The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1910-09-09
CONSERVATION A DUTY,
DECLARES PRESIDENT TAFT
Members Of National Congress at St. Paul Find
Him Thoroughly in Accord with Their
Ideas--His Speech.

GU col bioS ~
the projects, worthy and feasible, might
be promptly completed, and the settlers
might be relieved from their present IN
convenience and hardship. In authorizing
the issue Of these projects, congress linn
tied the application Of their proceeds TO
those projects which a board OF army en-
gineers, to be appointed by the president
should examine and determine to be
feasible and worthy OF completion. The
board has been appointed and soon Will
make its report.
Suggestions have been made that the
United States ought to aid In the drain
age Of swamp lands belonging to the
states or private owners, because, II
drained, they would be exceedingly val
liable for agriculture and contribute 10
the general welfare by extending the
area of cultivation. I deprecate the agi-
tation in favor of such legislation. 1t Is
inviting the general government into
contribution from it's treasury toward en-
terprises that should be conducted either
by private capital or at the instance or
the state. In these days there Is a dlspo-
sition to look too much to the 1eoeral
government for everything. 1 am liberal
in the construction of the Constitution
with reference to federal power; but L
am firmly convinced that the only safe
course for us to pursue Is TO hold 1ast
To the limitations of the Constitution and
to regard as sacred the powers or the
states. We AVE made wonderful prog
ress and at the same time nave pre-
served with judicial exactness the re-
strictions Of the Constitution. There is
an easy way in which the Constitution
can be violated by congress without
judicial inhibition, to-wit, by approprla-
tons from the national treasury Tor I'M
constitutional purposes. 1t will be a sorry
day for this country IL the time ever
comes when our fundamental compact
shall be %habitually d~isregarded in this
manner.
Mineral Lands.
BY mineral lands I mean those lands
| bearing metals. or what are called metal
liferous minerals. The rules or owner
| ship and disposition Of these lands were
first fixed by custom in the west. and
| then were embodied in the law. and they
have worked, on the whole, so fairly ana
we'll that do not think 1t is wise to
attempt to change or better them.
Forest Lands.
Nothing can be more important In the
matter Of conservation than the treatment
of our forest lands. 1t was probably tne
ruthless destruction OF forests IN tne
older states that first called Afternoon 10
a halt in the waste or our resources ms
was recognized by congres by an act
authorizing the executive to reserve from
entry and set aside public. timber lands
as national forests Speaking generaiiy'
there has been reserved OF the eXlstng
forests about seventy per cent. or all
the timber lands Of the government:
Within these forests dncluding 26'ooo.Vo
acres in two forests in Alaska are l-,
oo 600 of acres. Of which l66,ooo.oW OF
acres are in the United States proper ana
include within their boundaries some
thing like 90. 900. 900 Of acres that Delong
to the state or to private individuals. we
have then, excluding Alaska forests' a
total of about 144, 900. 600 acres OF forests
belonging to the government which Is
being treated in accord with the priHci-
pies Of scientific forestry.
Tho government timber In this coun-
trv amounts to only one-fourth or all the
timber. the rest being In private own
ership. Only three per cent. OF mat WHICH
Is in private ownership is looked a1ter
nronerlv and treated according 10 moo
ern rules of forestry. The usual oe-
structive waste and neglect continues IN
tho remainder Of the forests owned Dy
nr,vate persons and corporations. IL is
astimated that fire alone destroys S0'On'-
mo worth Of timber a year. Inc
management Of forests not on pupnC
land is beyond the jurisdiction or the Ieo.
eral government. If anything can De oons
nv law II must be done by the state leg
ts1atnres believe that it Is within theil
constitutional power to require the en-
forcement of regulations in the genera
public interest. as to fire ana othel
causes of waste in the management o
forests owned by private individuals ah'
corporations.
7 have shown sufficiently the conditions
as to federal forestry to indicate that M
further legislation is needed at the mo
ment except an increase in the hre pro
lection to national forests and an &C
yesting the executive with full power Z
make forest reservations In every stat
where government land is timber-coVere
or where the land is needed for forestr
purposes.
Coal Lands.
The next subject, and one most impor
tant for our consideration. Is the olsposl
ton Of the coal lands In the Unite
States and in Alaska. First, as TO mos
in the United States. At the oeglnnln
Of this administration they were class
fed coal lands amounting to 6,476,W
acres. and there were withdrawn 1ro1
entry for purposes of classification IL
867 OOO acres. Since that time there nav
been withdrawn by my order from emu
for classification 77,64S,000 acres, maxim
a total withdrawal OF 9o,5lo.oW acre
Meantime, OF the acres thus Withdraw
II a71 OOo have been classified and foun
? not to contain coal, and have been r.
stored to agricultural entry, and 4,3oo.O
acres have been classified as coal !ano'
while 79. 7SS, 900 acres remain Withdraw
!, from entry and await classification. !
addition 1886, 600 acres have been class
> fed as coal lands without prior Withdraw
5 al. thus increasing the CLASSIFIED co
lands to 10. 16S. 900 acres.
: Under the laws providing for the d1sp'
g sition of coal lands, the minimum pri'
I at which lands are permitted to be SO
t is SO an acre; but the secretary or II
interior has the power to fix a maximu
: price and sell at that price. BY the mr.
regulations governing appraisal, a.
h proved April s, 1907, the minimum was 8
t as provided by law. and the maximu
@ was 500, and the highest price actual
e placed upon any land sold was SIS. U.
a der the new regulations, adopted April
Is 1909. the maximum price was increased
= $500. except in regions where there a
It large mines, where no maximum limit
l. dxed and the price is determined by 4
: estimated tons of coal to the acre. n
Is highest price fixed for any and und
% this regulation has been $60S. The a
le praisal value of the lands classified
,e coal lands and valued under the new a.
4 old regulations Is shown to be as follow
n 4.S03, 921 acres. valued under the old reg
10 lations at 81, ga, :329, an average of SIS
= n n $1,000 ~