The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-14
.TAFT'S MESSAGE.
Special Document on C0nserya-
tiOn a Strong One.
No Backsliding as to Mr.. Roose-
yelt's Policies.
NEWLAWS SARENEEDED
President Says Present Ones
Are Wholly Inadequate.
Balfinger-PinchOt Dispute Is
Not Discussed.
Plans Of the Secretary of the
Interior Favored.
NEWLAWS AREN NEEDED

Washington. Jan. 14.-President Taft's
special message on conservation of ma
tional resources, sent to congress today,
is as follows
To the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives:
In my annual message reserved the
subject of the conservation of our ma
tlonal resources for discussion in q spe-
ciaI message, as follows: In several
departments there is presented the
necessity for legislation looking to the
further conservation of our national re-
sources, and the subject is one of such
Importance as to require a more de-
tailed and extended discussion than can
be entered upon in this communication
For this reason ! shall take an early
opportunity to send a special message
to congress on the subject of the i'm
provement of our waterways; upon the
reclamation and irrigation of arid.
semiarid and swamp lands; upon the
preservation of our forests and the re-
foresting of suitable areas; upon the
reclassification of the public domain
with view of separating from agri-
cultural settlement mineral, coal, and
phosphate lands and sites belonging to
the government bordering on streams
suitable for the utilization of water
power
Public Lands.
In 1860 we had a public domain Of
1,055,911 ,2SS acres. We have now 731.-
354,0S1 acres. confined largely to the
mountain ranges and arid and semiarid
plains We have, in addition 36S O35. .975
acres of land in Alaska.
The public lands were, during the
earliest administrations treated as a
national asset for the liquidation Of
public debt and as a source of reward
for our soldiers and sailors. Later on
they were donated in large amounts in
aid Of the construction of wagon roads
and railways in order to open up re-
gions in the west then almost mac
cessible.
The principal land statutes were en-
acted more than quarter of a CEN
tury ago. The homestead act, the pre-
emption and timber culture act. the
coal land and the mining acts were
among these. The rapid disposition of
the public lands under the early stat
utes and the lax methods of distribu-
tion prevailing, due, think, to the be-
fief that these lands should rapidly pass
into private ownership. gave rise to the
impression that the public domain was
legitimate prey for the unscrupulous,
and that it was not contrary to good
morals to circumvent the land laws
This prodigal manner o. disposition re-
suited in the, passing of large areas of
valuable lands and many of our ma
tional resources into the hands of per-
sons who felt little or no responsibility
for promoting the national welfare
through their development The truth
is that title to millions of acres of pub
lie lands was fraudulently obtained, and
that the right to recover a large part OF
such lands for the government long
since ceased by reason of statutes OF
limitation.
There has developed in recent years a
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. The problem is how to
save and how to utilize, how to con-
serve and still to develop; for no sane
person can contend that it is for the
common good that natures blessings
are only for unborn generations
Among the most noteworthy re-
forms initiated by my distinguished
predecessor were the vigorous prose-
cution of land frauds, and the bringing
to public attention of the necessity for
preserving the remaining public do
main from further spoliation. for the
maintenance and extension of our
forest resources and for the enactment
| of laws amending the obsolete stat
| utes so as to retain governmental con-
troll over that part of the public do
! main in which there are valuable de-
| posits of coal, of oil. and of phosphate.
and, in addition, thereto to preserve
control, under conditions favorable to
the public of the lands along the
| streams in which the fall of water
can be 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 prose-
cution Of land frauds have been Wig
orously continued under my admins
| tration. as has been the withdrawal
| of coal lands for classification and
valuation, and the temporary with
holding of power sites.
! Water Power Sites.
Since March g. 1909, temporary
| withdrawal 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
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 sur
! ficient inducement to private capital
| to take them over for proper develop
| ment with restrictive conditions on
the other which shall secure to the
public that character of control which
will prevent a monopoly or misuse Of
i power of the secretary of the interior
4 existing statutes tracts of lands the
j disposition of which under such stat
utes would be detrimental to the pub
lie interest is not clear or satisfactory
This power has been exercised in the
Interest of the public. with the hone