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. 
Coat LANDS 
The next subject, and one most important for our consideration, 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- 
