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Show SPECIAL MESSAGE 1 CONSERVATION IS ILL RECEIVED BY CONGRESS Nature's Blessings Not to be Reserved Only for the Unborn Generations Land Laws Out of Date-Help Asked for Reclamation to electricity to be transmitted long distances has progressed so far that It Is no longer problematical, but it Is a certain Inference that In the future power of water flowing in the st reams to a large extent will take the place of natural fuels. In the disposition of the domain already al-ready granted, many water power sites have come under absolute ownership own-ership and may drift Into one ownership, owner-ship, f.o that all tiie water power under un-der private ownership shall be a monopoly. If, however the water power sites now owned by the government and there are many of them shall be disposed of to private priv-ate persons for investment of their capital In such a way as to prevent their union for purpose? of monopoly with other water power sites, and under un-der conditions that shall limit the right of use to not exceeding fifty-four years with proper means for determining a reasonable graduated rental and with some equitable provision for fixing terms and renewal, It would seem entirely en-tirely possible to prevent the absorption absorp-tion of these most useful lands by a power monopoly. As long as the government gov-ernment retains control and can prevent pre-vent their Improper union with other plants, competition must be maintained main-tained and prices kept reasonable. In considering the conservation of natural resources of the country tho feature that transcends all others, including in-cluding woods, waters, minerals. Is the soil. It Is Incumbent upon the government to foster by all available means the resources of the country' that produco the food of the people. To this end tho conservation of the soils should be cared for with all means at the government's dispoBaL Productive Power. Tho productive power should ham the attention of our scientists that we may conserve the new soils, improve im-prove tho old soils, drain wet Bolls, ditch swamp soil, levee river overflow over-flow soIIb, grow trees on thin soils, pasture hillside soils, rotate crops on all soils, , discover methods for cropping crop-ping dry land bo118, find grasses and legumes for all soils, feed grain and mill leeds on the farms where they originate, that the soils from which they como may be enriched. A work of the utmost Importance to Inform and instruct the public on this chief branch of the conservation of our resources is being carried on successfully in the department of ag-rlciiTTufeV ag-rlciiTTufeV 'but ft ought not to escape public attention that the state action in addition to that of the department of agriculture (as for instance, in the the withdrawals made prior to that data. The present statutes, except so far as they disposo of precious metals and purely agricultural lands, are not adapted to carry oat tho modem view of tho best disposition of public lands to private ownership, under conditions condi-tions offering on tho ono hand, suf Dclent inducoment to private capital to take them over for proper devel opruHut with restrictive conditions and on tin? other, which shall secure to the public that character of control con-trol which will prevent a monopoly or misnso of the lands or their products. pro-ducts. Power of Secretary of Interior. The power of the secretary of tho interior to withdraw from the operation opera-tion of existing statutes tracts of land, tho disposition of which under such statutes would bo detrimental to the public interest. Is not clear or satisfactory. satis-factory. This power has been cxer-cleed cxer-cleed in th interest of tho public, with tho hope that congress might afilrm the action of the executive by-law by-law adapted to tho new conditions. Unfortunately congress has not thus far fully acted on the recommendations recommen-dations of tho executive and the question ques-tion as to what the executive is to do. ie, under the circumstances, full o difficulties. It seems to me that it la the duiy of congress now, by a statute, stat-ute, to validate withdrawals' whlcht have been made by tho secretary of the interior and president and to authorize au-thorize the secretary of the interior temporarily lo withdraw lands pending pend-ing submission to congress of recom- j mendatlons as to legislation to meet conditions or emergencies a,3 thoy arise. Classification of Lands. One cf the most pressing needs in the matter of public land reform is that lands should be classified according accord-ing to their principal value or use. This ought to bo done by that departs timnt whofce force Is bej:t adapted to that vork. It should be done ly tho Interior department through the geological geo-logical survey. Much of the ronfua- Wasbington. Jan. 14. President Tail's special conservation message was delivered to the house by Mr. Latta, assistant secretary to the president, presi-dent, soon after that body convened today. Pension legislation was interrupted for the reading of tho document, and the speaker adrLsed members , to pay clow attention thereto, becau no printed cople3 had arrived for distribution distri-bution anions them. Practically all of the members present pres-ent remained In their seat and followed fol-lowed the reading