The Detroit times., 1910-01-15
TAFT Says he is
FOLLOWING STEPS
OF ROOSEVELT
Under His Administration Vigorous
Investigation Into Land Frauds
Have Been Continued, He De-
clares in Special Message.
Urges Legislation To Conserve Nat
ural Resources and Asks $30,00O,.
600 To Complete Reclamation.

WASHINGTON. Jan. l4.-Urging
that congress proceed Immediately u
dispose OF the Taft-Ballinger conserva
tion program. without awaiting the
outcome OF the congressional investt
cation OF the Ballinger.Pinchot dis.
pute. President Taft today transmitted
his special message to congress ON
the conservation OF natural resources.
The president recommends legisla-
tion providing for the conservation OF
the public lands; the safeguarding OF
power sites along rivers In the pub
lie domain; the validating OF the with
drawals from entry made by the sec
retary OF the interior under the dis
puted Supervisory power" detailed
classification OF public lands according
10 their use: the disposition OF the agri-
cultural and mineral resources OF the
same portions OF the public lands
separately; the rapid completion OF
the reclamation projects now under
way. and a $30.00O.000 issue to finish
and extend these projects; the exten
sion OF the activities of the forest SER
vice; the conservation OF the soil; and
the carrying out OF an extensive pro-
gram OF inland waterways improve
ment.
All of these matters, with the excep-
tion OF the forest and inland water
ways recommendations. the president
says, have been embodied In series
OF bills prepared by Secretary or the
Interior Ballinger.
The bills are now on the president q
desk awaiting introduction into con
gress.
The message reviews at length the
history OF the public land law, setting
forth that the present statutes have
been in operation for more than
quarter OF a century. and that under
them the nation has been defrauded
out OF millions OF acres OF land
The president says that. under his
administration. there have been con
tinued the vigorous investigation into
land frauds that were initiated by his
distinguished" predecessor and that
the withdrawal OF coal lands and pow
er sites from entry has been contin'
ued
Along this line the president recon-
mends that congress validate with
drawals made by the secretary OF the
interior and authorizes the secretary
To make such Withdrawals.
On the subject OF inland waterways
the president comes out fatty in favor
of the Mississippi. Ohio and Missouri
river improvements, recommending
that congress include an appropriation
for carving on the work In the river
and harbor bill. He approves nine
foot channel in the Ohio from Pitts
burg to Cairo: a six-foot channel In
the upper Mississippi, from st. Paul
10 ST. Louis. and in the Missouri. from
Kansas City to St Louis. six feet, and
from St Louis to Cairo. eight feet.
The presidents message follows.
TO the senate and House OF Represen-
tatives.
In my annual message reserved the
subject OF the conservation or our nat
ional resources for discussion In spe-
cial message. as follows:
In several departments there Is pre-
yented the necessity for Legislation
iooling to the further conservation OF
our national resources, and the sub)ect
Is one Of such Importance as TO require
a moro detailed and extended discus
sion than can be entered upon In this
communication. For that reason l shall
take an early opportunity TO send a
sert Of the Improvement of our water
ways. upon the reclamation and irri-
gation OF arid. semi-arid. and swamp
Iapds ,are,. SpSS" apS the @ reforestIns OF suitable
areas: upon the reclassifcation OF the
public domain with view or separ-
srai coal. and phosphate lands and
sites belonging to the government bor-
dering on streams suitable Tor the uti-
lization OF water power.
In 1880 we had a public domain OF
o5b9il2ss acres We have now 731.-
ssi.Hsf acres, confined largely to the
moHnqGG psn. SVs We have hs aTad IN ada ana
ion, 36s, ,oSb,s75 acres OF land In Alas
"cbe public lands were. during the
s.rliest ADMINISTRATIONS. treated as a
national asset for the liquidation OF
the pubiic debt and as source OF re-
ward for our soldiers, ana T., Sailors, nn,s a,autr
i'm Aid of the construction or wagon
roads and railways. In order 10 open
up regions IN the West nr,ncinaI unrm lanes iand sta
,utes were enacted more than quar-.
ter ~ a century ago. The homestead
act. the pre-empuon anu nd i'm m,n,ng
scts were among these. The rapid dis
nosition OF the public landa under the
early statutes saniI,ne ana me dae @ e think to to
~ relief that these lands should rap
idiy pass into private ownership. gave
ise to the impss,s;s,on, 'nar nrey v" fop the
unscrupuious and that IL was not con-
trary TO good morals to circumvcnt the
land laws. THIS pronisah, "a mannrr nass,ng ot ott
o n,sposas areas of valuable land and many
~ our national resources into the
bands of persons who felt little or no
%asnonsibiiity for promoting the nat
ionai welfare through their develop
ment. The truth is that title to mil.
lions OF acres OF pubic ianos wa
fraudulentiy obtained. and that thu
rIght to recover a large part or sucf
Lands for the government has Ions
ceased by reason OF statutes OF limita
tion.
There has developed In recent years
n deep concern in the public mind re-
specting the preservation and proper
use of our national resources. This
Tas been particularly directed towarc
the conservation OF the resources o
the public domain. The problem. II
conserve and still develop; for no sane
person can contend that II is for the
Common good that Natures blessing,
are only for unborn generations.
Among the most noteworthy reforms
initiated by my distinguished prodeces
sor were the vigorous prosecution o
land frauds and the bringing to public
attention Of the necessity for preserv-
ing the remaining public domain from
further spoliation. for the maintenancs
and extension OF our Forest resources
and for the enactment OF laws amend
ing the obsolete statutes so as to re-
tain governmental control over tina,
part OF the public domain in which
there are valuable deposits OF coal, OF
oil and OF phosphate. and. In addition
thereto. TO preserve control. under con-
dItions favorable to the public. OF the
lands along the streams In which the
Fall of water can be made TO generate
power to be transmitted In the form of
Electricity many miles TO the point OF
its use. known as water-power sites: