Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-01-15
Laws Now on Books Not Ample to
Protect Public.
MONEY FOR RECLAMATION WORN
Bond Issue to Carry Out Many Unfin-
ished Projects.
AND INLAND RIVERS
Congress should Immediately Take
Necessary steps to Conserve In
terest of Public in woods
and Streams.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14-President Tafts
special conservation message was delivered
to the house by Mr.. Latta. assistant sec
retGry to the president, soon after that
body convened today Pension legislation
was interrupted for the reading OF the
document and the speaker advised MEM
bers TO pay close attention thereto be-
cause no printed copies had arrived for
distribution among them.
Practically all members present remained
in their seats and followed the reading
clerk carefully.
When the reading OF the message had
been concluded, a roar OF applause arose
from the republican side OF the chamber
and several democratic members also
Joined in the demonstration of approval
Text of the Message.
President Tafts message is as follows:
To the Senate and House or Representa-
tlves: In my annual message 1 reserved
the subject Of conservation of our national
resources for discussion in a special mes
sage as follows:
I'm 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 detailed
tered upon in this communication. For
this reason 1 shall take an early oppor-
tunity to send special message to con-
gress on the subject OF Improvement of our
waterways, upon the reclamation and ir-
/ rigation of arid. sem-arid and swamp
lands. upon the preservation of our forests
and the reforesting of suitable areas, upon
reclassficaton of the public domain with
view of separating from agricultural set
telement mineral, coal and phosphate lands
and sites belonging to the government
bordering on streams suitable for the utili-
cation Of water power"
| In 1860 we had a public domain of 1.055.-
911 2sS acres, We have now 731, 354,0H acres.
confined largely to the mountain ranges
and the arid aud semi-arld plains. We
have in addition S6S ,975 acres Of land in
| Alaska,
The public lands were. during the earliest
administrations, treated as a 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 of the construction
of wagon roads and railways, in order to
open up regions in the west then almost
inaccessible.
PrOdigaIity of the Past.
The principal land statutes were enacted
more than a quarter Of a century ago. The
homestead act, the pre-emption and timber
culture act the coal land and the mining
acts were among these The rapid dlsposl-
tion of the public lands under the early
statutes and the lax methods of dlstrbu-
tion prevailing, due, l think; to the belief
that these lands should rapidly pass into
private ownership, gave rise to the impress
sion that the public domain was legitimate
prey for the INSCRIPTIONS and that It was
not contrary to good morals to circumvelit
the land laws. This prodigal manner of
disposition resulted in the passing OF large
areas of valuable land and many Of our
national resources into the hands OF per-
sons who felt little or responsibility for
promoting the national welfare through
their development. The truth is that title
to millions of acres OF public 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 respecting
the preservation and proper use OF our
natural resources. This has been particu-
larly directed toward the conservation Of
resources Of the public domain. The prob
lem is how TO save and how to utilize how
to conserve and still to develop, for no
sane person can contend that 1t is for the
common good that natures blessings are
only for unborn generations.
some Roosevelt Reforms.
Among the most noteworthy reforms
initiated by my distinguished predecessor
we're the vigorous prosecution of land
frauds and the bringing to public attention
OF the necessity for the preserving of the
remaining public domain from further
spoilation, for the maintenance and extern
sion Of our forest resources and for the
enactment OF laws amending the obsolete
statutes so as to retain governmental con-
troll over that part of the public domain
in which there are valuable deposits OF
coal, of oil and of phosphate and in addl-
tion thereto to preserve control, under
conditions favorable to the public Of Tie
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 continued
under my administration as has been the
withdrawal Of coal lands for classification
and valuation and the temporary withhold
, ing OF power sites.
Since March a. 1909. temporary with
drawals Of power sites have been made on
lO2 streams and these Withdrawals there
| fore cover 229 per cent more streams than
, were covered by the Withdrawals made
/ prior 20 that date.
Existing Laws Inadequate.
The present statutes except so far as
] they dispose OF the precious metals and
Z the purely agricultural lands. are not
; adapted 20 carry out the modern view OF
: the hest disposition OF public lands to pri-
; yate ownership, under conditions Offering
on the one hand sufficient inducement to
private capital TO take them over for
: proper development, with restrictive con-
dltlon on the other which shall secure to