Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1910-09-09
TAFT FIRM FRIEND
OF CONSERVA TON
His Address Before ST. Paul Congress Leaves No Doubt
TO His Position Country Drty PLain He Declares
Most En,phdticaHy.

tied the application OF their proceeds to
those projects which q board of army en-
gineers, to be appointed by the president,
should examine and determine to be
feasible and worthy of completion. The
board has been appointed and soon will
make its report.
Suggestions have been made that the
United States ought to aid in the drain
age of swamp lands belonging to the
states private owners, because, IL
drained, they would be exceedingly val
liable for agriculture and contribute to
the general welfare by extending the
area of cultivation. I deprecate the agi-
tation in favor of such legislation 1t Is
inviting the general government Into
contribution from its treasury toward en-
terprises that should be conducted either
by private capital or at the instance of
the state. In these days there is dispo-
sition to look too much to the federal
government for everything. / am liberal
In the construction of the Constitution
with reference to federal power but I
am firmly convinced that the only safe
course for us to pursue Is to hold fast
to the limitations OF the Constitution and
to regard as sacred the powers of the
states. We have made wonderful prog
ress and at the same time have pre-
served with judicial exactness the re-
strictions of the Constitution. There is
can be violated by congress without
judicial inhibition, to-wit, by appropria-
tions from the national treasury for un-
constitutional purposes. 1t will be sorry
day for this country IL the time ever
comes when our fundamental compact
shall be habitually disregarded in this
manner.
Mineral Lands.
BY mineral lands I mean those lands
~ tar, hat naJ atov-
liferous minerals. The rules of owner
ship and disposition of these lands were
first fixed by custom in the west. and
then were embodied In the law. and they
have worked. on the whole, so fairly and
we'll that 1 do not think 1t is wise to
/ attempt to change or better them.
Forest Lands.
Nothing can be more important in the
| matter of conservation than the treatment
| of our forest lands. 1t was probably the
ruthless destruction OF forests in the
| older states that first called attention to
| halt in the waste of our resources. This
| was recognized by congress by an act
| authorizing the executive to reserve from
entry and set aside public timber lands
! as national forests Speaking generally.
there has been reserved of the existing
| forests about seventy per cent. of all
| the timber lands OF the government.
| Within these forests dncluding $4,000. .0OC
| acres in two forests in Alaska) are 1872
| 900 900 of acres. of which l66,OOO,0OO OF
| acres are in the United States proper and
| include within their boundaries some
thing like $4,000, 900 of acres that belong
to the state or to private individuals. We
| have then, excluding Alaska forests, q
total of about 144,00O,coo acres of forests
belonging to the government which Is
being treated in accord with the princi
Piles of scientific forestry.
| NH, fTthn in
try amounts to only one-fourth of all the
timber. the rest being in private own
ership Only three per cent of that which
is in private ownership is looked after
properly and treated according to mod
ern rules of forestry. The usual de
structive waste and neglect continues II
the remainder of the forests owned b.
rrivatc persons and corporations. 1t II
estimated that fire alone destroys $4,000,
0CN worth OF timber year. Th'
mqnagement of forests not on publi'
land is beyond the jurisdiction of the fed
eral government If anything can be dom
by law 1t must be done by the state leg
'slatures 1 believe that Ii is within thei
constitutional power to require the en-
forcement of regulations in the genera
public interest. as TO hre and othe
causes of waste in the management o
forests owned by private individuals an
corporations.
have shown sufficiently the condition
! ns to federal forestry to indicate that n
further legislation is needed at the. mo
ment except an increase in the fire pro
lection to national forests and an &C
vesting the executive wiz full power t
make forest reservations in every stat
where government land is timber-coveret
or where the land is needed for forestr
purposes.
Coal Lands.
| Tho next subiect and one most impol
tant for our consideration. is the dispos
ton OF the coal lands in the Unite
States and in Alaska. First, as to thos
in the United States. At the beginnin
of this administration they were class
fed coal lands amounting to 5.476.0
| acres, and there were withdrawn froI
entry for purposes of classification IT
$4,000 acres. Since that time there hay
| been Withdrawn by my order from entr
for classification 77,64s.o0o acres. maxim
a total withdrawal of 95,515.000 acre
| | Meantime, of the acres thus withdraw
: n37l, 900 have been classified and foun
not to contain coal, and have been r,
stored to agricultural entry, and 1885, %
acres have been classified as coal land
while 79, 9,7SS,o00 acres remain withdraw
from entry and await classification.
, addition $4,000 acres have been class
: fed as coal lands without prior Withdraw
al, thus increasing the classified CO..
lands to 10.16S.000 acres.
Under the laws providing for the disp,
, sition of coal lands. the minimum prit
: at which lands are permitted to be so
} Is $40 an acre; but the secretary OF Il
8 interior has the power TO fix a maximu
price and sell at that price, BY the fir
regulations governing appraisal. a.
3 proved April s, 1907, the minimum was 81
t as provided by law, and the maximu
t was 500. and the highest price actual
I. placed upon any land sold was SIS. VI
= der the new regulations. adopted April ]
:, 1909, the maximum price was increased
h $500, except in regions where there a
I large mines. where no maximum limit
Q fixed and the price is determined by Il
0 estimated tons of coal to the acre. tt
a highest price fxed for any land und
$ this regulation has been $685. The a
: praisal value of the lands classified
t coal lands and valued under the new al
: old regulations is shown to be as follow
= 021 acres, valued under the old reg
$ latons at 329. an average of $1S
o acre. and 6.S6i.7O2 acress classified al
o valued under the new regulation at s3s
g 3.242. or a total of 1ol6S,e23 acres. va
i ued at A7l.S47571.
n For the year ending March 81, 1909. .
o coal entries were made, embracing
: area OF 35.331 acres. which sold for $66
o 0204O. For the year ending March
h 1910. there were 176 entries. embracing