The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1910-09-08
CONSERVATION A DUTY,
DECLARES PRESIDENT TAFT
Members of National Congress at St. Paul Find
Him Thoroughly in Accord with Their
Ideas---His Speech.

CONSERVATION congress listened with
deep Interest to President Taft's ad-
dress today. The chief executive
spoke substantially as follows.
Gentlemen OF the National Conservation
Congress.
Conservation as an economic and po-
utical term has come 90 mean the prescr-
walton % our uatural resources for
economical use. 20 as 90 secure the great
est good TO the greatest number.
The danger to the state and 20 the peo-
pie az large from the waste and dissipa-
uon OF our national wealth ig not one
which quickly imprcsses itself on the pe0-
pie o. the older communities. because its
most obvious |iustanccs do not occur ln
their neighborhood while iu the newer
part Of the country the sympathy with
expansion and development Is SO strong
that the danger r. scoGed at or Ignored.
Among scientific men and th5ughtfgi OBJ
servers, however. the danger has always
been present. but IL needed some one TO
brluE home the crying need for a remedy
or this evil 90 as 20 Impress ltsflf on the
public mind and lead 60 the formation Of
public opinion and action hy the repre-
seutatiyrs Of the people Theolore Roose-
welt took ny this task tn the last two
years Of HE second administration. and
well did De perform H.
A. president OF the United States I
have, as u were. inherited this policy.
and J rejoice iu my heritage. I prize my
hiEh opportunity n do all that an ex-
ecutive can DO % help a great people
realize a great national ambition. For
conservation Is national IL affects every
man Of 10, every woman. every child.
What ] can do Ia the cause shall 90,
not AS president % a party. but ne Yresi-
dent ~ the whole people. Conservation
g. not a question o. politics, or Of fac
tons. or OF psrs0rs Il ls a question that
Affects the vital welfare Of au % us-of
our children and our Children children.
] urge that no good can come from meet
inEs % this sort unless ve ascribs 20
those who take TNTt Ia them. and who
are apparently striving Worthily la the
cause. all roper motives. and unless we
Judirlally consider assry measure or
method proposed with a view 20 It's sGec-
uveness In achieving our common pUr-
pose. and wholly without regard 10 who
proposes % or who will claim the credit
for is adoption. The problems are Of
very great d~ifnculty and call f1r tho
ealmsst consideration and Ciesrsst fore
sight Many of the questions presented
have phases that are n,w lr this coun-
Try, and "a b. possible that iu their sllu-
tcu VI" may have 90 attempt nrst one
way and then another. what wish 90
emphasize, however. Or that "a aatstaC-
tory conclusion can only Dc reached
promptly 10 wc avoid acrimony. imputA-
lions q bad faith. and political oontro-
veray
Tho rubrc domain OF Che government
% fhr United States. fne'uftrr ana IHc
cesslarH from those 81 the thirteen rtater
that waig C~rEFiura 90 she United States
and Including Alaska amounted Boz al GO
about I~.fHHHua acres Dr fhIa There d.
lcr aH purely government property nat-
eide Hf Alaska aaueth.rV IKE -Du,I n 90
RrI.H or thls fte national forest r--
serves in tho United States proper enc
hraDa ltfusA0ud arTvs
.H.L .H...H. Ha
heads ~ G agr.ultursI lands .I ma-
tfaI lands TINT Co., lands containing
msfalHftrHuf minerals ODD forrest lands
tN coal lands .H 900 ana sas lands ana
o. phosphate lands
Agricultural Lands.
Our land laws Tor rho entry q agrIeai-
tural lands lrU row az ~fallovF
Tho original hume7tf4d lew. with tho
yr.a'rrmDEts 20 Residence and cultivation
fur HEr years. much more strictly enc
forced than ever before
Tho enlarged homestead act. applying
60 ronirrEaalc lands only. r"GuIrlnr I've
yrar' residence and continuous gulUya-
non ~ Uuc-fnyrth Of tho area.
The desort-Iand act. witch requires on
Tho part of tho purchaser thr Ownership
or "a water rlFht and thorough reel mae
tun ~ tn" land ny Irrigation. aui tho
payment of uE psr acre
The donation of Carey act under wh'cb
The state selects tho land aud provides
f0r ltH reclamation amt thn utie vests fn
Tho settler who resides gron the land and
cuiutui"s Dc and pays rho cost " the
reclamation
Tho national reclamation homestead
law rruuIrrE Eve years residence and
cultivation pg tho settler ON che land ir-
riEatod ny tbr government and payment
by him Co. tfr government ~ tho cost %
thr reclamation.
Tho present congress passed. a hU ~
great Importance. t]oNgring fEs ownership
~ coal by fne government in thu e.u4uI
from the surface and permitting home
stead entries upon the surface ~ tho
land. which when perfected. give tho
settler th, right Go farm tho surface.
while the cu-l beneath the surface is fy,
ulucd u uwu,rrhlu ly ;nr government
AMI may Dec disg0arl of by it under other
laws
mere 10 no crying need for radical re-
form iu tho methods ~ diFrusInr uf what
are really agricultural lands Tho pres.
opt laws have worried well Tue ono
larErd homestead Law has encouraged mo
su',orsful farming ~ laDds Boz tho soui-
arid rvFiauH
Reclamation.
ny the reclamation ACT a fund has been
created ~ The proceeds az ihr public
lands u tho United States with which TO
construct works fOr storing ErrHt bodies
OF Whtor at proper attitudes from which.
NN u fNital|t system on canals nud ditch
eE, tho water is 90 be- distributed over the
arid and suburld lands az The government
20 be sold Go settlers ut "a uriru surir'rrt
90 pay Tor thr Improvement Primarily
the projects are and must D. Cor the iu-
proNemeut of public lAnda Incidentally.
whore private land is also within reach
of the water supply. the furnishing az
cost or profit OF this water Go private
owners hy the government 3s held by the
federal court 90 appeals NOT % De- "a
usurpation 0f power nut certainly this
ought not Go De done except nrum SUR
pius water, not needed for government
% The total sum already nccgWula-
tod in tho reclamation FUND ia NlgG-
GAo and 90 that AN but Sffui has
bctu expended, n became worry clear 60
Uourrcsa az itH last session. from tho
statements made 10y experts, that these
50 projects could not De promptly com.
pleted with the balance remaining on
hand or with the funds likely 60 accrne
On the near future "a was found more.
over, that there are many settlers who
have hcen led tnto taking up lands with
49, NaHsa uaH nN.HHu.HmuNNHtm ~ hasNmm