Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1910 — VALUABLE LANDS REGAINED SHAFT [ARTICLE]

VALUABLE LANDS REGAINED SHAFT

Presidents Signature Legalizes Public Land Withdrawals. MILLIONS OF ACRES INVOLVED List of Lands Retained by States— President Loses No Time in Affixing Signature on Receipt of Official Papers.

Beverly, Mass., July 8. President Taft has announced that under the recent act of congress providing for the executive validation of withdrawals of public lands, he had affirmed the withdrawal of 35,073,164 acres of coal land in Washington, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, North and -South Dakota. Of this total, 20,688,469 acres, comprising the withdrawals in North and South Dakota, had not previously been authorized and are new The remainder, 14,374,695 acres, were withdrawn under the previous administration, but were considered as of doubtful title The act of the president merely makes the withdrawals made before legal and will prevent any question being raised in the future. This is the second time, within a few days that the president has made use of the new validation act. It was this law which he regards as the \anguard of his conservation measures. Under validations announced previously the president confirmed withdrawals of phosphate, petroleum and power site lands amounting to practically 8,500,000 acres. The land taken from the public domain by executive order was indorsed for withdrawal by the geological survel. When Secretary of the Interior Ballinger was here a few days ago, arrangements were made to send the papers to the president for signature, but the matter was kept quiet. The documents arrived late last night and the president lost no time in affixing his signature. Here is the list of Jarfds withdrawn by states: Washington. 2,207,967 acres: South Dakota, new, 2,870,287; North Dakota, new, 17,828,182; Arizona, 161,280; Utah, 5,814,387, and Colorado, 6.191,161. .