closely and carefully. care-fully. When the reading of the message mes-sage had been concluded, a roar of applause ap-plause arose from the Republican sJde of the chamber and several Democratic Demo-cratic members aluo Joined in the demonstration of apprcnaL Washington, Jan. 14 President Taft's special message on oonserva-tlon oonserva-tlon of natural resources sent to congress con-gress today Is as follows: To the Senate and House of Representatives: Rep-resentatives: In my annual messago I reserved the subject of conservation of our natural resources for discussion in a special message, as follows: In several departments thore is pro-sen pro-sen ted tho necessity for legislation looking to tho further conservation nf our natural resources and tho subject sub-ject is on of euoh Importance as to require a more detailed and extended discussion than can bo entered upon in thiB communication. For tbiB reason. rea-son. I shall tako an early opportunity to send a special message to congress on tho subject of tho Improvement f our waterways; upon tho reclamation Dud Irrigation of arid, semi-arid and swamp lands; upon the preservation of our forests and tho re-forestiog of suitable areas; upon the reclassification reclass-ification of tho public domain with a view of separating from agricultural agricul-tural settlonaent, . mineral, coal and pbosopbate Linda and sites belonging t. tho government bordering on streams Hnltablo for tho utilization or watr power. drainage of swamp lands) is essential to the best treatment of soils in the manner above indicated The act by which, in semi-arid parts of the public domain, the area of the homestead hits been enlarged from 150 to 320 acres as resulted most beneficially in the extension of dry farming and the demonstration which has been made of the possibility, through a variation in the character and modo of culture of raising substantial sub-stantial crops without preseno of such a supply of water as has been heretofore thought to bo necessary fo agriculture. But there arw millions of acre3 of completely arid lands in the public domain which, by tho ostabU :'ioieU of reservoirs for the storing of water and the Irrigation of th3 lan'H, may be made much more fruitful aJiJ productive pro-ductive than the best lands n a climate cli-mate where th? moisture cofuM from the clouds. Distribution of Water. Congress recognUed the Importance of this method of artificial distribution distribu-tion of water on tho arid lands by tho passage of the reclamation act. Tho proceeds of the public lands creates a fund to build the works needed to store and furnish necessary water and it. was left to the secretary of the interior to determine what projects should bo selected among those suggested sug-gested and to direct the reclamation service, with the funds at hand and through the engineers In its employ , to construct the works I No one cau visit the far west and the country of arid and semi-arid (Contlnned on Page Two) ion, fraud and contention which has existed in the past has arisn from the lack of an official and determinative determina-tive classification of the public lands and their contents. It is now proposed to dispose of ag riciiltural lands as such and at tho same time to reserve lor other disposition dispo-sition thr treasure of coal, oil, asphalt as-phalt um, natural gas, and phosphate contained therein. This may be best accomplished by separating the right to nilno from the title to the surface giving the necosfary nso of so much of the Litter as may be required for the extraction of th deposits. Tho wirfaoe' might o disposed of as agricultural ag-ricultural land under the general agricultural ag-ricultural statuto whilo tho coal or other mineral could be disposed of by lease on a royalty basis, with provisions provis-ions requiring a certain amount of development de-velopment each year; and In order to present the use and oension of such lands with others of elmilar character charac-ter seems to consticrto a monopoly forbidden by law, the lease should contain suitable provision subjecting to forfeiture tho Interests of persons participating in such monopoly. Such law should apply to Alaska as woll as to the United States. It Is exceedingly difficult to frame a statute, to retain government control over a property to, be developed by private capital in such a manner as to secure tbe governmental purpose and at the samo time not frighten away investment of the necessary capital. cap-ital. Hence, It may be neceysary by laws that aro really only experimental experiment-al to determiuH from their practical operation what is the best method of securing the result aimed at Value of Phosphate. Tbo extent of th Talue of phosphate phos-phate Is hardly realized, and with the need that there will bo for it as the years roll on and the necessity for fertilizing the land shall become morn acute, this will be a product which will probably attract tho greed of monopolists. mo-nopolists. With, respect to tho public land which lies along tho streams offering op-porluuity to convert water power into transmissible electricity, another important phase of tho public question ques-tion is presented. There are valuable water power sites through all public land states. Opinion is held that transfer trans-fer of tho sovereignty from federal government to territorial governments as they