THE NATIONAL CONSERVATION CONGRESS 319 



private persons and corporations. It is estimated that fire alone de- 

 stroys fifty million dollars' worth of timber a year. The management 

 of forests not on public land is beyond the jurisdiction of the federal 

 government. 



If anything can be done by law it must be done by the state legisla- 

 tures. I believe that it is within their constitutional power to require 

 the enforcement of regulations in the general public interest, as to fire 

 and other causes of waste in the management of forests owned by private 

 individuals and corporations. Exactly how far these regulations can 

 go and remain consistent with the rights of private ownership, it is 

 not necessary to discuss; but I call attention to the fact that a very 

 important part of conservation must always fall upon the state legis- 

 latures, and that they would better be up and doing if they would save 

 the waste and denudation and destruction through private greed or 

 accidental fires that have made barren many square miles of the older 

 states. 



I have shown sufficiently the conditions as to federal forestry to 

 indicate that no further legislation is needed at the moment except an 

 increase in the fire protection to national forests, and an act vesting the 

 executive with full power to make forest reservations in every state 

 where government land is timber-covered, or where the land is needed 

 for forestry purposes. 



Other Land Withdrawals 



When President Roosevelt became fully advised of the necessity for 

 the change in our disposition of public lands, especially those contain- 

 ing coal, oil, gas, phosphates, or water-power sites, he began the exercise 

 of the power of withdrawal by executive order, of lands subject by law 

 to homestead and the other methods of entering for agricultural lands. 

 The precedent he set in this matter was followed by the present admin- 

 istration. Doubt had been expressed in some quarters as to the power 

 in the executive to make such withdrawals. The confusion and injus- 

 tice likely to arise if the courts were to deny the power led me to appeal 

 to congress to give the president the express power. Congress has com- 

 plied. The law as passed does not expressly validate or confirm previous 

 withdrawals, and therefore as soon as the new law was passed, I myself 

 confirmed all the withdrawals which had theretofore been made by both 

 administrations by making them over again. This power of withdrawal 

 is a most useful one, and I do not think it is likely to be abused. 



Coal Lands 

 The next subject, and one most important for our consideratien, is 

 the disposition of the coal lands in the United States and in Alaska. 

 First, as to those in the United States. At the beginning of this ad- 



