El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-16


is hoped. be able to find the true policy
Of the government"
Obligations OF Conservation.
He expressed the opinion that "a
greater obligation rests upon fhS states
tnan upon the general government TO
tnaUSurate laws TO prevent waste in the
utilization OF national resources" There
has been a grossly exaggerated notion
among some people he declared, as to
what the general government can do
in conserving the natural resources that
lie in the deposits of minerals, and are
contained in the soils and the streams.
For the most part, he pointed out, they
have passed into private ownership and
are under the municipal ownership OF
the states.
1T seems TO me-" he continued, that
we should not try to impose the whole
burden Of conservation on the general
government but leave it TO the states
and to the municipalities to work out
except insofar as national Interference
is necessary TO protect national inter
ests; and I want to be understood as
opposed TO the theory that because the
state has not exercised TO the full its
powers in the matter OF reforms, ipso
factO that national government must ex-
ercise them
States Must Be Alert
IL.
not enter the state and dictate the
means or method of the development OF
It's streams and rivers. except insofar
as their navigation is concerned" Wise
conservation. in his opinion. implied "as
full and free development of our natural
resources as is consistent with our civ
EiZaticn and needs
But We must not forget he asserted
that we are not through with the policy
or Development, of building up new com
munities and settlements even in far
OF Alaska We have not reached that
period where we can say the remainder
OF our public lands shall be aucsioned
off in the highest bidder 10 increase
the revenues OF the national treasury
Trey must still be used as Inducements
10 increase thrifty settlements and pro
vide new homes to lanGlesS settlers and
to promote commerce aud industrial pur-
suits in the most remote regions OF the
west
What the public domain needs today
Is a speedy survey OF all available areas
Tor settlement: an adequate and scfen-
tific classification of the remainder OF
the public lands. and such legislation as
viii enable a deterrn nation of all nriva+s
entries and rights in the interest," of the
bona fide claimant without unreaso6
able delay and. above all. protection
against the H-OnOpOlizatfOn or waste
or our our national resources
Mr. Bahinger declared that the rrrss-
ent laws and methods OF disposal of
deposits of coal. phOsphates. oil and MAJ
ural gas are utterly impractical ether
from the standpoint of the locator or
that OF the government, 'and no ade
quate method exists ne added @for con
troiing or supervising hydro-eIertrie
power produced from power Dlants in
stalled on government water mower
sites No man or set of men can com
ply with the present law and finance q
coal mine on the public domain on sac
acres of land except under extremely IA
,oIaple conditiohS- The absurdity of the
law in itself invited fraud ana i,5s-ao~
methods of evading its provisions. II is
hoped congress Will furnish tha interior
department with the necessary ma
emery to guard safely and properly the
public interests in their Ultimate dispo-
Sition.