Fergus County Democrat., 1910-09-13

federal government should now seek
to realize great revenue from natural
resources that in all the past 1t has
held merely as a trustee for the cit
liens of the state. The conservation
OF natural resources is of the highest
importance, and the furtherance OF
any and all reasonable efforts to Sc
cure the same is advocated, but any
measure OF conservation that prevents
reasonable. present and future use,
results in stagnation of development,
and in most instances causes waste
instead of conservation The use OF
water for power purposes is right
that justihes the state i'll exactlng
adequate compensation for such use
right to regulate from time to time
prices that may be charged to con-
sumers for power. The full. benefits
from our extensive and valuable
water and other resources, and if all
revenues that may be derived there
from, exclusive of costs OF main
tenance. of right belong to the state
and regulations for their use and de-
velopment can be best made and ad-
| mlnlStered by the state
The plans III course OF formation
by federal authority to use the power
sites on government lands as the basis
| for assuming control in our streams
| for power purposes, If consummated,
may seriously interfere with the fur
| ther reclamation of arid lands situated
on streams above power sites, and
every reasonable effort should be
made to secure grant OF government
power sites to the states, under such
conditions and regulations as congress
may see fit to make, to prevent
monopoly and insure a wise use and
administration by the state, that the
state may receive the full benefits
from the grant of public lands made
passage of an act by the legislative
to it by the federal government. The
assembly is favored in which the
state board Of land commissioners is
authorized and directed to release
sections l6 and So, situated in the
national forest to the federal govern
ment, whenever congress shall have
authorized lieu selections by the
state OF government timber lands of
equal value.
I'VE favor the speedy segregation
Of all land situated in national forest
reserves that are more valuable for
agriculture, horticulture and grazing
purposes than for forestry purposes
to the end that all lands may be made
to serve their highest product func-
tions and the general developmen
and prosperity OF the state materially
aided. The recent destructive forest
| h,, taI
for the passage Of laws providing for
} the exiting guishment and prevention
as far as may be of forest fires, under
the direction and control Of the state
to insure adequate protection from
!, fires; regulation for the use of pri-
vately owned forests must be made
by the state with provision that any
expense that may be incurred shall
be assessed against the timber lands
, in proportion to the benefits received
There are many abuses that should
! be corrected and many unjust freigh
{ rates that should be lowered through
a reasonably diligent enforcement o
the provisions of the railroad com
! mission law and attention is callee
to the fact that the few benefits re
= ceived from the operation Of that Law
j., have come as favors granted by tht
railroads rather than by virtue of eff
, forts on the part OF the present rail
:. road commission. The creation of
public utility commission with full
power to regulate public service cor
= porations is necessary to secure ser
: vices that are satisfactory and price!
= that are fair to consumers, and tn,
enactment and strict enforcement O
;. such law is advocated.
, THE examinatio II of state bank
y from time to time has given addet
= assurance of safety to depositors an,
! provisions should be made to exten,
:. the same system of examinations t,
private banks and to the end that de
positors may be benefited and TIL
;, danger OF bank failures lessened
- "We are in favor of Legislation
making it better for cities to adopt
:. suitable form of commission govern
i ment
: "We favor the adoption of the pro
posed amendment to the constitution
= = relative to taxation to the end tha
= the public revenues may not be i'm
= paired and the income obtained 70
= the purpose of maintaining the stat
9 government and public institution
may be sufficient to meet the neces
sary expenses thereof.
IL EDWIN NORRIS, Chairman"