Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1910-01-20


the complete text or the special mes
sage on the conservation OF the ma
tion's resources sent 10 the senate
and mouse OF representatives by Pres
ident Taft today:
TO the Senate and House OF Representa-
| tlves:
In my annual message reserved the
! subject OF the conservation OF our ma
ticnal resources for disposition In 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 as 60 require more
detailed and extended discussion Than
can be entered upon in TINS cofntnllnica~
| ton. For that reason l shall take an
| early opportunity To send special mes
! sage TO congress on the subject or 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 reforesttng
OF suitable areas: upon the re-classifca-
ton of the public domain with view OF
separating from agricultural settlement
mineral coal and phosphate lands and
sites belonging 10 the government bor-
| dering on streams suitable for the utiu-
Zaton of water power.
In 1850 we had public domain NJ 1863
| e1I 2SS acres. We have now I3, 35i, OSl
acres, confined largely 10 the mountain
ranges and the arid and semi-arid plains
We have In addition. 36s OBS 975 acres or
land in Alaska.
Disbursement OF Public Lands.
The public lands were. during the EARL
| sst administrations. treated as n national
asset for the liquidation or the public
debt and source OF reward for our
soldiers and sailors. Later on they were
| donated In large amounts In aid or the
| construction OF wagon roads ana rail
ways. in order to open up regions In the
| west then almost inaccessible All the
| principal land statutes were enacted more
| than n quarter OF century AGO The
| homestead act, the redemption and tim
ber-culture act. the coal land aud 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.
! 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 u2scrupulous and that II was not
| contrary to good morals TO circumVent
the land laws This pro1!gal manner Of
disposition resulted In the passing ot
large areas OF valuable land and many
| OF our national resources into the hands
OF persons who felt little or no RESPONSE
|
fare through their development.
Fraudulent Titles.
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 govern
mont lnng since ceased 10y reason or stat
utes o. limitations There has developed
&c recent years n deeD concern IN the
| public mind respecting tho preservation
and prsper use Of our natural resources
| This has been particularly directed
| toward the conservation OF the resources
OF the public domain. vast amount OF
discussion has appeared in the public
prints in Eeneraized form on this sub
! sect. but there has heen little practical
suggestion. II has been easy 10 say that
the natural resources in fuel supply In
| 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 with most
| trusms. The problem, however, Is how
TO save and how 10 utilize. how 10 CON
serve and still develop. for no sane per-
son can contend that II 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.
and, in addition thereto. to preserve con-
| troll, under conditions favorable to the
public. OF the lands along the streams in
which the fall of water can he made to
generate power 10 he 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. MS 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 or
power sites have been made on 1902
streams and these Withdrawals therefore
cover 800 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
and tho purely agricultural lands. are
not adapted TO carry out the modern
Ni'N VI tue ptst ulSpOSliloH W
lands TO private ownership. under con-
ditions onering on the one hand SUM-
Gent inducemcnt TO private capital to
take them over for proper develop
ment, with restrictive conditions on
the other which shall secure to the
public that character of control which
will prevent monopoly or misuse OF
the lands or their products The power
OF the secretary az the interior TO with
draw from the operation OF existing
statutes tracts OF land. the disposition
or which under such statutes would
be detrimental 10 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 affrm the action OF the execu-
tive by laws adapted TO the new condi-
tons. Unfortunately. congress has not
thus far fully acted on the recommen-
cations OF the executive and the ques-
ton as TO what the executive is 10
DO is under the circumstances. full OF
difficulty. II seems 10 me that II is
the duty ~ congress now. by statute.
70 validate the Withdrawals which
have been made by the secretary OF the
interior and the president and TO use
the secretary or the interior temporar-
| ily TO withdraw lapdo popdfnn eubrnfs-