become states. Included water wat-er power In rlvrs except that owned by riparian proprietors. I do not think It is necessary to go into a discussion dis-cussion of th's aoniewhat mooted question ques-tion of law. It seoms to me sufficient to say that tho man who owns and controls the land along tho stream from which the power Is to be converted con-verted and transmitted, owns land wblch is indispensable to the conversion conver-sion and use of that power. I cannot conceive how the power In streams flowins through public lands can be made available at all except by using the land itself as tbe site for the con sfriictlou of the plant by which the power is generated and converted and securing right of way thereover for transmission lines. Under these conditions, con-ditions, if the government owns the 1 adjacent lands Indeed, if the fov-erament fov-erament Is tho riparian owner it may control the uee of water power by im-pohing im-pohing proper conditions on the disqio-1 sition of tend necBar In the creating creat-ing and utilisation of water power. Water Power. Development In electrical appliances for thj couvcrfloa of water power in- In 1860 wo had a public domain of 1.0f.c;,611,2J8 acres. Wo ha-ve now 731.7.VI.0S1 acres confined largely lo the mountain ranges and the arid and scroi-arld plain. We have in addition ad-dition 368,03j,97I acres of laud in Alaska. Tho pohllo lnnds were, during tho pnfllest administrations, treated as a national aset for tho liquidation of public debt and source of reward fov our soldiers and Bailors. Later on they vori donated In large amounts in nid of thrt construction of wagon roads and railways in order to open up regions In the west then almost inaccessible. The principal land statutes wero enacted tuoro than a quarter of a century to. The homestead act. the pre-emption and timber culture act, the coal land and the mining acts vvcre among these. Tho rapid disposition dispo-sition of the publlo land3 under tho early statutes and the lax methods of distribution prevailing, due, I think, to tho boliof that thcfo lands should rapidly pass into private ownership, own-ership, gave rise to tho impression that the public domain was legitimate' legiti-mate' prey for tho unscrupulous, and that It was not contrary to good morals mor-als to circumvent land laws. This prodigal mannnr of disposition je-sitlted je-sitlted in tho passing of largo areas of valuable lands and many of our natural nat-ural resources Into the hands of persons per-sons who felt little, ot no responsibility responsibil-ity for promoting the national welfare wel-fare through their dovelopmenL The truth la that title to millions of acres of public lnnds was fraudulently obtained, ob-tained, and that tho right to recover a largo part of such lands for tho government long since ceased by reason rea-son of limitation. There has developed in recent years a deep concern in tho publlo mind despecting tho preservation and proper use of oux Datural resources. This has boen particularly directed toward the consenation of resources of the pnbllc domain. ' The problem la now to save, how to utilizo, how to conserve and still develop; de-velop; for no sane perBoa can contend con-tend that It is tor tho common good that nature's blcailoxs are only for the unborn generations. Among the most noteworthy reforms re-forms Initiated by my distinguished predecessor, were the vigorous prosecution pros-ecution of land frauds and the bringing bring-ing to pnbllc attention of tho neces-;ty neces-;ty for preserving the remaining public pub-lic domain from further spoliation, for tb? maintenance and extension of our forest resources, and for the enactment en-actment of laws amending the ob-olete ob-olete statutes so as to retain government gov-ernment control over that part of the Public domain in which there aro valuable deposit of coal, oil and phosphate, and. In addition thereto, to preserve control, under conditions, favorable to the public, of lands alon 'tie streams In which tho fall of water ''fen be made to generate power to bo transmitted in the form of electricity many miles to tbe points of its use, known as "water power'" sites. Investigations into violations of pub-lie pub-lie land laws and prosecution of land frauds have b"en vigorously continued i:nder my administration, as has been lie withdrawal of coal lands for elajJ.t-IMeatlon elajJ.t-IMeatlon and valuation, end the temporary tem-porary withholding of power siies. Since March 4. 130'.', temporary 'Undrawals of power sites have been made on 102 streams and thso 'iiu-nrawals, 'iiu-nrawals, thrr fore, cover 229 per cent ii'in. streams than were covered by SPECIAL MESSAGE ON CON-I CON-I SERVATION IS RECEIVED BY CONGRESS. j (Continued from Page One.) lands without being convinced that j this Ik one of the moat important methods of conservation of our na-, na-, turn resources that the government , has entered upon. It would appear that over thirty projects have been j undertaken and that a few of them are likely to be unsuccessful because of the lack of water or for other reasons, rea-sons, but generally the work which has been done has been well done and many Important engineering prol I lems have been met and solved, i One difficulty which has arisen Is . that too many projects. In view of the I available funds, have been set on fooL I The funds