YOUR PROPERTY AND MINE AT STAKE
YOUR PROPERTY AND MINE AT STAKE Private Interests, Seeking Control of Valuable Natural Resources Still Left to the People, are Alert.—Public Interest Should be Vigilantly Represented By JAMES R....
...In addition to the conservation of water, the Forest Service has checked the unregulated use of water powers within National Forests...
...During the past few years an enormous amount has been done in working out the problem of conservation...
...Such private interest objects to equality of opportunity and to public regulation...
...It has been suggested that those withdrawals did not really show for what they were made...
...The intense cultivation required upon irrigated land results in an enormous increare of the yield per acre...
...The policy of President Roosevelt in dealing with water included all its uses from source to sea...
...the conservation of our natural resources provides for the future of our nation...
...of the phosphates are being shipped abroad...
...The mere statement of the problem shows the need of strict government regulation, the right of the Federal Government to act...
...it demands that the resources which are essential to the life of the nation, such as water, fuel and mineral phosphates, be developed and used for the public good and subject to public regulation...
...The danger to the conservation movement now is inaction...
...We may be sure that all the men and corporations who have in years gone by acquired ownership or control of land, timber, coal, oil, phosphates and water, free from regulation or condition and without just compensation to the public, will not voluntarily acquiesce in the proposed changes...
...I advocated such legislation before the House Committee on Public Lands and made report on a bill providing for it...
...not grabbed by the monopolistic interests and exported to foreign shores...
...The National Forests have been selected and are being used for the further purpose of protecting and safeguarding for all time water sheds and sources of water supply...
...President Roosevelt brought the question of control of power developed on navigable streams directly to the attention of Congress and stated the policy he believed necessary to protect the public interests...
...Conservation does not mean disuse of resources, but wise use in accordance with the real needs of each generation...
...The irrigation work done by the Federal Government during the past eight years is practical conservation of the highest order —millions of acres of wonderfully rich land will ultimately be added to the productive area of our country...
...Pinchot's management of the Forest Service, millions of feet of lumber have been saved from destruction and loss...
...the danger is that the public interest may be forgotten...
...The storage of water for power, irrigation and domestic supply has direct influence upon navigation and flood control...
...The acreage reported aggregated about three million five hundred thousand (3,500,000), but out of this should be deducted all the private lands and valid entries existing at the time of the withdrawals...
...of the public interests and to afford opportunity for the determination of how the policy for future development of power might be made most effective, whether by executive action or by additional legislation...
...Nearly two hundred million acres of public land were created into National Forests...
...The purpose of the withdrawals was well known and thoroughly understood...
...Both widen individual opportunity and increase national as well as individual efficiency...
...The people properly consider the executive as their particular advocate and special representative...
...These, of course, were excepted and therefore the actual area withdrawn was very much less than the stated total would make it appear...
...As a result of those reports I withdrew large areas of land from general entry...
...The enormous increase in the use of water for power and irrigation, and domestic consumption, has induced great activity on the part of big interests to acquire as many available reservoir and power sites as possible,—there was imminent danger that such sites left on the public domain would be filed upon and obtained under conditions that would in no wise protect the public, but would make monopoly possible in the near future...
...His stewardship carries with it grave responsibilities and affords splendid opportunities to serve the people well...
...These withdrawals were not made hastily nor upon inadequate information...
...Under Mr...
...TOO TRUSTING A NATURE HIS MASTER — "You're big enough an' strong enough to make an almighty good watch dog, but we've got to break yer of that derned habit of makin' friends with anybody and anythin...
...YOUR PROPERTY AND MINE AT STAKE Private Interests, Seeking Control of Valuable Natural Resources Still Left to the People, are Alert.—Public Interest Should be Vigilantly Represented By JAMES R. GARFIELD THE PERMANENT welfare of our nation cannot be assured unless we in this generation provide for the conservation of our natural resources...
...The people must see to it that their side of these great questions is as keenly watched, as capably presented as is the side of private interest...
...The many possibilities for power development in navigable streams upon the public domain, gave the Federal Government a direct interest in the question, and imposed upon Federal officials a duty to safeguard the public welfare...
...On the contrary, it makes possible wise development in accordance with the needs of this generation, but it prevents this generation, from squandering these resources and checks unjust aggression by private interest...
...Garfield Says— THE FIGHT for conservation is now in the Halls of Congress...
...We Have Made Progress ONLY a few years ago the man was ridiculed who demanded public information about our natural resources and their use, warned the nation against abuse, preached conservation and urged public regulation...
...Illegal and fraudulent acquisition of coal lands was stopped, the greater part of the main land coal was classified, much coal land illegally acquired was recovered, the first steps toward better legislation were taken, the problem of conservation was clearly presented to Congress, the dangers of waste and monopolies were exposed and definite suggestions were made for a system of lease or conditional sale...
