New-York tribune., 1909-09-29

UFETWTIUE q y
The reclamation act provides for the expendi-
turc of funds made up by thu sale of public
lands and reimbursed from time 70 time by the
instalment TO be paid by the settlers who take
up the irrigated land and also provides that no
part of a project is to be contracted for and
begun until thu money for the completion of
that part of the project contracted for shall be
i'm the reclamation fund.
Now. il appears that il will take $1O,O00.o0o.
or more which is not available in the reclama-
tOn fund at present, fully to complete the prof.
Gets. and il also appears that great number OF
persons by reason of the beginning of the prof.
ects, have been led into making settlements.
the expenditure of time and labor, with the
hope and upon the reliance that such reclama-
ton enterprises would be carried through IN
reasonable time.
I think there is doubt that IL was the in
tention of Congress that projects should not he
multiplied in such way that they could not be
completed within reasonable time with the re-
clamation funds provided by the sale Of public
lands. and il probably would have been wiser
10 adhere strictlN 10 inc hhntalon thus coil
, strued, even though the language of the act by
dividing up the projects into parts on terms,
{ seemed to permit the beginning ot more pro"
tects than there likely 10 he money enough
7 to complete within II reasonable time: The pres
sure doubtless very great, and the reclama-
ton service yielded to the pressure within ths
letter of the law. and now finds itself in the
. situation described The work has been we'll
done and reflects credit upon the engineers VINO
have had charge of il.
But something must he done 10 relieve the
present situation. which is one of disappointed
hopes to many settlers upon the arid lands. who
counted upon early completion Of the prof.
ects undertaken and invested their money and
, spent their time and seemed To be no nearer the
goal Of satisfactory irrigation than they Hers
when the projects were begun.
TO ASK CONGRESS FOR RELIEF.
! think It wise TO apply to Congress for rnliet
! by urging the passage OF an enabling act which
/ issue bonds in the sum OF SlOGNOOOO or more 20
/ complete all the projects. These bonds should
! be redeemed from the money paid into the re-
clamation funds after the completion Of the
projects.
Meantime irrigation works under private
auspices arc being projected in other directions
and the prospect OF reclaming millions Of acres
I from tho deserts is most encouraging. The eN-
amples of government engineering and ingenuity
4 in planning the structures in these various gov
ernment projects for irrigation are or immense
utility models for private enterprise
One subject that is now being agitHted In some
quarters calls for notice. Payment for irrigated
lands is required in ten annual tnstalments
/ suggestions are now being mace that these
should be lengtheRed into longer term I
sincerely hope that Congress Will not listen 20
such appeals II may be we'll 20 make the frst
three or four iustaIments nominal. hut after that
time the instalments should he large enough 20
pay the total amount due, upon which no In
terest Is calculated i'm ten wears Another
course win encourage lack OF thrift and in
dustry and greatly embarrass tho extension ana
B continuance OF irrigation.
Never until now has sdepuat" provision been
made Cor classification of lands 10 show dis
tinctiy what mineral lands and what are
agricultural lands. The truth is that the needs
of tho country have developed and the do.
mand Is also so much increased that IN order 20
. secure sensible. busiuesslike disposition OF the
i lands remaining in tho public domain there must
I be an authoritative classification Of lands by the
( proper bureau.
I With respect 70 forest lands owned bv the
public. they should ho surveyed and held 10y the
/ government under the regulation Of the For,s-
/ try Bureau. permitting "a sale of such timber "a
shall be necessary in the proper forest preser-
vation.
CONTROL OF WATER POWER SITES.
: As % water power sites. there has been such
/ change in conditions that special provision
should be made in the interest Of the public for
I their transfer 10 private control
We have reached time now when the Inn
p"rtance OF these water power sites has greatly
increased. and there would seem 20 be no reason
} VIII IL would interfere with speedy develop
meut Of the country 20 impose restrictions upon
the u1e OF such water sites equitable as between
the public and the investor. here is now no
! power on the part of the Secretary OF the In
terror in the disposition Of such sites TO impose
the conditions suggested
The matter has become 50 important that
under the last administration large tracts Of
/ land. amounting 10 upward Of four million acres.
Z syere temporarily withdrawn from settlement in
order 10 prevent the acquisition of water power
sites under the general land laws This amount
has been reduced under the present admnstra-
tiOn to 10000 acres. II should be understood
that these Withdrawals temporary and can
be justified only as having been made in order
TO permit Congress TO legislate the subject
Of water power sites.
shall therefore urge upon Congress at it's
next session the passage of law authorizing
the disposition of such water power sites upon
terms to be agreed upon by the Secretary Of the
Interior with the proposed purchaser. My inn =
preston Is that the demand for water power is
going 20 be great that these restrictions will
not prevent the investment Of capital but will
Ultimately bring 10 the public Golfers "a revenue
from entirely proper source and will secure
the development Of power for manufacturing
industries that will probably i'm time exceed
tie utility and value Of coal and become a sub
stitute for IT,
COAL AND OIL LANDS.
/ come to what should he the proper dis
oil land nd uIapGp hat
lands.
IT wise in the disposition Of coal lands
and indeed, of all mineral lands having agri-
cultural value. To separate the surface OF the
land from its mineral contents. and then either
10 lease the right TO take coal from tho lands at
a specified compensation per tou--that is 10 pro-
vide a system OF royalties TO sell the de-
posits Of the land outright to the coal miner.
In every restriction by way OF forfeiture
ought to be included 10 prevent monopoly OF
ownership. This Is the greatest object OF .
change in the method Of their disposition.
. ! The same provision should be made with refer
ence to the disposition OF the phosphate land in
Wyoming and Idaho which contains the won
derful fertilizer which il will soon he necessary
TO use on much Of the land in the United States
| The oil lands of California well tht
, phosphate lands and practically all the Goa
lands, have been withdrawn from settlement
in order to await the action of Congress, and
expect to recommend TO Congress legislation OF
wish TO make as plain possible Is that these
! purposes cannot be accomplished unless Con
gress shall act. The Executive can recommend
| but the legislature must enact.
FOLLOWING ROOSEVELT Policies
There has been a good deal OF discussion in the
newspapers as to the attitude of the present
administration toward the general policy OF the
conservation OF resources. and some very unfair
and altogether unfounded differences have beer
drawn. The truth is that my administration is