Barbour County index., 1910-09-14

spoke substantially as follows:
Congress:
Conservation as an economic and po-
litical term has come to mean the preser-
walton Of our natural resources for
economical use. so 10 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 nelghborhood. while I'm the newer
part OF the country the sympathy with
expansion and development Is 50 strong
that the danger Is scoffed at or ignored.
Among scientific men and thoughtful OBJ
servers. however, the danger has always
been present: but ii needed some one to
bring home the crying need for a remedy
OF this evil 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-
welt took up this task in the last two
years of his second administration, and
we'll did he perform IL.
AS president of the United States
have. 1t were. inherited this policy,
and I rejoice in my heritage. l prize my
high opportunity to do all that an ex-
realize a great national ambition. For
conservation is national 1t affects every
man of us. every woman, every child.
What | can do in the cause l shall do,
not as president Of a party. but as presl
dent of the whole people. Conservation
is not question Of politics. or of fac
tlons. or of persons. 1t is a question that
affects the vital welfare of all of us-of
our children and our chldren's children.
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
c1use, all proper motives. and unless We
judCially consider every measure or
method proposed with a view to its effec-
uVeness in achieving our common pur-
pose. and wholly without regard to who
proposes 1t 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 II is possible that In their solu-
tlon we may have to attempt first one
way and then another. What l wish to
emphasize, however, is that q satisfac-
tory conclusion can only be reached
promptly II we avoid acrmony, imputa-
tlons Of bad faith, and political contro-
versy.
The public domain OF the government
OF the United states. including all the
cesslons from those of the thirteen states
that made cessions to the United States
ana including Alaska, amounted In all to
about l,SO0. 600 600 acres. or this there is
left as purely government property out
side OF Alaska something like 700 600. 900 Of
acres. OF this the national forest re-
serves in the United States proper en-
brace LA. 600 acres.
| shall divide my discussion under the
heads OF O agricultural lands % min
eral lands-that Is lands containing
metalliferous minerals; (3) forest lands i:
(D coal lands; (5) oil and gas lands; and
60 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-
tiou 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-
tton of the land by irrigation, and the
payment Of Sl25 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
culuvates It 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 o.
~nrfp .t,E,
OF coal by the government In the grounC
from the surface and permitting home
stead entries upon the surface OF tn,
land, which. when perfected. give tn
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 It under othe
laws.
There is no crying need for radical re
form In the methods OF disposng OF wha
are really agricultural lands. The pres
ent laws have worked we'll The en-
larged homestead law has encouraged tn
successful farming OF lands In the semi
arid regions.
Reclamation.
BY the reclamation act a fund has bee
created OF the proceeds OF the publ
lands OF the United States with which I
construct works for storing great bodie
of water at proper attitudes from which
by suitable system or canals and ditch
es. the water is to be distributed over tn
arid and subarid lands OF the governmeu
TO be sold to settlers at price suficier
20 pay for the improvements Primarily
the projects are and must be for the in
provement OF public lands. incidentally
where private land Is also within reac
OF the water supply, the furnishing 6
cost profit OF this water to privat
owners by the government is held by th
federal court OF appeals not TO be
usurpation OF power. But certainly tn
ought not TO be done except from SUI
plus water. not needed for governmeI
land. The total sum already accumul'
ted In the reclamation fund Is $50, ,27S
25S.22. and OF that all but So 1854 hs
been expended. 1t became very clear
congress at its last session, from Il
statements made by experts. that the:
80 projects could not be promptly con
pleted with the balance remaining
hand or with the funds likely to accrJ
in the near future. 1t was found, NOR
over that there are many settlers WI
have been led into taking up lands wit
the hope and understanding of hayir
water furnished In a short time, who a
, left I'm a most distressing situation.
recommended to congress that authori