...Within the areas of the National Forests such regulations were being put into force, and in order to make the policy effective on the public domain I had the engineers of the Reclamation Service during the summer of 1908 make a report to me of lands available for reservoir and power sites and power development...
...I found that some great interests were trying to acquire control of the Alaska fields and some bills were pending in Congress, which if passed would have validated many fraudulent entries...
...That law did not give what is needed to safeguard the public interests, but it is better than the old law Mr...
...There is no danger that the rights and demands of such interests will be neglected...
...We pride ourselves upon our freedom, our individual liberty of action—yet this is an idle boast, a sham, unless we ensure equality of opportunity to every citizen, and use every effort to increase his vital, intellectual, and moral efficiency...
...President Roosevelt urged upon Congress the need of a change in the coal land laws...
...The constant striving by private interest for its own profit, for a larger share or control of natural resources can only be kept within proper bounds by ceaseless vigilance and activity on the part of the people's representatives, both executive and legislative...
...Hence both objects may be often combined with advantage to the public...
...The results of the executive actions relating to coal were important...
...He recommended that the coal be separated from the surface, the latter disposed of for the most available use, agriculture, grazing or timber, and the coal disposed of at fair price by sale or lease, in accordance with the public needs, but under such regulations as would prevent monopoly, speculative holding, waste and extortionate charge to the consumer...
...Fortunately conservation is becoming a vital question while yet there is much to conserve, and the wise owners of private interests have learned that conservation is not opposed to fair profits and ultimate advantage...
...This policy was to be carried out wherever the executive could enforce it under existing laws and Congress was asked to include such conditions in all legislation having to do with power development...
...Protecting Water Power Sites From Monopoly THE PROBLEM of water power development and regulation was given most careful consideration by President Roosevelt...
...The public welfare demands equality of opportunity for all citizens in the use of natural resources...
...During my administration about 30 million acres were classified and revalued...
...Irrigation Immense y Valuable THE work under the Reclamation law is directly connected with power development...
...The lands were withdrawn under the provision of the Reclamation Act or under the supervisory authority and executive discretion vested in the Secretary...
...Other resources such as land, water and timber may be used and yet improved, increased or replaced...
...The public welfare demands action...
...The Executive is a trustee of the property, rights, and interests of the public...
...The work of the National Forest Service has established a standard for wise forest management and proved the business value of scientific, intelligent forestry...
...and under it I was still able to prevent the patenting of fraudulent or illegal entries such as the Cunningham and similar claims...
...The proposition is not to operate the water powers but to permit their development and operation by private interests, under regulations of the character I have above referred to...
...Nothing could be farther from the truth...
...Neither policy is an unjust attack upon personal or property rights, but each is founded upon the proposition that the public welfare is of higher importance than private interest, and that in case of conflict public welfare must control...
...Those who now cut the public timber do so under regulations that prevent waste, promote continued reproduction and provide for a fair payment to the public...
...Both questions are ethical and social as well as industrial and political...
...The people properly consider the Executive as their particular advocate, their special representative...
...There is no danger that the rights and demands of such interests will be neglected...
...The National Forests are now used for cattle and sheep grazing under rules that prevent over-grazing, yield a just compensation, protect the settler, give a fair chance to the small cattle or sheep man and make him secure against the aggression of the big man who formerly controlled the public grazing lands...
...It showed the necessity of considering a stream as a unit and as an essential part of a great water shed...
...Hitherto we have been needlessly wasteful...
...The essential features of that policy were that power sites should be granted only under conditions that would limit grants to a definite period, require development within reasonable time and at reasonable rates, and yield fair compensation to the government...
...We have been too much occupied with the present...
...We may be sure that all the men and corporations who have in years gone acquired ownership or control of land, timber, coal, oil, phosphates and water, free from regulation or condition and without just compensation to the public, will not voluntarily acquiesce in the proposed changes...
...Mineral resources such as coal, oil and phosphates necessarilly are destroyed by use...
...Wherever reservoirs and dams are needed for irrigation projects there may be opportunity for power...
...They are centered in two great Alaska fields, comparatively small in area, but enormously •valuable...
...That report showed conclusively that the agricultural lands of our country were steadily decreasing in productivity, that every ton of our mineral phosphates is needed for our agricultural lands, that the developed mineral phosphates in the South are in the hands of monopoly and that a very large per cent...
...The work for conservation was possible because he was constantly looking out for the public interest, and was willing to take action for the public welfare unless there was some prohibition under the constitution or in law to prevent such action...
...It is not an easy task to obtain legislation which is opposed by great vested interests...
...When I became Secretary of the Interior, I continued these withdrawals and directed that the coal lands in the western states be classified and valued in accordance with their market value...
...The people must see to it that their side of these great questions is as keenly watched, as capably presented as is the side of private interest...
...The people have approved what has been done and insist that what has been gained shall not be lost nor progress checked by inactivity or a backward step...
