The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1910-09-07
CONSERVATION A DUTY,
DECLARES PRESIDENT TAFT
Members of National Congress at St. Paul Find
Him Thoroughly in Accord with Their
ldeas---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-
itical term has come to mean the preser-
walton Of our natural resources for
economical use. so as to secure the great
est good to the greatest number.
The danger to the state and to the peo-
pie at large from the waste and dissipa-
ton OF our national wealth Is not one
which quickly impresses itself on the peo-
pie of the older communities. because its
most obvious instances do not occur in
their neighborhood. while in the newer
part of the country the sympathy with
expansion and development is SO strong
that the danger is scoffed at or ignored.
Among scientific men and thoughtful OBJ
servers. however, the danger has always
been present: but IL needed some one to
bring home the crying need for a remedy
Of this evil so as to impress itself on the
public mind and lead to the formation Of
public opinion and action by the repre-
senta;ives Of the people. Theodore ROose-
Welt took up this task in the last two
we'll did he perform II.
As president OF the United States
have. as II were. inherited this policy.
and l rejoice in my heritage. l prize my
high opportunity to do all that an ex-
ecutive can do to help a great people
realize a great national ambition. For
conservation il national. Ii affects every
man OF us. every woman. every child.
What I can do in the cause I shall do.
not AS president OF a party. but as presi-
dent of the whole people. Conservation
is not a question of politics. or of fac
tons. or OF persons. 1t is a question that
affects the vital welfare of all of us-of
our children and our children's children.
1 urge that no good can come from meet
ingS Of this sort unless We ascribe to
'hoSr who take part in them. and who
are apparently striving wOrthily in the
cause, all proper motives. and unless we
judiciaily consider eveYy measure or
method proposed with a view to ts>effec-
tiveness i'm achieving our common pur-
pose. and wholly without regard to who
proposes 1t or who will claim the credi;
for It's adoption. The problems are of
very great difficulty and call for the
'almeSt consideration and clearest fore
sight. Many OF the questions presented
itaVe phases that are new in this cOun-
try. and ii is possible that in their sOlu-
tion We may have to attempt first one
way and then another. What ! wish to
emphasize. however. is that a satisfac-
Tory conclusion can only lie reached
promptly If we avoid acrimony. imputa-
'ioas of bad faith. and political cOntro-
VerSy.
The public domain OF the government
OF the United States. including all the
cesstoEs from those OF the thirteen states
that made cessiOns to the United States
and including Alaska. amounted in all to
about 500 0O0.000 acres. or this there is
left AS purely government property out
xitle Of Alaska something like 10000 90 OF
acres OF this the national forest re-
series in the United States proper en-
brace IA. 60 acres
1 shall divide my discussion under the
heads of ~ agricultural lands: % min
.,rai l6nds-that Is. lands containing
metaitiferOus minerals: g, forest lands:
~ coal lands: C0 oil and gas lands: and
80 phosphate lands.
Agricultural Lands.
Our land laws for the entry OF agricu!.
t"rai lands are now as follows:
The original homestead law. with the
requirements OF residence and cultivation
for five years. much more strictly en-
forced than ever before.
The enlarged homestead act. applying
to nonirrigable lands only. requiring five
years residence and continuous cUltiva-
ton o: one-fourth OF the area.
The desert-land act. which REQUIRES On
the part OF the purchaser the ownership
"f water right and thorough reclama-
ton Of the land by irrigation. aud the
payaent Of rs per acre.
The donation or Carey act. under which
the state selects the land and provides
for its reclamation. and the title vests In
the settler who resides upon the land and
"utttrates it and pays the cost OF the
recla ton.
TIE national reclamation homestead
law. requiring five years residence and
cultivation by the settler on the land ir-
rigated by the government. and payment
by him to the government OF the cost OF
the reclamation.
Tie present congress passed a bill OF
Grea; importance. severing the ownership
"f coal by the government in the ground
from the surface and permitting home
stead entries upon the surface Of the
land. which. when perfected. give the
settler the right To farm the surface,
while the coal beneath the surface is re-
tatned in ownership 10y the government
and may be disposed Of by it under other
laws.
There is no crying need for radical re-
form in the methods Of disposing of what
are really agricultural lands. The pres
emf laws have worked well. The en-
Iarged homestead law has encouraged the
successful farming Of lands In the semi
arid regions.
Reclamation.
BY the reclamation act a fund has been
created OF the proceeds OF the public
lands Of the United States with which to
works for storing great bodies
~ water at proper attitudes from which.
nv suitable system of canals and ditch
-. the water is to be distributed over the
arid and subarid lands OF the government
10 Se sold to settlers at a price sufficient
TO pay for the improvements. Primarily.
the projects are and must he for the i'm
prosenient OF public lands. Incidentally.
where private land is also within reach
n the water supply. the furnishing at
rOs; or profit of this water to private
swrers by the government is held by the
federal court OF appeals not to be a
'Isurpafion of power But certainly this
nugilt not to be done except from sur
plus water. not needed for government
land The total sum already accumula-
ted in the reclamation fund II So ZS-
IS 90 aid Of that all but 81. 1911 955 "a has
been expended. II became very clear to
congress at its last session. from the
statements made by experts. that these
~ projects could not be promptly COM
l'ieted with the balance remaining on
hand or with the funds likely to accrue
In the near future. 1t was found. more
over. that there are many settlers who
have been led into taking up lands with
the nope and understanding of having
water furnished in a short time. who are
left in a most distressing situation.
to congress that authority
be given to the secretary of the interior
20 issue bonds in anticipation OF the as
He Was Mistaken.