The Lamar register., 1910-01-19

iage on the conservation at the ma
ions resources sent To the senat g
md house OF representatives by Pres
ldent TAFT to day:
To the Senate and House of Representa-
tves:
In my annual message reserved the
subject of the conservation ct our ma
tional resources for disposition In spc-
ciai message. follows:
In several departments there Is pre-
scented the necessity for legislation look
Ing to the further conservation of our
national resources. and the subject Is one
of such Importance as to require more
detailed and extended discussion than
can be entered upon IN tins communica-
ton. For that reason ! shAi take an
early opportunity 10 send n special mes
sage TO congress on the subject nj the
Improvement OF our waterways. upon the
reclamation and irrigation OF arid semi
arid and swamp lands. upon the pre=er
vafion OF our forests and the re foresfing
OF suitable areas. upon the rc-ciassihra.
ton OF the public domain with a view Of
separating from agricultural settlement
mineral coal and phosphate lands and
sites belonging to the government Dor
dering on streams suitable Tor tile utiii-
zation of water power
In 1850 we had public domain Of |. n55.
9li.2ss acres We have now III. z54 .0si
acres. confined largely "a the mountain
ranges ana tllt Hfiu ana sfHttrhfiu plftnS.
We have. In addition. By OzJ. y15 of
land In Alaska
Disbursement Of Public Lands.
The public lands were. during the eariI-
est administrations. treated as n national
asset for the liquidation Of the public
debt and as source of reward for our
soldiers and sailors. Later on they were
donated In large amounts In aid Of the
construction OF wagon roads aud rail-
ways In order to open up regions In the
west then almost inaccessible All the
principal land statutes were enacted more
than quarter NJ century aro The
homestead act. the presumption and tim
ber-cuiture act. the coal land aud the
mining acts were among these
The rapid disposition of the public lands
under the early statutes. and the lax
met hods of datrihti,ion prevailing due I
think. to the belief that these lands
should rapidly pass into private owner
ship. gave rise TO the Impression that
the public domain was legitimate prey
for the INSCRIPTIONS and that II was not
contrary to good morals to tircumvent
the land laws. This proi.gat manner 81
disposition resulted In the passing OF
large areas of valuable land and many
OF our national resources into the hands
OF persons who felt little or no RESPONSE
bility for promoting the national well
fare through their development.
Fraudulent Titles.
The truth IL that title to million. ~
acres OF public lands was fraudulently
obtained and that the right to recover u
large part OF such lands for the govern
ment long since ceased by reason OF stat
utes OF Limitations. There has devcIop~d
In recent years a dec concern In the
public mind respecting the preservation
and proper use OF our natural resources.
This has been particularly directed
toward the conservation Of the resources
of the public domain vast amount Of
discussion has appeared In the public
prints In generaIzed form on this sub
iect. but there hds beer little practical
suggestion II has been easy to say that
the natural resources In fuel suppIv In
forests. In water power. and In other
public utilities. must be saved from
waste. monopoly. ard other abuses and
the general pubic is IN accord with this
r-oposltinn. as they are with most
truisms. The problem. however. is how
to save and how to utilize. how to con
serve and stiii develop. for no sane per-
son can contend that ~ is for the COM
mon good that natures blessings are
only for unborn generations
Noteworthy Reforms.
Among the most noteworthy reforms
Initiated by my distinguished predecessor
were the vigorous prosecution of Land
frauds and the bringing to public atten-
ton Of the necessity for preserving the
remaining public domain from further
spollntion. for the maintenance and ex-
tension OF our forest resources and for
the enactment OF laws amending the OBJ
soletc statutes 50 as to retain govern
mental control over that part of the puB-
lie domain In which there are valuable
deposits OF coal. of OIL and Of phosphate
and. in addition thereto. to preserve con-
troll. under conditions favorable to the
public. OF the lands aiosg the streams in
which the fall OF water can he 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,
The Investigations into violations of the
public land laws and the prosecution OF
land frauds have been vigorously con-
tinued under my administration. as has
been the withdrawal OF coal lands for
classification and valuation and the tenn
porary withholding of power sites. Since
March T. 1879. temporary Withdrawals Of
power sites have been made on io2
streams aud these Withdrawals therefore
cover 22s per cent. more streams than
were covered by the Withdrawals made
prior to that date.
The present statutes, except so far
as they dispose of the precious metals
and the purely agricultural lands. are
not adapted to carry out the modern
view OF the best disposition of public
lands to private ownership. under con-
ditions Offering on the one hand sum-
Client inducement to private capital to
take them over for proper develop
ment. with restrictive conditions on
tht other winch snail secure TO the
public that character of control which
Will prevent n monopoly or misuse of
the lands or their products. The power
of the secretary OF the Interior to with
draw from the operation of existing
statutes tracts OF land. the disposition
of which under such statutes would
be detrimental to the public interests.
is not clear or satisfactory. This power
has been exercised in the interest of
the public. with the hope that congress
might affirm the action of the execu-
tive by laws adapted to the new condi-
tions. Unfortunately. congress has not
thus far fully acted on the rccommen-
dations of the executive. and the ques-
tion MS to what the executive is to
do Is under the circ- instances. full of
difficulty. 1t seems to me that IL Is
the duty of congress now. by statute.
to validate the Withdrawals which
have been made by the secretary of the
interior and the president and to use
the secretary of the Interior temporar-
lily to Withdraw lands pending submis-
sion to congress of recommendations as