| Show j I OUR NATURAL I LT RESOURCES Prest prest Taft Discusses Them in a Special Message to the Congress STRONG FOR CONSERVATION Under Old Land Law Much Pub Public lc lic Domain Has Been Lost Lost cals ih Power Sic Site Queston Question So o Federal Control ot or l Without Federal Ownership Washington Jan te the ondel of WyomIng chairman of the thc house on lands hn has declined to stanl stand sponsor for Tafts bis bills designed to Car carry out his program f for r con of resources He offered to Introduce the measure b by request but the thc proffer was de dc dined Jan Tafts conservation message wa to the house b by Mr 11 Latt Latta as asI I to the president son soon after that bol body convened tola today Pension legislation was interrupted for tor th the re reading of oC the thc document and the tho speaker advised member members to pay par close attention thereto because no prInted copies had arrived for among th thIn m f al all of the members present remained In their seats scats and r the reading close and carefUlly When the reading of the message had been conclude concluded a roar lear of applause arose A from the n side or of the chain chaine I e bel ber and several Democratic members also joined In the demonstration of ap apS approval S To the senate and house ouse of represent n Ues In m my annual message I reserved the subject of oC the conservation ot of pm our natural reou resources ce for discussion In a asp sp message a as w 1 ln crl th therea thereaS evs S p tho necessity for tor legi legiSlation legiSlationS laton S looking looking to the further conservation of our natural resources and the subject Is one of such Importance as to reQuire n a more detailed and anel extended discus Ilon idea than cnn can be bc entered upon In this For this reason I IS Ishall S shall tk take an erly early opportunity to send senda S a specIal message to Congress on the theS subject of te the Improvement of our Waterways upon the reclamation and andS S 1 irrigation of arId semiarid and swamp lands upon the preservation of our forests and the tho reforesting 0 of suitable areas arens upon the leaton of the public nubie domain with a aview view or of separating from agricultural mineral mineraI coal and phosphate lands hinds and Iles sites belonging to the gov bordering on streams suitable 5 for th the utilization or of water power i t In wo we had a public domain of oC oCI I acres Ye e have now er s confined largely to the s and the arid and andS S semiarid We e havi hav In additon addition i I p acres or of land In Alaska t The public lands were during the earlest earliest administrations treated a as asa a national asset aset for the lq liquidation of S public debt and amI source or of reward for our soldiers and sailors Later Luter on the they I were donated In large amounts In aid aidS S ot of the construction ot of wagon road roads and railways In order to open up regions In the west then almost t j OLD LAND LAWS The rho principal al lant land statutes were en enacted enI I acted more than a or of L a cen f tur tury 10 ago The he homestad homestead act the pro pre I and timber culture act the coal land and the mining acts were I among these Tile rapid disposition of tle the publIc lands under the carl early earlyS S statutes und the la lax methods of dis prevailing due duc I think to the belief belh that theo these lands should rapidly ins as Into ownership F gave gae riso h to the impression that the tho i I domain was as legitimate ire for tOL forS S S tle unscrupulous and that It was not f contrary r to g good 1 morais to circumvent c c land l This prodigal fg manner 1 of disposition resulted In ho the passing of large arel areas or of valuable ianda nl and many S pt pf our natural resources S the hands I S of per ons wiO felt or no for fOl promoting the tha national wel taro fare through h development The truth Is 15 that tite title to of oC acres or of lands lunds Wt ob obtained a and 11 that Ol the right to S a large of such lands fo for the thc gov iun ceased b by reason or of statutes of There hits hus developed d In recent years eals ealsa a deep concer concern In the tho public mind Uw the and proper use or of our natural resources resource This has hasS S been particularly directed toward the domain or Of resources of the public The problem Is how to save how to toS S c how to conserve conservo and do de develop for no sane Isane person can n contend contendS S that It s 5 for tor the cOlmon common good that natures blessings s arc only for tor the un unborn S born generatIons ROOSEVELT Amon Among the mot moat reforms initIated b by 1 my distinguished es sor we were 1 the vig rous or of orland land frauds and the bringinG bringing to public al attention oC of the necessity tor preservIng Ine Ing the remaining domain from flom 5 further for the maIntenance S and of oC our forest resources and for tor the tho of laws amend amendIng lag Ing the obsolete statutes so 60 a OM to 10 re lain government government over oer that part parl ot of the public domain In which there are deposits of coal 01 oil and phosphate uld and In addition thereto to under conditions fa favorable preserve control to public of lands alon along tho sh ml In ti which the ful fail pf oC water cn ran be made to generate generate power to be In tim tho form