River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-01-20

the complete text OF the special mes
sage on the conservation OF the ma
! tons resources sent TO the senate
and mousse of representatives by Pres
ident Taft today:
/ To the Senate and House OF Representa-
4 tiVes:
! subject OF the conservation OF our ma
/ tional resources for disposition In a spe-
| cial message, as follows:
In several departments there is pre-
! scented the necessity for legislation look
! ing to the further conservation or our
national resources, and the subject Is one
| of such Importance to require n more
] detailed and extended discussion than
| can be entered upon in tins communlci-
! ton. For that reason | shall take an
| early opportunity To send special mes
| sage to congress on the subject OF the
! improvement of our waterways. upon the
reclamation and irrigation of arid. semi
! arid and swamp lands; upon the preser-
| walton Of our forests and the re-foreStng
| Of suitable areas: upon the re-ciasSihea-
! ton of the public domain with view OF
| separating from agricultural settlement
mineral coal and phosphate lands and
sites belonging to the government Dor
dering on streams suitable for the utiii-
Zation of water power.
In 1860 we had a public domain Of LOSE.
Gil, 288 acres. We have now III 354 O81
acres. confined largely 10 the mountain
ranges and the arid ard semi-arid plains.
We have, in addition. 500. O35. 975 acres OF
land in Alaska.
Disbursement of Public Lands.
The public lands were, during the EARL
est administrations, treated national
asset for the liquidation OF the public
debt and as a source OF reward for our
soldiers and sailors. Later on they were
donated in large amounts in aid or the
construction of wagon roads and rail
ways, in order to open no regions in the
west then almost inaccessible. All the
principal land statutes We're enacted more
than quarter of "a century ago The
homestead act, the pre-ent,tion and tim
ber-culture act, the coal land and the
mining acts were among these.
The rapid disposition of the public lands
under the early statutes. and the lax
methods of distribution prevailing. due. I
think. to the belief that these lands
should rapidly pass into private owner
ship, gave rise to the impression that
the public domain was legitimate prey
for the INSCRIPTIONS and that 1T was not
contrary to good morals to crcumvent
the land laws. This prod;gal manner Of
disposition resulted in the passing Of
large areas OF valuable land and many
of our national resources into the hands
of persons who felt little or no RESPONSE
bility for promoting the national well
fare through their development.
Fraudulent Titles.
The truth is that title to millions Of
acres OF public lands was frauduIentiy
obtained and that the right TO recover a
large part of such lands for the govern
ment long since ceased by reason Of stat
utes OF limitations. There has developed
in recent years a dee0 concern in the
public mind respecting the preservation
and proper use Of our natural resources
This has been particularly directed
toward the conservation of the resources
of the public domain A vast amount OF
discussion has appeared in the public
prints in generalized form on this SUBJ
ject, but there has heep little practical
suggestion. IT has been easy to say that
the natural resources in fuel supply iii
forests, in water power. and in other
public utilities must be saved from
waste. monopoly, and other abuses, and
the general public is in accord with this
proposition, as they are with most
truisms. The problem, however, is how
to save and how to utilize, how to con-
serve and still develop, for no sane per-
son can contend that it is for the com
mon good that natures blessings are
, only for unborn generations.
Noteworthy Reforms.
Among the most noteworthy REFORMS
initiated by my distinguished predecessor
were the vigorous prosecution OF land
frauds and the bringing to public atten-
ton of the necessity for preserving the
remaining public domain from further
spoliation, for the maintenance and ex-
tension of our forest resources. and for
the enactment of laws amending the OBJ
solete statutes so as to retain govern
mental control over that part of the pub
lie domain in which there are valuable
deposits of coal, of OIL and Of phosphate.
troll. 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 prosecution of
land frauds have been vigorously con-
tinued under my administration, has
been the withdrawal of coal lands for
classification and valuation and the tenn
| porary withholding of power sites. Since
March 4, 1909, temporary Withdrawals of
power sites have been made 1902
| streams and these Withdrawals therefore
| cover 229 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
/
| 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 suffi-
/ cient inducement to private capital to
! take them over for proper develop
ment with restrictive conditions on
4 the other which shall secure to the
public that character of control which
will prevent a monopoly or misuse of
! the lands or their products. The power
ofWhe secretary of the interior to with
draw from the operation of existing
statutes tracts of land. the disposition
| OF which under such statutes would
| be detrimental to the public interests.
is not clear or satisfactory. This power
has been exercised in the interest OF
the public. with the hope that congress
| might affirm the action of the execu-
| tive by laws adapted to the new condi-
| tions. Unfortunately. congress has not
thus far fully acted on the recommen-
| dationS of the executive. and the ques-
| tion as to what the executive is tc
do is under the circumstances. full OF
| difficulty. 1t seems to me that it is
| the duty of congress now, by a statute
| to validate the Withdrawals which
have been made by the secretary of the
| interior and the president and to use
the secretary OF the interior temporar
| lily to withdraw lands pending submits
! sion to congress OF recommendation as