Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1910-01-20

emergencies as they arise.
Properly TO Classify Lands.
One OF the most pressing needs In
| tho matter OF public-land reform is
| that lands should be classified accord
| ing TO their principal value use. This
ought 10 be done by that or department.
| whose force is best adapted to that
work II should be done by the inter-
| Tor department through the geological
| survey. Much or confusion. fraud. and
| contention which has existed in the
| present has arisen from the lack OF
| an official and determinative classih-
| cation OF the public lands and their
| contents.
| IL is now proposed to dispose OF ag-
| riculturai lands MS such. and at the
| same time TO reserve for other DISPOSE
| tion the treasure or coal, oil ashphal-
! tum. natural gas and phosphate con-
| tanned therein. This may be best ac-
| compished ny separating the right
| 10 mine from the title TO the surface.
| giving the necessary use or SO much or
| the latter as may he required for the
| extraction or the deposits. The sur
| face might nc disposed or MS agricul-
| tural land under the general agricul-
| tural statutes. while the coal or other
| mineral could be disposed or by lease
| on a royalty basis. with the provisions
| requiring n certain amount OF develop
! rnent each year; and I'm order To pre-
| vent the use and cesslon or said lands
| with others OF similar character so ms
! to constitute n monopoly forbidden by
| law. the lease should contain suitable
| provision subiecting to forfeiture the
interest or persons participating In
| such monopoly. Such law should APP
! ply to Alaska as well as to the United
states.
Statute Difficult to Frame.
! II Is exceedingly difficult to frame
| n statute to retain government control
| over property TO be developed by
| private capital In such n manner as
| 10 secure the governmental purpose
| and at the same time not brighten
! away the investment OF the necessary
| capital. Hence. II may be necessary
/ by laws that are really only expert
| mental to determine from their prac-
| teal operation what Is the best
| method of securing the result aimed at.
The extent OF the value OF phosphate
| is hardly realized. and with the need
| that there will be for II as the years
| roll on and the necessity for fertiliz-
| ing the land shall become more acute.
| this will be a product which will prob
ably attract the greed of monopolists.
Public Land Along Streams.
with respect TO the public land
which lies along the streams offering
| opportunity TO convert water power
| into transmissihle electricity, another
| important phase OF the public land
| question is presented. There are val
| liable water power sites through all
| the public land states. The opinion
| is held that the transfer OF sovereignty
| from the federal government to the
| territorial governments as they become
| states included the water power In
| the rivers except so far ms that owned
| by riparian proprietors. do not
| think il necessary to go into discussion
OF this somewhat mootcd question OF
| law. II seems 10 me sufficient to say
| that the man who owns and controls
the land along the stream from which
| the power is to be converted and trans
| mitted owns land which is indispens-
| able to the conversion and use OF that
| power. cannot conceive how the
I power in streams flowing through pub
/ lie lands can be made available at all
| except by using the land itself as the
site for the construction OF the plant
| by which the power is generated and
| converted and securing a right OF way
| thercover for transmission lines. Tn
der these condition. IL tho government
i owns tho adjacent land--indeed IL the
| government Is the riparian owner-tt
| may control the use of the water power
| hy imposing proper conditions on the
/ disposition OF the land necessary I'm the
| creation ana utilization or the water
| power.
Value OF Water Power.
The Development in electrical appli-
! ances for the conversion OF the water
! power into electricity to be transmitted
long distances has progressed SO far thar
| II is no longer problomatical, but IL Is
| certain inference that in the future the
| power OF the water falling In the streams
! TO a large extent will take the place of
| natural fuels. In tho disposition OF the
| domain already granted. many water
| power sites have come under absolute
| ownership. and may drift into one own
/ ership. so that al the water power under
| private ownership shall be n monopoly
| IL however the water power sites now
! owned by the govcrnment-and there are
4 enough OF thcm-shall be disposed OF TO
/ private persons for the Investment OF
| their capital IN such q way as TO prevent
| their union for purposes OF monopoly
with other water power sites. and under
conditions that shall limit the right OF use
| 10 not exceeding thirty years with renewal
| privileges ana some equitable means of
! fixing terms Of rental and with proper
means for determining reasonable grad
+, uatcd rental, IL would seem entirely pos
| sible to prevent the absorption OF these
/ most useful lands by power monopoly.
] AS long as the government retains con
] troll and can prevent their improper union
| with other plants. competition must be
maintained and prices kent reasonab le.
Soils Must Be Conserved.
| In considering the conservation OF the
| natural resources OF the country. the fea-
/
! woods. waters minerals. Is the soil OF the
| country. IL Is incumbent upon the gov
| eminent 10 foster by all available means
| the resources OF the country that produce
| the food OF the people. To this end the
| conservation OF the soils OF the country
| should DO cared for with all means at the
| governments disposal Their productive
| powers should have the attention or our
| scientists that we may conserve the new
| soils. improve the old soils. drain wet
| soils. ditch swamp soils. levee river over
] flow soils. grow trees on thin soils. pas
| iure hillside soils. rotate crops on all
| soils discover methods for cropping dry
| land soils. find grasses and legume. for
| all soils. feed grains and mill feeds on
i the farms where they originate. that the
soils from which they come may be en-.
! riched
work OF the utmost Importance 20 In
form and instruct the public this chief
| branch OF the conservation OF our re-
sources is being carried on successfully
in the department OF agriculture: but u
ought not to escape public attention that
state action In addition to that or the De.
| partment OF agriculture las for instance
IN the drainage Of swamp lands) is es-
sential 10 the best treatment OF the soils
| in the manner above Indicated.