available under the recla-' recla-' rration statute are Inadequate to complete com-plete these projects within a reason- able time. And yet the projects have begun; settlers have been Invlt-; Invlt-; er to take up, and In many Instances have taken up, land within the projects, pro-jects, relying upon their prompt completion. com-pletion. The failure to complete the projects for their benefit Is. In effect, a breach of. faith and leaves them In a most distressing condition. I urge that the nation ought tr afford af-ford a means to lift them out of the very desperate condition In which they are now. This condition does not Indicate any excessive waste, or i any corruption on the part of the re- clamatlon service. It only indicates an oxer-zealous desire to extend the benefit of the reclamation to as many acres and as many states as possible. I recommend, therefore, that authority be given to Issue not exceeding 000.000 of bonds from time to time as the secretary of the Interior shall find It necessary, the proceeds to be applied to the completion of projects already begun and their proper extension, ex-tension, and the bonds running ten years or more, to be taken up by the proceeds from the reclamation fund, which returns as the years go on, will Increase rapidly In amount There Is no doubt at all that If these bonds were to be allowed to run ten years, the proceeds from the 1 public lands, together with the rnt- als for watr furnlshd through the , completed enterprises, would quickly j create a sinking fund large enough to retire the bonds within the time ! specified. I hope that, while the statute sta-tute shall provide that these bonds are to be paid out of the reclamation , fund. It will bo drawn In such a way I as to secure Interest at the lowest j rate and that the credit of the United States will be pledged for heir re-I re-I dcmptlon. -T. 0r watcr tn?ds a matter of discusaion and dispute, but the general benefit to be derived bv the public from tho extension ' of forest ands on water sheds and the promotion promo-tion of tho growth of trees in places hat are now denuded and that once had great flourishing forest goes ' without saying. The control to be exercised ovr-r private owners, in their treatment of forests which ther own. Is a matter Tor state and not national regulation, because there Is nothing In th. constitution that authorizes au-thorizes th federal government to exercise any control over forests within with-in a state unless the forest are owned own-ed In a proprietary way by the federal fed-eral government. Inland Waterways. I come now to Improvement of Inland In-land waterways. Ho would be blind. Indeed, who did not realize that tho people of the entire, west and cupec-tally cupec-tally those of the Mississippi valley, have been aroused to the need for the Improvement of our Inland waterways. water-ways. The Mississippi river with the Missouri on the one hand and the Ohio on the other, would seem to offer of-fer a natural means of Idterstat I transportation and traffic. How far. If I properly Improved, they would relieve the railroads or supplement them In I respect to the bulkier and cheaper I commodities Is a matter of conje-cture. No enterprise ought to be undertaken, the cost of which is not definitely ascertained as-certained and the benefit and advan-tape advan-tape of which are not known and assured as-sured by comtictcnt engineers and other oth-er authority. When, however, a project pro-ject of definite character for Improvement Improve-ment of a waterway Las been devel oped so that plans havo been drawn, cost definitely estimated and trafllc, which will be accommodated, Is reasonably reas-onably probable, I think it Is the duty of cougres8 to undertake tho project aod make provision therefore In the proper appropriation bill. One project, which answers the description de-scription I have given, is that of Introducing In-troducing dams Into the Ohio river from Pittsburg to Cairo, eo to maintain main-tain ?t all seasons of tho year by slack water, a depth of nine feet. Upward Up-ward of seven of these dams havo j already been constructed and six aro under construction, while the total required re-quired Is fifty. The remaining cost Is known to be $03,000,000. It seem, to me that In the develop- ' ment of our Inland waterways It would be wise to begin with this particular par-ticular project and carry It through as rapidly as may be. I assume from ; reliable Information that it can be constructed economically In two years. What has been said of the Ohio river is true-In a less complete way of the Investigation of the Upper Ml- " elsslppl from St. Paul to St. LouU to a constant depth of six feet, and of the Missouri from Kansas City to St. Iouls to a constant depth of six feet, and from St. Louis to Cairo of a depth of eight feet. The projects have been pronounced practical by competent boards of army engineers, their icost has been estimated and there 1b business which will follow the Improvement. I recommend, therefore, that the present congTesa In tho river and harbor har-bor bill make provision for continuing continu-ing to complete their Improvements. A these. Improvements aro being made, and traffic encouraged by them shows itself of sufficient Importance, th Improvement of the Mississippi beyond be-yond Cairo down to tho Gulf, which is now J-otr on. with the