The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-09-05
TEDDY'S POLICY
O.k.'D BY TAFT
President Addresses National
Conservation Congress.
PROBLEMS or IMPORTANCE.

port on MS Heritage From Last Ad.
i11inistration and Says He ID Trying
to Carry Out Work Already Started.
ST Paul, Mimi, Sept. .5.--Gentlemen
OF the National Conservation Congress
Conservation as an economic and po-
Atical term has come to mean the pres
ervation of our natural resources for
economical use so as to secure the
greatest good to the greatest number.
In the develoment Of this country, in
the hardships Of the pioneer, in the
energy of the settler, in the anxiety OF
the investor for quick returns, there
was very little time. opportunity or
desire to prevent waste of those re-
sources supplied by nature which
could not be quickly transmitted into
money, while the investment of capt.
tai was SO great desideratum that
the people as n community exercised
little or no care to prevent the TRIMS
Ter of absolute ownership of many of
the valuable natural resources to pri-
vate individuals without retaining
some kind of control of their use.
The impulse OF the whole new COM
munity was to encourage the coming
OF population, the increase of settle
ment and the opening up Of business.
and be who demurred In the slightest
degree to any step which promised ad-
ditional development Of the idle re-
sources at hand was regarded as a
traitor to hts nefghbors and an OBJ
structor to public progress. But now
that the communities have become old.
new that the flush of enthusiastic ex-
panSjon has died away. now that the
would be pioneers have come to re-
0lixe that all the richest lands in the
country have been taken up, we have
perceived tbe nece-sity for a change
of policy in the disposition of our ma
tfonal resources so as to prevent the
continuance of the waste which has
characterized our phenomenal growth
In the past.
Today we desire to restrict and re-
tain under public control the acquisi-
ton an6 use by the capitalist of our
natural resources,
A RoossveEt Heritage.
Among scientific men and thoughtful
observers, however, The danger has al
ways been present, but it needed some
one to bring home the crying need for
a remedy OF this EVIL 50 as to impress
itself on the puElic mind and lead TO
the formetien of public opinicn and Ac-
tioA by the representatives, Of the peo-
pie. Theodore Roosevelt took up this
task In the last two years Of his Sec
Ond administration, and well did he
perform it.
As president Of the United States /
have, as It were. Inherited this policy,
and rejoice In my heritage. prize
my high opportunity 10 do all that an
executive can 90 To belp great people
realize great natioAM ambition, for
conservation is national. It Affects
every man Of us. every woman, every
child.
What / can DO IN the cause 1 shall
do, not as president Of a party, but as
president Of the whole people COnser-
walton is not question of politics or
of factions or of persons. 1t is a ques-
ton that Affects the vital welfare of all
of us-of our children and our chill
dron's children. / urge that no good
can come from meetings Of this sort
unless we ascribe to tbess who take
part in them and who are apparently
striving worthily in the cause all prop
er motives and unless we judicially
consider every measure or method pro-
posed with a view to its effectiveness
in achieving our common purpose and
wholly without regard to who proposes
It on who will claim the credit for its
adoption.
The problems are Of very great difn-
Guilty and call for the calmest consider
alton and cIearest foresight. Many Of
the questions presented have phases
that are new in this country, and 1t is
possible that i'm their solution we may
have to attempt first one way and then
another.
What I wish to emphasize, however,
is that a satisfactory conclusion can
only be reached promptly If we avoid
acrimony, imputations OF bad faith
and political controversy.
The public domain OF the govern
rnent OF the United States, including
all the cessions from those Of the
thirteen states that made cessions to
the United States and including Alas
lSu, amounted in all to about 100000
600 acres. OF this there are left as
purely government property outside Of
Alaska something like 100000, 600 Of
acres. OF this the national forest re-
serves in the United States proper EN-.
brace IA, 600 900 acres.
The rest is largely mountain or arid
country, offering some opportunity for
agriculture by dry farming and by
reclamation and containing metals as
well as coal, phosphates. oils and nat
hral gas Then the government owns
many tracts Of land lying along the
margins of streams that have water
power. the use Of which Is necessary
In the conversion of the power into
electricity and its transmission.
Government Ownership.
The present congress passed a bill
Of great importance. seyering the own