CONSERVATION THROUGH LEGISLATION 



BY MRS. DE B. RANDOLPH KEIM. 



S conformity with the promise of his annual message to Congress, 

 the President of the United States, in a more elaborate considera- 

 tion of the conservation of our national resources in a special com- 

 munication to that body, stated the issue and the argument in furtherance 

 of this great national movement in support of the best interests of the present 

 and safe-guarding of the necessities of the future. As a basis of argument and 

 interest in advocacy of the conservation movement it may be said the public 

 domain today amounts to 731,354,352 acres, about 70 per cent of the area of 

 fifty years ago, and represents largely mountain ranges and arid or semi-arid 

 plains, the most desirable area having been absorbed. In behalf of the sons 

 of America desiring to go West and establish themselves and children, were 

 passed the homestead and other praise-worthy acts. The lax methods of 

 distribution and the impression by many that the public domain was legitimate 

 prey for the unscrupulous led to the passage of large areas of valuable land 

 and many of our national resources into the hands of persons who felt little 

 or no responsibility for promoting the national welfare through their develop- 

 ment. The title to millions of acres of public lands thus went into private 

 hands to the detriment of the interests of actual settlers. The right to recover 

 most of such selfishly if not fraudulently obtained lands has unfortunately 

 ceased by reason of statutes of limitations. 



The public lands in former times were regarded as a national asset, to be 

 utilized for the payment of the public debt and as a reward for the soldiers 

 and sailors. Apparently overlooking these purposes immense areas were given 

 away in promotion of schemes of wagon and railroads. As their uses were 

 designed to open the great West to accessibility and settlement they had a 

 reason, but the reckless manner of the bestowal made the well intended 

 project an expensive method of reaching a desirable end. Since the best part 

 of the arable public domain has thus vanished present efforts are directed 

 toward the conservation of the resources of what remains and the prevention 

 of further spoliation. 



The object now in view is the maintenance and extension of the forest 

 resources and the enactment of laws amending absolete statutes so as to 

 retain governmental control over that part of the public domain in which 

 there are valuable deposits of coal, oil, phosphates, etc., and to preserve and 

 control under conditions favorable to the public of lands and water power 

 sites along the streams in which the fall of water can be made to generate 

 power to be transmitted in the form of electricity many miles to the point of 

 its use. In concert with the policy of the national administration the efforts 

 of associations of the people have contributed an important share of effective 

 service by awakening public attention and arousing popular co-operation and 



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