torm or of electrIcity I many miles to the pints pointe or of Its use known UK as water ower InvestigatIons Into vIolations or of pub Jc lIe land and nd prosecution of oC frauds Im been vigorously continued under my on a as ha lies been 1 the tue withdrawal ot of coal lands for class classi and valuation ant and the tempt raly or of Power ower sites Rites l POWER OW P SITE Since Mardi I 1909 temporary with of power sites Rites hare hae been made on 10 streams a and d these withdrawals t cover per ier cent more moru streams than were covered b by the with dl wals made prIor to that date date I the rho present He ent statutes except so far faras faras as they or of precious metas metals nn and l Purely lei agricultural lau lands s are not adapted to carl carry out the thu modern view or of the he best dispoSItion or of public lands to tinder conditions offering On the one hand sufficient In to private capital to tolo take them ocr oter for proper development r restrictive conditions and on the other othel which shall secure to the public that that of oC which wi prevent lovent a monopoly or misuse of the lands or theIr products The he power or of the secretary of the In Interior tenor to wIthdraw from tho ho operation of oC existing statutes tracts or of land hand the lie of which under such stat statutes utes woul would b b detrimental to the tho pub lc lie interest Is not clear clem or satisfactory This pwel power has ben been exercised 1 n the Interest of the public with the hope that Congress might affirm the acton action of oC the tho executive b by laws adapted t to the new ios conditions Unfortunately Congress has not thus far fUl fully acted on the recommendations of oC the executive and aud the tho queston question as asto asto to what the thc executive Is to do is under the circumstances ful full of dIfficultIes It seems to me that It is the duty of Congress now by a statute to aH aU wIthdrawals which have hae been made by bythe bythe the secretary ot of the Interior and president president dent and to authorize the tho secretary of the tho InterIor temporarily to withdraw lands pending submissIon to Congress of oC a as to legislation to meet or emergencies as they arise IA LAND D CLASSIFICATION One of oC the most pressing needs n the tho matter or of public land reform Is 15 that lands should be classified accord accordIng Ing in to their principal value or use Thi This oUGht to be done by that department whose force Is best adapted to that work I It should 0 be done b by the interior through the geological sur sure e Much of the confusion fraud and contention which has existed In tue tho past has arisen from the lack of an official and ot of the public lauds lands and nd their contents I It is now proposed to dispose of cultural lands as such and at the seine same a time to reserve for other disposition the tho treasure of coal oi oil contained phosphate natural gas and therein This ma may be best accomplished to mine from b by separating the right the tte title to the surface giving the necessary latter as essary use of oC so much of tho later essar may be for the extraction of the deposits Tho surface might be disposed or of as agricultural land under the general agricultural statute white the coal or other mineral could be dis disposed po posed ed of b by lease on a roal royalty basis with provisions requiring n a certain amount of oC development each year and andIn andin In order to prevent the tho use and ces cession aba sion of such lands wih with other others or of aim sim liar character seems to constitute a monopoly forbidden b by law the tho lea leao o should contin contain suitable provision sub subjecting to forfeIture the Interests of persons participating In such mono poty Such law should applY to Alas Alasta Alaska ka ta as well as to the United States It Is exceedingly dIfficult to frame I a government control over a property to be developed by private In such n a manner n as to secure the governmental purpose anti nt at the same samo time not nol frighten awa away Investment of the necessary capital capital Hence I it may be necessary by laws th t arc real really only onh experimental to determine from their practical opera what is the best bost method of securIng ton lag Ing the resul result aimed at atThe atThe The extent of the value of phosphate Is hard hardly I and with oj the need that there wl will he be for Cor It as the tho years rol roll on and the necessity for Ing the land shall become more acute this wi bo be a product whIch wi wIll probably abl ably attract the tho greed or of monopolists WATER POWER POWEll With Ith respect to the public land which les lies along the tho streams offerIng opportunity to convert water power into I transmissible electricity another Im of the public queston question Is presented There Thero are valuable water waterpower waterpower power sites through al all public I nd states Opinion is 13 held that transfer of the sovereignty from federal gov government government to territorial governments as they become states Included water waterpower waterpower power In rivers except that owned by byrl rl riparian proprietors I do not think It necessary to go Into a discussion of of this somewhat mooted queston question of law Jaw lawIt It seems to me sufficient to s say that the