Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1910-01-20


tons resources sent TO the senats
| and house OF representatives by Pres.
idcnt Tam today:
| 10 the Senate and HOUSE Of Represents.
| lives:
| In my annual message reserved the
| subject OF the conservation az our IA
tionai resources for disposition IN u spe-
| cial message. ~ follows.
! In several departments there Ii pre-
| scented the necessity for legislation look
| Ing TO the further conservation OF our
| national resources. and the subject In one
| o. such Importance M 70 require q more
| detailed and extended discussion than
| can be entered upon In this communities,
| ton. For that reason I shall take an
| early opportunity to send q special mes
sage to congress on the subjecf Ut the
Improvement Of our waterways. upon the
| reclamation ana Irrigation OF artd. sasni-
| arid and swamp lands. upon the prsser-
| walton Of our forests and the rs-foresftng
| Of suitable areas: upon the re-clasxifica-
| tiOn Of the public domain with . view ot
separating from agricultural settiemsnt
mineral. coal and phosphate lands and
sites belonging 10 the government bor-
| dering on streams suitable for the NTH
xation OF water power
In 1850 We had 4 public domain ut ms, :
| sll. as acres We have now TAI. as4sMl
acres. confined largely 90 the mountain
ranges and the arid and semi arid plains.
We have. in addition ~ .s7s acres ~
land In Alaska.
Disbursement Of Public Lands.
The public lands were. during the cart.
cot administrations, treated N q national
asset for the liquidation OF the public
debt and as . 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 70 open up regions In the
west then almost inaccessible. All the
principal land statutes wore enacted more
than 4 quarter of n century ngo Tho
homestead act. the presumption and rim
ber-culture act. the coal land snd the
mining acts were among these
The rapid disposition OF the public 10 nda
under the early stat,ites and the lax
methods Of distribution prevailing. due.
think. to the belief that these ianda
should rapidly pass into private owner
ship, gave rise to the Impression that
the public domain was legitimate prey
for the INSCRIPTIONS and that II was not
contrary to good morals to circumvent
the land laws. This prodsgai manner ~
disposition resulted In the passing os
large areas of valuable land and many
of our national resources into the hands
ef persons who felt little ar no rssponsi-
oaiify for promoting the national vel
fare through their DEVELOPMENT
Fraudulent TIties.
The truth - that title to millions Of
sores Of public lands was fraudnIentiy
obtained and that the right to recover =
large part Of such lands for the govern
ment long since ceased by reason oS stat
utss Of Limitations. There has developed
IN recent years deea concern In the
public mind respecting the preservation
IA n 1pot
This has neen particularly directed
toward the conservation ar the respurcex
o. the public domain vast amount az
discussion has appeared IN the public
prints m generalixed form on this sub
3ect. but there has heen little practical
sukgesti0n. II has been easy to aay thar
the natural resources IN fuel supply. in
forents. IN water power, and In other
public utilities. must be saved from
wAste. monopoly, and other abuses. ana
the general public Il il accord with this
proposition. - they ara with most
truIsms The problem. however. Is how
~ save and how to utilize. how to con
aerve and stiil develop. f0r no sane per-
i I'm can contend that II IL FOR thu com
mon good that natures blessinrs are
enly Tor unborn generations
Noteworthy Reforms.
Among the most noteworthy REFORMS
Initiated ~ my distinguished preaecessov
were the Vigorous prosecution Of land
1Auds ana the bringing q public atten-
don Of the necessity FOR preserving the
eouaining public domain from further
ap0liaticn. t0r chs maintenancA and ~
q tonoion o. our forest resources and f,r
IN onactment Of laws amending eha Ob-
9oteto efAtutes - a. to retain g0vefn-
nentaI control over that part 81 che pub
ue domain u which there Arc valuable
1epoGita u coal. az oil. ana ~ phosphate.
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