Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-14
Fsvors Small Dealers

cidal policy.
Fsvors Small Dealers
''It may be fairly claimed among the
friends OF the leasing, first. that II will
facilitate the working under favorable
conditions Of coal deposits for local
markets. by miners without large capi-
tai, as no land purchase money would
be required and the small royalty
charges would be paid out of the earn
ings; second, IL Will facilitate larger
operations as the leases are made suf-
ficiently liberal in the matter Of time
and other conditions to insure healthy
competition and meet all real demands
and yet In all cases the general super
vision Of the government, IL Is believed,
could be such as to prevent waste in
the extraction and handling of these
fuels; the system can be operated IN
such manner as to prevent the evils Of
monopolistic control. 1t will permit the
government to reserve from general use
fuels especially suitable for metallurgi.
cal and other special Industries, and
by it will enable the government to
protect the public against unreasonable
and discriminating charges for fuel
supplies.
one-Hah Is Taken
Already probably one-half of the
total area of high grade coal in the
west has passed under private control.
including both the Ignite and the coal
areas, these private holdings probably
aggregating not less than 10000. 900 acres
Of coal fields. With the remainder OF
the lands containing mineral fuels re.
served and leased by the government
there will be ample opportunity to de-
termine in the near future which Of the
two systems-private ownership or the
leasing system. with general govern
ment supervision-will best protect the
interests of the people and thus pro-
mote the permanent development of the
west.
In planning such a leasing system
by the government the question of rev.
enue beyond that necessary to cover
the expenses Of the administration and
exploration need not be seriously con-
sidered.
People Are Generous
The spirit Of generosity which the
country as a whole has shown in con-
nection with the disposal of it's public
lands for the further development of
the west, through the reclamation SER
vice and in other ways, is of itself a
sufficient guarantee that the admins
tration Of both the coal reserves and
the national forests this policy will be
continued. 1t is safe to believe also
that federal supervision of both the
coal lands and the forests will be re-
duced to minimum and that in the
future even more than in the past this
supervision will be limited to that nee
essary to carry out the policy of con-
serving these natural resources in such
manner as will best promote the per-
moment interests of the people, and
above all the western people and the
people in the neighborhood Of the mines
and the forests which we seek to pre-
serve for the public use.
The necessity for care in the future
management of these fuel supplies is
further illustrated by the rapid rate
at which the use of such fuels is in
creasing in the United States.
Future Predictions
This remarkable development and
the certain continuity of these pro-
digious grOwths compels us to recast
all estimates as TO the life of our in
exhaustible resources We can fore
see the time when the eastern indus
tries will be much more largely taxed
for supplying foreign markets.
1T would surely be to the advan-
tage of this country if some at least
of the coal fields Of the east, especi-
ally Of the anthracite fields, had been
left under the control of the govern
ment. Let US provide in the west
against the recurrence of the condi-
tions which We deplore in the east.
"At the outset the law would be
administered in a spirit of the broad
est liberality with the least possible
interference with the development of
the coal fields Moreover cannot too
emphatically say that all laws which
merely seek to prevent monopoly is not
prevention of all combinations but
such supervision and control over cor
porations and combinations entering
into them as will prevent the evils
while giving to the public the advan-
tages Of the combination.
Pasture Lands Also
Let me also again urge that leg
islatiOn be passed making provision for
government control Of the pasture lands
Of the west on the same general prin-
clples which now apply in the govern
ment control OF the forest reserves.
The local control of the range should
be in the hands Of western men. ia
miliar with stock raising, and there
should be a full local hand in the
management of the range.
There IS no need at present that the
government should get net revenue
from grazing on the public range, but
merely enough to pay for administra-
tiOn and development, and II may be
N
go to the states and the territories
i'm which the fees are collected.
Let us urge that congress provide
that 100000 in addition TO the present
estimate be Immediately appropriated
to the clearing Of arrears of business
in the general land Office as regards
the detection ANA prevention Of fraud
I'm disposing OF applications for pat
ents to the public lands
II wish to express my utter and COM
plctc dissent from the statements that
have been made as to there being but
minimum effect In the working Of
our land laws.
Would Protect Settlers
Il am exceedingly anxious to pro-
tect the interests Of bona flde settlers
and 10 prevent hardships being infiict-
ed upon them. But surely we are work
ing I'm their interest when we try 70
prevent the land which should be re-
served for them and those like them
from being taken possession Of for
- ph ~