Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-29
BALLINGER SAYS
CONSERVE LAND
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
ISSUES REPORT
REMEDIAL LEGISLATION URGED
IN DOCUMENT
Federal officer ExtoIs Invention of
New Explosive Which, He Says,
Will Reduce Mine Dis
aster Fatalities
ASSOCIATED Pressl
TIT ASHINGTON, Nov. 2S.-Impor-

AhdllilllS publlC lelAlho eAAN liz I'AiiieAf't%
features of the annual report of Sec
retary of the Interior Ballinger made
public today.
These recommendations include spe
cific authority to classify and segre-
gate lands into well defined divisions,
according to their greatest apparent
use, legislation designed to conserve
coal deposits as a public utility, and
authorizing the classification and dis
position of all lands capable of being
used for water power development un-
der the interior department.
Warm praise is given manufacturers
of explosives used in coal mining, who,
the report says, have made COM
mendable efforts to increase the safety
of their explosives even beyond the
requirements of geological survey
tests.
They have shown desire to carry
out wishes of state inspectors and rec
concentrations of federal engineers ana
chemists.
Secretary Ballinger favors the is
suance of certificates of Indebtedness,
or of bonds, not exceeding $30,OOO,OOO,
against the reclamation fund for GER
tain lines of irrigation work. The
Reclamation service, says the secretary,
has been subject to much unjust and
to some just criticism.
Since the foundation of the govern
ment the report shows there has been
disbursements for pensions of $3,913,-
OS2,513, of which $96,445,444 was dis
bursed prior to June 80, 1860
Difficulties Many
No policy within the reach of the
executive can humanely solve the diff.
culties involved in the discharge OF
crtnprapnnafpd clerks The DpDart-
ment of the Interior in all its bureaus
in Washington is labOring under
great disadvantage in trying to intro
duce modern business methods and to
keep pace with the increasing volume
of work, because of its inability to re-
tire members of the clerical and labor
ing force after they have become in
capacitated by age or other causes.
Intermittent efforts have been made To
secure congressional aid to retire them
upon a basis that will recognize their
long service and protect them against
want An involuntary retirement ana
sustenance statute, by which all per-
sons after arriving at a prescribed
ago or for other reasons, should be re-
quired to stand an examination before
a competent board as to physical and
mental ability, with a fund created by
national appropriation-in the first
instance, and maintained by some
equitable system of contribution from
salaries-would seem to me to be
advisable.
Public Lands
The proper use and disposition Of
the public lands have been questions
involving no little legislative as well
as administrative difficulty from the
beginning of their history They We're,
during the earliest administrations,
treated as a national asset for the
liquidation of the public debt and as
source of reward for our soldiers and
sailors. Not until the discovery of
gold on the Pacific slope did. the policy
change for one of exploitation, by
which our citizens We're encouraged TO
develop the mineral and agricultural
resources of the public domain on con-
dtion of receiving limited areas at
nominal cost. For similar reasons,
railway and wagon-road grants were
literally donated by congress in order
to add facilities for the opening up of
these almost inaccessible regions.
The railway grants generally were
limited TO non mineral lands, except
such as contained coal and iron, which
latter minerals were taken to be es-
sential for railway construction and
operation.
States Endowed
New states were, when admitted. lib
GIdllS CIubNHu VIII punt AeLlluo AL
school and other purposes so that.
out of a public domain in 1860 of
1,055, ,911 ,2SS acres ALASKA then not be-
longing to the United States), we now
have only about 731 ,354 ,0Sl acres, con-
fined largely to the mountain ranges
and the arid and semi-arid plains, eX-
cept lands within some of the Indian
reservations and the 36S. 035,975 acres
of undisposed OF land in Alaska.
All of the principal land statutes
were enacted over twenty five years
ago; the homestead act the pre-,
.mption and the timber-Culture act,
he coal-land, and the mining acts for
.he aid of the industrious prospector,
were among the earlier acts of this
nature.
The total cash receipts from the
sales of the public lands, including
fees and commissions, We're S9,235,-
227.70. In addition thereto there We're
received from the sales of Indian lands
$2651 ,051.0S; reclamation Water-right
charges, $159. 49093; amounts recoV-
cred for depredations on public lands,
sales of property and copies of records,
$40, ,6456S, making the total cash re-
ceipts from all sources in connection
with the public lands $12, 2l6, ,415.39-
the largest amount received during
any fiscal year. except the year 1908.
The excess of receipts over all eX-
penditures and estimated liabilities of
the public-land service is 49, 494, ,925.40
Reclamation Service
The act approved June II, 1902,
known as the reclamation act, clothes
the Secretary of the Interior with a
broad discretion in the construction Of
irrigation works and the disbursement
of the reclamation fund into which
fund had been paid, up TO and includ-
ing June 80. 1903, the total sum of
$50 661, 549.27, and the net investments
from which in reclamation works on
June 80, 1909, amounted to the sum OF
$45 757, 1854, The cash receipts from
water right charges to June So 1903
were: Building charges S299 %;
operation and maintenance charges,
S70S25.SS, total, S370. 66110. Because
of the magnitude of the work and the
desrability Of making plans far in ad-
vance, it has been found necessary to
make estimates of the amounts that
will become available before the actual
receipts can be known. The estimated
total receipts in the fund 10 June 3d.
1909, are $5S, 582, 1906. Upon this
basis, and estimated receipts which
will become available before December
81, 1910, $5,528,05O have been allotted
for reclamation purposes to December
81. 1910 -
responsibilities
The discretion imposed by the act
also carries with it commensurate re-