man who owns own and controls the theland theland land along the stream from which the power Is to bo be cOIe converted tod and trans traits owns land which I is indispensable able to the conversion and use of that I power I cannot conceive how the power In streams flowing through pub lc lIe lands land I can be made available at al eli I except b by using the land itself ns as the alto for the tho construction or of the plant by which the power Is generated and converted and amI securing a right of oC way for transmission lines Under these theo conditions If the tue government owns the lie adjacent I If the Is the riparian owner It mn control the lie use of waterpower I b by imposing conditions on the tue I dispositIon of oC hand Imd necessary In the creating and aton or of water power Development In electrical appliances for the conversion or of water power into electricitY to Je be lon long distances distance lies hns progressed so far that I It Is xio no longer problematical hut but It Is a certain Inference that lint In the future power of oC water flowing In the streams to a largo large octet extent wi will take the place of natural fuels ATER POWER TRUST TRUSTIn In tho disposition o of the domain al aI already ready read granted ranted man many power sies sites lave hero been unter tinder ownership an and may drIll drift Into one ownership so that al all the thc under private ownership shall be a monopoly I If however the lie water vater power sites altes no now owned b by the there arc man of oC de disposed of oC to private penol for Cor Investment ot of their capital In such a wa way as to prevent their union for fOl purposes of oC monopolY with other water ater power sites ant and conditions that shah limit tIle the right of oC use to not exceeding n p lh iii nr l 1 trl l a a I n ie s graduated d t d r ron tel an and with 1 som om equitable provision I for fIxing terms and renewal It would seem possible to prevent tIm tho I Iab ab absorption of oC these theo most lanta lands by a power monopoly As lonG long as the control and can their improper n with other plant competition mut must bo be bon n md and prices kept ept reasonable In considering the conservation ot of natural rc resources of the country the tho feature tha that transcends al oil others other In water Is the soil it Is Incumbent upon th the So gov government solI to foster b by al all means the resources of oC the tho country that produce the thc rood food of oC the ro this end tile tho conservation of tim tho soils 10 bo be cared for Cor with al all meant means ft at Ito tho disposal Their power should have havethe the thc of our oui scientists that we may conserve the new soils improve the thc old soils drain wet Roll soIls ditch I swamp swamp soIls levee evee r river ver overflow sols soils grow trees on thin sols soils pasture hi hill hillside gow side soils rotate crops on al nih sols soils discover methods for cropping d dry land sois soils find grase grasses anti and legume legumes for ni all sois soIls feed grin grain and mi mill feeds on the Cars farms where the they originate that lint the lie sols soils from which the they come may maybe maybe be enrIched A work ork o of the utmost to Inform and instruct the tho public on this branch or of the conservation of our resources Is being carried on success successfully Cul fully In the of agrIculture but It ought not to 10 escape public aten atten attention state stale action In addition ton tion that the aton additon the of agriculture to that of oC department n as for or instance In tho drainage of swamp lands Is essential to the best treatment of soils In iii the tho manner above Indicated The act b by which In semiarid parts of oC tho ho nubile domain the area aren or of orthe the homestead ha has been enlarged from IGO to acres has resulted most In the extension or of dry farming and the demonstration which ha has been made of the possibIlIty through a variation In time tho character and modo of culture of raising sub substantial crops without presence or of such auch sucha a a supply of water as has been here heretofore heretofore thought to be nece necessary for agriculture IRRIGATION But there are milons millions of acres of ComPletelY complete arid lands In time the public domain which by the tho establishment ot of reservoirs for time tho storing of oC water and the Irrigation or of the lands ma may be male made much more fruitful and pro than the best lands In a el cli climate mate mato heru the tho comes from the clouds Congress recognized the importance of this method or of artificial ton thou or of water on the arll arid lands by time the passage of the reclamation act ct The proceeds of oC tIme the public lands create creates a fund to buIld the works needed to toI store and furnish necessary water and It was lef left to the tho of oC the In Interior I crier to determine what projects should hi bo selected among tho o sug and to direct time tho reclamation service wih the lie funds at hand and through time the engineers In Its employ to construct time the works No one can visIt the far west and th hi country or of arid and semiarid lands without being convinced that this is isono Isone ono one of oC the most Important methods of of o f our natural re resources that lint tIme Ule has entered |