...In 1906 Secretary Hitchcock with-drew from general entry about seventy million acres of coal land for the purpose of examination and in order to prevent further illegal or fraudulent acquisition...
...President is Trustee for People WHAT was done in dealing with these natural resources of timber, fuel, phosphates and water shows most clearly the principle of executive action which governed the Roosevelt administration...
...Duty of Congress to Act THE next step in the policy of conservation is legislative action to supplement what the executive has done and to provide means for further safe-guarding the public interests wherever necessary...
...Congress enacted a law which afforded some relief from the restrictions of the old law, and clearly made its provisions applicable only to bona fide entries or claims...
...Congress, however, passed a law merely authorizing the separation of surface and coal in certain pending bona fide homestead entries, a step in the right direction, but far from what is needed...
...I opposed, by report and oral hearing the bills that proposed to validate fraudulent or illegal entries, and pointed out the danger of those fields passing under monopolistic control and urged that the proposed law apply only to bona fide entries or claims...
...Unfair use or monopolization of either is intolerable...
...The Alaska coal fields are of peculiar interest...
...The fight for conservation is now in the Halls of Congress...
...The public control and regulation of corporations will lessen the abuses of unchecked industrial power...
...Thus the work was started for saving the power and reservoir sites on the public domain...
...His stewardship carries with it grave responsibilities and affords splendid opportunities to serve the people well...
...I therefore withdrew these lands and urged upon Congress the pressing need of providing a leasing system under which these deposits could be developed for the benefit of our own farmers...
...A plain statement of what was done by the Roosevelt administration is opportune...
...This action also is in the interest of the permanent welfare of our people, and is based upon the simple, fair proposition that water—a necessary public resource— must not be turned over in perpetuity to selfish private interests, but must be developed under Government regulations which will limit the grants to a definite term of years, provide for development, prevent speculative holdings or extortionate rates and yield a just compensation to the public...
...Exactly as the railroads are regulated because they are public utilities so must the interests that develop natural resources be regulated because they deal with public necessities...
...But, whatever the area, the purpose of these withdrawals was to make ample provision for the protection THE Executive is a trustee of the property, rights and interests of the public...
...and regardless of waste or destruction, thoughtless of the future, works only for the highest immediate profit...
...It is easier to prevent legislation than to obtain it, hence the people will have the more difficult task in the pending struggle, but they can win if their leaders are true to their trust, fair but firm in their demands, not satisfied with mere promises, nor lulled into false security by the old specious argument of business prosperity...
...I, however, authorized the consideration of bona fide entries that had been made prior to the date of Secretary Hitchcock's order...
...Phosphate Lands Saved ABOUT four and one-half million acres of land containing mineral phosphates I withdrew from entry upon the report of Dr...
...The present administration has recommended and outlined the legislation it deems necessary to carry out most effectively the work and policy...
...The value of this service to the future welfare of our people cannot be overestimated...
...No condition is so satisfactory to aggressive private interest as inaction on the part of the public authorities...
...It now rests with our representatives in Senate and House to do their share in fulfilling the pledge given our people that our vital natural resources shall be conserved and used for the benefit of all the people of this and future generations...
...The policy of conservation thus outlined and thus started does not mean the retarding of present development...
...The inventory of our resources shows the immediate danger of their depletion or exhaustion...
...Conservation means the prevention of needless waste in production, the development of highest efficiency in use, and wherever possible, improvement, increase and replacement...
...In opposition to public welfare is that kind of private interest which selfishly seeks to control natural resources solely for its own benefit...
...No more intolerable monopoly can be imagined than that which would control the water supply of any great section of our country...
...President Roosevelt accepted both responsibilities and opportunities...
...The danger was great that the last known mineral phosphate lands on the public domain would be entered and controlled as the Southern deposits...
...This policy does not mean government operation...
...Thus the public interests are safeguarded and the private interest is given what it is entitled to, no more, no less...
...Timber stealing has been stopped...
...It was not the habit of the Roosevelt administration to deal in the dark...
...Van Hise, President of The University of Wisconsin and then connected with the United States Geological Survey...
...Conservation is pre-eminently a movement for the public welfare...
...too little with the future...
...Why the Alaska Claims Were Held Up MY ORDER for valuation and classification could not apply to the coal lands of Alaska, as by law their value was fixed at $10.00 per acre, but I continued Secretary Hitchcock's order as I believed that most of the attempted locations or entries in Alaska were fraudulent or illegal...
...It is not an easy task to obtain legislation which is opposed by great vested interests...
...It means the very opposite...
...Today the man who opposes conservation is subject at least to suspicion...
...the danger is that the public interest may be forgotten...
...The old law was not satisfactory but some of the proposed bills would make it worse...
...The fight for regulation of the use of our natural resources is of the same character as that for the control of corporations, but even more vital to the permanency of our nation...
Vol. 1 • December 1909 • No. 50
