The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-01-14
President Sends
49, tFTrt
scontlnued from lPaae. One.l

Il 100 Us + s --~-f-I 1879 rfFr@T -
;contlnuea' from Page one,
1.-THE right to recover a large part OF
such: lands for the Government Ion.
since ceased by reason OF statutes OF
limitation.
There has developed In recent years
. deep concern in the public mind re-
specting the preservation and proper
use Of our natural resources. This has
been particularly directed toward the
conservation Of the resources Of the
PUBLIC domain. a vast amount o. dis
cussion has appeared In the publ;e
print iia seneralized form on this sub.
ject. but there has'peen little practical
suse= stiol,. i has been easy to say
that the natural resources il fuel. sup.
PLY, IN forests, in water power and ID
other public utilities. must be saved
from waste. monopoly, and other
abuses, and the general pubic are y
accord with this proposition, as they.
are with nest truisms: The problem.
however, is how to save and how to.
utilize how to conserve and still dc;
velop; fer no sane person can contend.
that i Is fer the common good that
Natures blessings are only for unborn
generations.
Among the most noteworthy refcrn,s'
initiated by my distinguished preue.
%ecssor were the vigorous prosecution
Of land frauds and the bringing 10 pub
lie attention Of the necessity for pre-,
serving the re%maining public domain
from further !spe!iation, for The main
tenanee and extension Of Ii forest
resources, and for the enactment Of
laws Amending the obsolete statutes
SO as to retain governmental control
over that part Of the public domain
in which there are valuable deposits
Of coal, OF oil, ard OF phosphate, and,
In addition thereto, to preserve con-
ttroI under conditionq favorable to tile
punIic, Of the lands along the streams
tin which the fall Of water can be made
to generate power to be TRANSMITTED
in the form Of electricity many miles;
Ito the point Of it's use, known as EVA
ter.power" sites.
The Investigations into violations.
ct the public land laws and the prose
|%eution Of and frauds have been viaor.
;ously continued under my administra
ton, as mas been the Withdrawal OF
coal lands for classification and valua-
tton and the temporary withholding
Q: powet sites.
SINCE March \, 1909, temporary
Withdrawals Of power sites have been
made on 102 streams and these with.
drawaIs therefore cover 22s per cent.
more streams than were covered BY
the Withdrawals made prior to that
t4te.
The forest reserves of the United
States. some 1so,ooo,ooo acres in OK
tent, are under the control Of the De.
partment OF Agriculture. with author
ity adequate to preserve them and to
extend their growth 81 far as that
may be practicable. The Importance.
Of fhe maintenance Of our forests ean
not be exaggerated. The possibility.
OF a scientific treatment Of forests so
that they shall be made to yield a
large return to timber without really
reducing the supply has b.en demon.
ttrated In other countries, and we
should WORK toward the standard set
~ them as far as their, methods are
applieable to our conditions.
Upwards ct 4oo,ooo;ooo acres Of for.
est land. in This country are in private
ownership. but enlys per ecnt4*ofi T.
I. being treated scientifically and with
a view TO, tie maintenance Of the for.
ests: Tie part played y5the forests
% the equalization Of the supply q
water on. watersheds is a matter OF
discussion and dispute, but the gen.
era, benefit to be derived by the pub
ie from the extension Of torsst Ian IS
or watersheds and the pronnotlon Of
the growth Of gtrees in places that are
now denuded and that. onee had .great
tlopr..sh!rg forests, goes without say.
ina. The control to bic exercised oyer
pI:sate owners In their treatn1ent, Of
the forests whieh they own Is a mattel
fer State and not n~atienaI regulation,
because there Is nothing, Il. the Con.
s%titut,on that authorlzes the Federal
Government to exercise any control
lover forests within. a State. unless
the forests are oWned III ayproprietary