The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-09-10
TAFT FIRM FRIEND
OF CONSERVATI TON
His Address Before ST. Paul Consress Leaves No Doubt
His Position Country Duty Plain He Declares
Most En7phaticaAy


should examine and determine to be
feasible and worthy Of completion. The
board has been appointed and soon viii
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, II
drained, they would be exceedingly val
liable for agriculture and contribute to
the general welfare by extending the
area OF cultivation. / deprecate the agt-
taton In favor of such legislation II II
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 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-
str!ctions of the Constitution. There 10
an easy way in which the Constitution
can be violated by congress without
judicial inhibition. to-wit. by appropria-
tions from the national treasury for un-
day for this country II the time ever
comes when our fundamental compact
shall be habitually disregarded In this
manner.
Mineral Lands.
BY mineral lands mean those lands
bearing metals or what are called metal
iiferous minerals. The rules OF owner
ship and disposition OF these lands were
first nxed by custom in the west and
~ taH IN ha tox ava ~,
have worked. on the whole. so fairly and
well that ! do not think It 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 II was probably the
ruthless destruction Of forests in the
older states that first called attention to
a 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 sooo, 40
acres in two forests In Alaska are 1872
ooo 600 OF acres. OF which 1856 r0S ooo Of
acres are In the United States proper and
include within their boundaries some
thing like % 0oo. coo of acres that belong
TO the state or to private individuals. We
have then, excluding Alaska forests. =
total OF about I44oo0.ooo acres of forests
belonging TO the government which is
being treated In accord with the princi-
pies of scientific forestry.
Th. government timber In this coun-
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-
strrctive waste and neglect continues in
the remainder OF the forests owned by
private persons and corporations, II 1.
estimated that fire alone DESTROYS So.ooo.
0on worth OF timber year The
management of forests not On public
land is beyond the Jurisdiction of the fed
eral government. II anything can be done
bv law It must be done by the state leg
,slatures I believe that II is within their
constitutional power to require the en-
forcement OF regulations IN the general
public interest as TO fire and other
causes OF waste in the management OF
forests owned by private individuals and
corporations.
! have shown sufficiently the conditions
as to federal forestry to Indicate that no
further legislation Is needed at the mo-
ment except an increase in the fire pro-
lection to national forests and an act
the
make forest reservations in every state
where government land is timber covered
or where the land is needed for forestry
purposes.
Coal Lands
tant for our consideration. is the dispose
ton of the coal lands in the United
States and In Alaska. First. to those
in the United States. AT the beginning
OF this administration they were cissst-
fed coal lands amounting to 547so1e
acres and there were withdrawn from
entry for purposes Of classification IL
ss7 ooo acres Since that time there have
been withdrawn by my order from entry
for classification 77,siS.o0o acres. making
a total withdrawal OF s5,5l5.oco acres.
Meantime of the acres thus withdrawn.
u.37 go have been classified and found
not to contain coal, and have been re-
stored TO agricultural entry. and 355 900
acres have been classified as coal lands;
while ass 900 acres remain withdrawn
from entry and await classification. In
addition $500 acres have been classi-
fed as coal lands without prior withdraw
al thus increasing the classified coal
lands to 10.leSo0o acres.
Under the laws providing for the dispo-
sition OF coal lands the minimum pr!c.
Mt which lands permitted to be sold
is SO an acre. but the secretary of the
interior has the power to fix maximum
price and sell at that price. BY the frs,
regulations governing appraisal. ap-
proved April s. 1907. the minimum was $40
as provided by law. and the maximum
was 500. and the highest price actually
placed upon any land sold was SIS Tn
der the new regulations. adopted April TO-
1850. the maximum price was increased to
$500 except In regions where there are
large mines. where no maximum limit is
fixed and the price is determined by the
estimated tons of coal to the acre The
highest Price fixed for any land under
this regulation has been sos The ap-
praisal value OF the lands classified as
coal lands and valued under the new and
old regulations Is shown to be as follows
<3n3. .o2I acres. valued under the old reg,i-
latisns at s7,.s4+.329. an average Of SIS an
acre: and 5.S64. ,o2 acress classified and
valued under the new regulation at $3a4.
2o3 oi2. or total OF TO- l6S. 523 acres. val.
ued at &47l .S41.57l
For the year ending March 81 1909. %
coal entries were made. embracing an
area of IS 23l acres which sold for 1852