this or any other ad-
ministration. Ny only regret is tha
the power has not been more frequent
y and fully used IN the past"
ImprOvidence Charged.
Regarding the improvIdence OF Con
Eress in legislation affecting the public
domain. he said. thAS through a Rack
Of safe guards. great tracts Of lands
were obtained for speculative purposes
under the original pre-emption law and
It was eventually repealed largely be
cause OF these frauds.
The timber and stone act Of 1875
proved ten times UOrSe.- said the Sen
'atOr. More ths@ I2.500.0o0 acres have
been acquired under il and il is safe
20 venture the assertion that very lit
tie Of this vast aTOunt Of land has
hNen acquired for actual use by the
settles
IN oregon. asses acres have been
acquired under this act; in Washington
2.o70 .553. and in California 2.TI7.O10 acres
These frauds were known Of all men
years ago and nothing has ever been
done 10 make them impossible By re
pealing the law"
Congress was careless. he said. in the
language IL had written into the railroad
land grants. aESreCatiuS 1S2.554.sS4 acres.
and generally imprOvident in the dis
position OF the public domain
Says Law Is Unjust.
Mr.. Chamberlain condemned the law
that permitted the railroads 10 select
the finest Of public lands in exchange
for worthless land taken from them in
the creation of forest reserves
He told Of railroads holding over
100000 acres OF timber land in oregon
IN violation Of their grant. and Of =
ton that obtained sixty timber claims
by fraudulent ractices-
He admitted that President Roosevelt
made some mistakes by vithdrawing
land having no natural resources, but
added that the error was easily cor
rected BY restoring such lands 70 entry
Our use OF forests. the Senator said.
has been accompanied by appalling
waste and waste continues Forest fires
destroy about $50 90 90 worth Of timber
.everr wear. The loss Of timber in log
ging and in the sawmill. most Of which
is unnecessary. is more than three times
what is used. The forests in private
hands contain four-fifths of the standing
timber IN the country, and less than
one per cent Of them are Conservatively
handled and properly protected from
FIRE"