Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-21

Federal Oil Conservation Board to try
to bring about control of drilling and
to assist through an interstate COM
pact in the States that are most con-
cerned. At the same time, through an
order of the President, conservation has
been ordered on the public domain, that
is to say. the lands in the ownership
Of the National Government.
Conservation Wise Use.
Conservation does not mean preser-
walton. 1t means wise use. With the
various forces that are at work at the
present time, it is hoped that ma
tional strategy can be developed in con-
nection with our oil resources, so that
we can get the largest possible amount
from the oil fields and the maximum
use of the oil when it has once been
brought to the surface. There will be
many difficulties in working out the de-
tails Of this plan, but it is one Of such
large national Importance that some
thing tangible must be done about it.
At the same time we hope to make a
study of the whole public domain to
find out exactly what our country owns
on the surface Of the ground and be-
low the ground, and to develop plans
for the future. These public lands are
in the various States. There are large
problems as to what their relationship
should be to the State governments, as
we'll as to the National Government.
While to those of the East these prob
lens of the West may seem somewhat
remote, nevertheless, because of their
relationship to certain vital natural
resources, they are of important con-
Germ to all of us.
The Department of the Interior is
also concerned with the control of an
other Of our greatest natural resources.
and that Is water The National Gov
eminent is endeavoring in parts Of the
country to supply water to arid regions
in other words. by the storage of e
natural resource, it is possible to make
up for the defects in climate. Through
such process portions of the public
domain can be made of enormous value
In this little talk I have sketched
briefly the Indian and his possibilities,
the Importance of our pools OF oil to
our whole civilization and the great
significance of the public domain as an
element in national welfare.
Critics Are Answered.
Devoting much attention to the oil
probe of the public lands committee
Senator Nye answered critics by de-
claring that the investigation had been
worth while, and adding that nc
member of the committee was motivated
simply by desire to be doing some
thing.
The failure of criminal proceeding:
against the principals in the oil cases
because of their MEANS" was charac.
teriZed as "discouraging and disgusting.
but after all, the speaker added, ''they
| have paid dearly, all of them"
And, he continued 1.-The investiga.
tons by the Senate are probably no
| finished"
Senator Nye also said that naticna
parks are assuming more importance II
the scheme Of things, and he looks fol
even more along the lines of develop
ment.
The Senator's speech in full follows
If I understand the purpose of theS'
radio talks tonight, 1t Is expected tina
Secretary Wilbur and will afford som,
little insight into the work and TIT
problems Detailing executive agents o
the Government and the representa-
tives Of the people In Congress by vir
tue of the ownership of millions o
acres of land which are commonl!
known as the public domain.
The magnitude of this empire o
Governmental owned lands is best exem
plified by a statement concerning tn,
actual acreage in that domain. Publ,
lands over which Uncle Sam still hold!
| ownership aggregate over 818,00G,00t
acres. In other words, including tina
| In Alaska, there are 1879, 209 square
miles of land in the public domain. Thi
| is equal to the combined area of 8.
| States of the Union. Quite some do
| main, we must all agree, yet exceed
| ingly small by comparison with what i
once was. Over this vast area thu
Department of the Interior has jurisdic
ton and administration.
Responsibilities Are Divided.
Congress divides its responsibility
| just as the executive branch of tn,
| Government does Where. the execu
tive delegates Jurisdiction in public Ian,
J matters to the Secretary of the interior
both Houses of Congress assign frs
responsibility of their legislative dutie
with relation to public lands to thei
respective committee on public lands
Consequently. members of these com
mittees. like myself have much in com
mon with the Interior Department an,
its Secretary. when say there i
much in common, I sincerely hope tn
conclusion will not be drawn that thes
| interests are always in common. Tn
public will recall that the interests ant
motives of the Senate committee OF
| public lands was quite thoroughly II
conflict with the interests and motive
Of certain Secretary of the Interio
| Department.
The duties OF the public lands com
mittee and the Interior Department