maintenance of a depth of nine feet everywhere, may be changed to another and greater great-er depth If the necessity for it 6hall appear to arise out of the traffic which can be delivered on the liver at Cairo. European Waterways. I am Informed that tho Investigation by the waterways commission In Europe Eur-ope 6how that the existence of a waterway by no me ana assures trafllc unless thcro Is traffic adapted to water carriage at cheap rates at one end or the other of the stream. It al) appears In Europe that the depth of non-tidal streams Is rarely more than C feet and never more than ten. But It Is certain that enormous quantities of merchandise aro transported trans-ported oer rivers and canals In Germany Ger-many and France and Englaxwl and It Is also certain that the existence of such methods of traffic materially affects af-fects the rates which railroads charge and it is tho best regulator of these rates that we have, not even excepting governmental regulation through the Interstate commerce commission. For this reason, I hope that this congress will take such steps that It may be be called the Inaugurator of the new system of Inland waterways. For reasons which It Is not necessary neces-sary here to state, congress has seen fit to order an Investigation Into tho Interior department and tho forest ser-est ser-est service of the agricultural department. depart-ment. The results of that Investigation Investiga-tion aro not needed to determine tho varue of, and the necessity for, tho new legislation which I have recommended recom-mended in respect to the public lands and In rcspe-ct to reclamation. I earnestly urge that tho measures rec-oiniiK rec-oiniiK nded bo taken up and disposed of promptly, that without awaiting the Investigation that has been determined determin-ed upon (Signed) WILLIAM H. TAFT. The White House, January 14, 1910. I urge consideration of the recom-i recom-i mendntlons of the secretary of the In-: In-: terlor In his annual report for amend-I amend-I ments of the rcxlamatlon act, propos-i propos-i Ing other relief for settlers on these , projects. Respecting the comparatively small timbered areas on the public domain not Included In national forests because, be-cause, of their Isolation or their spe-i spe-i clal value for agricultural or mln- j oral purposes. It I3 apparent, from the J , evils resulting by virtue of the 1m- , perfections of existing laws for the disposition of timber lands, that the J acts of June 3, 1878, should be re- j pealed and a law enacted for disposition disposi-tion of the timber to be subect to appropriation ap-propriation under the agricultural or mineral lands laws What I have Kai l is really an epitome epi-tome of the recommendations of the secretary of the Interior In respect to . the future conservation of public do- , main la Its present annual report. ; He has given close attention to the I pn-blem of disposition of these lands l under such conditions as to Invite j the private capital necessary to their , development on the one hand and the , maintenance of the restrictions necea-; necea-; sary to prevent monopoly and abuse from absolute ownership on the other. Thee recommendntlons are "incorpor-; "incorpor-; atc-d In bills he has prepared, and they are at the disposition of congress. I 1 earnestly recommend that all sugges- tlons which he has made with respect l to thsi? lands shall be embodied In , statutes and especially, that wlthdraw-j wlthdraw-j als already made shall be validated , so far as necessary and that doubt as to the authority of the secretary of the Interior to withdraw lands for tho purpose of submitting recommendations recommen-dations as to future disposition of them v here new legislation if needed need-ed shall be made complete and unquestioned. un-questioned. The forest reserves of the United States, some IDO.ooo.noo acres In extent, ex-tent, are under control of the department depart-ment of agriculture, with authority adequate to preserve them and to extend ex-tend their growth so far as that may be practicable. The Importance of the maintenance of our forests cannot bo exaggerated. The possibility of a scientific treatment of forests In order that they shall bo made to yield a lar;e return In timber without really reduclug the supply has boon demonstrated demon-strated in other countries and we should work toward tho standard set by them as far as their methods are applicable to our conditions. It has been proposed, and a bill for the purpose passed the lower house of congress, that the national government govern-ment appt oprltte a certain amount each ear out of the receipts from the forestry business of the government to Institute reforestation at the sources of certain navigable streams lu bo selected by the geological sur-ey, sur-ey, with a view to determining the practicability of thus Improving and protecting I he streams for federal purpo.srs. I 1 hi u lc a moderate expenditure expend-iture lor each year for this purpose for a period of five or ton years would lie of the utmost benefit to tho development devel-opment of our forestry system. Upwards of four hundred million acres of forest land in thla country are In private ownership but only three per cent of It is being treated setoatitically and with a lew to the maintenance of forests. The part played play-ed by forests in the equalization of |