Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-09-05

scoffed al or ignored. Among scientific
men and thoughtful Observers, how
ever. tho danger has always been pres
emit. but II needed some one 10 bring
home the CRYING need for remedy OF
this cyil 80 as To impress Itself on the
public mind and lead to the formation
OF public opinion and action by the
representatives 81 the people Theo-
dore Roosevelt took mp this task IN
the last two years ~ his second adj
ministration. and well did he perform
a.
rApT~s HERITAGE
As president ~ the United States
have, as II were inherited this policy
and rejoice iu my heritage | prize
my high opportunity to do all that an
executive can do to help great pco-
pie realize q great national ambition.
For conservation IL national II affects
every man Of ne. every woman, every
child. What ! can do I'm the cause l
vhall do. not as president OF party
but as president OF the whole people.
Conservation H. not a question Of poll
files. or Of factions. or Of persons. II
is "a question that affects the vital
welfare OF all 81 us-of our children
and our children's children. I urge
that no good can come from meetings
Of this sort unless we ascribe 10 those
who take part In thom. and who arc
apparcEtly striving worthily In the
oauFe, all proper motives. and unless
we ,udlcially consider every measure
or method proposed with n view to It's
effectiveness I'm achieving our common
purpose. and wholly without regard 10
who proposes II or who VIII claim
Che credit for its adoption. The prob
lens are OF very great difficulty and
call for the calmest consideration and
oiearesy foresight, Many Of the ques-
lions prSsented have phases that are
new IN this country and n Is possible
that In their solution We may have TO
attempt first one way and then an
other What | wish TO emphasize, how
ever. IL that n satisfactory conclusion
can only be reached promptly n We
avoid acrlmony, imputations % bad
faith and political controversy.
PUBLIC DOMAIN LEFT.
The public domain OF the govern
ment OF the United states, including |
all the cessions from those OF the 10 |
states that made oessions to the uni |
ted states and including Alaska, |
amounted I'm all to about l,SO0 600 600 |
acres or this there Is left rs purely |
government property outside ~ Alas |
ka something like 100000 900 OF acres |
OF this the national forest reserves In |
the United States proper embrace IA |
1000 acres. The rest Is largely noun |
tain or arid country, offering some
opportunity for agriculture by dry |
farming and by reclamation. and con-
tanning metals as we'll as coal, phos-
pilates. oils and natural gas. Then the
government owns many tracts Of land |
lying along the margins OF streams
that have water power, the use OF
which ls necessary in the conversion
Of the power into electricity and its |
transmission.
HEADS OF DISCUSSION.
shall divide my discussion under |
i1 rs agricultural 1nnHa |
62) mineral lands-that is, lands con-
tanning metalliferous minerals: cd for
est lands: 90 coal lands go oil and
gas lands; and 90 phosphate lands.
I feel that It will oonduce to a bet
ter understanding of the problems pre-
scented II | take up each class and
describe. even at the risk OF tedium,
first what has been done by the last
administration ard the present one in
respect TO each kind of land: second, |
what laws al present govern it's dis
position: third. what was done by the
present Congress IN this matter; and
fourth, the statutory changes proposed
tn the interest Of conservation.
AGRICULTURAL LANDS.
our land laws for the entry OF agri-
cultural lands are now as follows:
The original homestead law, with the
requirements OF residence and cultiTa-
ton FOR Ave years. much more strictly
enforced than ever before.
The enlarged homestead act. applying |
% nonirrigable lands only. requiring |
I've years residence and continuous cul- |
ivation Of one-fourth OF the area,
The desert-land act. which requires
IN tho part of the purchaser tho own
irship OF a water right and thorough
reclamation Of the land by irrigation,
md the payment OF 1925 per acre.
The donation or Carey act under
tHht oh sHn fat FL I,.. |
provides for its reclamation. and the
tile vests Ia the settler who resides
ipon the land and cultlvates IL and
Jays the cost 81 the reclamation
The national reclamation homestead
aw. requiring hve years residence and
by the settler on the land
irrigated by the government, and pay
nent by him To the government OF the
ost Of the reclamation.
There are other acts, but not Of sum
lent general Importance to call for
MENTION unless ~ Is tho stone and tim
er act, under which every individual.
nee in his lifetime. may acquire l60 :
cres Of land. II II has valuable timber /,
n It or valuable stone. by paying tho !,
rice of not less than $3.50 per acre, =
xed after examination OF the stone or !,
mber by government appraiser. In =,
mes past a great deal Of fraud has | u
zen perpetrated in the acquisition Of q
nus Nilh dfNs nut u ~ HOW | N
ing much more strictly enforced, anu | /,
e entries made arc so few IN number | =
lRt II seems TO serve no useful pur- | "a
,se and ought to he repealed Z
COAL LAND LAWS {
Tho present Congress passed bill &
great importance, severing the own =
rship Of coal by the government In 7
ne ground from the surface and per u
hitting homestead entries upon the Z
1rface of the land, which, when per- a
actcd, give the settler the right 10 I
arm the surface. while the coal be I
cath the surface H. retained In own i
rshtp by the government and may
o disposed OF by IL under other laws
There is no crying need for radical !
eform in the methods Of disposing !
Z what are really agricultural lands =
he present laws have worked we'll. .
he enlarged homestead law has en- !
the successful farming OF y
inds IN the semi-arid regions. or ,
curse the teachings OF the agricultural :
apartment as to how these sub-arid .
inds may be treated and the soil pre- :,
erved for useful culture are Of tho /,
cry essence OF conservation. Then
Of agricultural lands is
hown In tho reclamation NJ arid lands
y irrigation and ! should devote IA 4
aw words 10 what the government has 4
one and il doing Ia this regard. %
RECLAMATION
BY the reclamation act "A FUND has /,
t4H Of ha a. 90 !