The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-12-09
THE PUBLIC LAND
PROBLEMS TAKE
PROMINENT PLACE
Secretary Of the Interior Points
Out Many Features Con-
cerning Domain
GOVERNMENT DOES NOT
SEEK REVENUE FROM SALES

SSseuUu6N1 ZULU UVl
SEEK REVENUE FROM SALES
Purpose Has Been to Develop the
Waste Places and Send the Landless
Men to the Manless handsome Of
the Things Needed.
Washington, Dec. 9.-In his annual
report, just made public, Secretary
Ballinger, of the department of the
interior, devotes large amount of
space to public-land problems. After
reciting the history of the public do
main and giving statistics to show
that there is now remaining unap-
propriated and unreserved 711,986. .4O9
acres Of public land in continental
United States and Alaska, the secre-
tary says:
The homestead bill for granting
free homes to the landless settler be-
came national question in 1852, and
ten years later it was written into
law and approved by Abraham Lin
coin, after a previous veto by Presi-
dent Buchanan in 1860, on TIM, ground
that congress did not have the power
to make donation of public lands to
settlers or to the states. Here was
inaugurated radical change of poll
cy. OF this policy President Johnson,
In his annual message In 1865, said:
The homestead policy was establish
ed only after long and earnest resist
ance. Experience proves its wisdom.
The lands in the hands of the indus
trious settlers, whose labor creates
wealth and contributes to the public
resources, are worth more to the
reserved as solitude for future pur-
chasers.'
For nearly forty years the statutes
have declared that all valuable miner
al deposits in lands belonging to the
United States. both surveyed and un-
surveyed, are to be free and open to
exploration and purchase and the
lands in which they are found to oc-
cupation and purchase by citizens of
the United States and those who have
declared their intention to become
such. Rich deposits of precious met
ais in the Pacific states and territor-
les have been discovered and located
under these general mining laws and
have been operated for many years.
Granting defects in the laws, they
have accomplished their purpose in
causing the mineral resources to be
developed and have thus contributed
enormously to the wealth of the ma
ton. 1t is hardly reasonable to be-
lieve that any material change will
be made in these laws or Of the meth
cd of disposal of the lode and placer
claims of the mineral regions. Here,
as in the settlement laws, the govern
ment's liability has had it's reward in
the material prosperity of the people,
and while abuses have existed, they
can not be charged SO much to the
law as to evasions of the law.
Today's Problem.
Heretofore, as will be seen, it has
been the policy Of congress to dispose
OF the public lands to those who were
disposed to make the best use Of them,
none of which were disposed of with
q view of securing revenue for gov
ernmental support. Even the coal
lands were sold at nominal figures,
and until few years ago they were
not entered even at that figure, ex-
cept where market facilities made the
land salable for their product.
"Under more conservative theories
the question now is of saving the
remnant of the public lands from
monopolization or misuse without
abandoning the old policies of en-
couraging development. The highest
productive use of these lands is the
concern of the people. The methods
OF securing this use are the concern
Of national and state governments.
"By the constitution congress is
made the steward Of the public do
main and for its stewardship 1t is re-
sponsible to the people. The execu-
tive can move only as directed or au-
thorized by congress in selling or
otherwise disposing Of this national
estate; therefore all questions relat-
ing to change from the existing
status or of policy over this estate
resides alone in the legislative branch
Of the government, and all popular
movements looking to the reforma-
tion of our land system must OF
course be addressed to the congress.
Consequently the movement to con-
serve the national resources In this
national estate OF lands-that is, to
secure the wisest and most lasting
beneit to the nation In their use-is
q matter with which congress must
deal.
"Ney or amendatory legislation re-
specting our public lands should be
direct. simple, effective, and relate
principally to the proper form Of dis
nosition of the withdrawn lands-wa-
ter-power sites. oil lands. coal lands.
and rights of way over public lands.
"As has been shown, the unapprop-
rated public lands Of the public-land
states and territories amount to about
712,ooo,ooo acres, and, as compared
with the private lands in these va
rious states. are small percentage
of the territory thereof, and the iea-
srai government should not UNDER
take or assume the entire burden of
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