THE STORY OF OUR PUBLIC DOMAIN 59 



areas administered under special acts of Congress. 

 Of this amount, $3,221,604 was paid back to the 

 State Governments and $4,979,547 was diverted to 

 the Reclamation Fund to be used in the reclamation 

 of arid and semi-arid lands of the West. 



"This leaves an unencumbered balance amount- 

 ing to $1,643,680 actually placed in the United States 

 Treasury last year to offset the Federal Govern- 

 ment's expenditures of $2,949,337. The net deficit 

 or loss to the Federal Government in administering 

 the public lands was, therefore, $1,305,657. If the 

 State Governments should take over the public lands 

 within their borders, and distribute the receipts as 

 prescribed by present Federal laws, they would be 

 compelled to pay this deficit now met by the United 

 States Treasury. As far as the National Govern- 

 ment is immediately concerned financially it would 

 be an advantage to turn the remaining Public Do- 

 main over to the States. 



"But what would probably become of the Pub- 

 lic Lands and their resources if administered by 

 States ? This question can best be answered by ask- 

 ing what has become of public lands already released 

 to them. Many of you men can answer that ques- 

 tion from your own personal knowledge. The ac- 

 tual title to the mineral contents of these lands would 

 pass from the Federal Government to the States to 

 be disposed of as these States see fit. It is claimed 

 by some of the States that, at the present time, when- 

 ever sales of former Public Lands are sold the States 



