Semi-weekly herald., 1910-12-08


price and to sell at that price
AS one-third OF all the coal supply
is held by the government. 1t seems
wise that 1t should retain such con
troll over the mining and the sale as
tho relation OF lessor to lessee fur.
uishes.
The secretary of the Interior thinks
there are difficulties In the way OF
leasing public coal lands. which OBJ
iections he has set forth in his re
port, the force OF which | freely con
cede entirely approve his stating
At length In his report of tho objec.
lions In order that the whole subject
may be presented to congress, but
after a full consideration, for tho rea.
sons | have given above. l favor a
leasing system and recommend it."
Water Power sites.
Prior to March 4, 1909, there had
been. on the recommendation of the
reclamation service. withdrawn from
agricultural entry. because they were
regarded as useful for power sites
which ought not to be disposed of az
agricultural lands. tracts amounting
to about 100000 acres. The with
drawals were hastily made and in
eluded u great deal OF land that was
not useful for power sites, They were
intended to include the power sites
on 20 rivers in states Since that
time 3,A75.4i2 acres have been re-
stored for settlement OF the original
100000 because they do not con
tain power sites. and meantime, rev
Withdrawals have been made which.
with other restorations based upon
iield examination. result In withdraw
ais at present effective Of LIS 1856
acres ON vacant public land and 2O2..
1917 acres on entered public land, or n
total of l,420.553 acres. These with.
drawals made from time to time cover
all the power sites included IN the
first Withdrawals and many more on
t5l rivers and In IL states The dis
position OF these power sites involves
one of the most difficult questions pre-
sented In carrying out practical con
servation.
The subject is one that calls for
new legislation, It has been thought
that there was danger of combination
10 obtain possession of all the power
sites and to unite them under one
control. Whatever the evidence OF
this, or lack OF IL, at present we have
had enough experience 10 know that
combination would be profitable. and
the control of great number of pow
er at viii within certain sections.
However this may be, II Is the
plain duty OF the government to see
to 1t that in the utilization and devei-
opmeut OF all this immense amount
OF water power, conditions shall be
Imposed that will prevent extortion.
ate charges. which are the usual ac-
compartment of monopoly.
THE question of conservation IL
not partisan one, and | sincerely
hope that even. In the short time OF
the present session consideration may
be given to those questions which
/ have now been much discussed, and
that action may be taken upon them
Alaska.
with reference to the government
of Alaska, | have nothing to add ts
the recommendation | made In my
/ last message ON the subject am
convinced that the migratory charac
/ ter of the population, It's unequal dis
tributlon, and its smallness of mum
ber, which the new census shows to
be about $4,000, In relation to the
make 1t altogether lmpracticable to
give to those people who are in
Alaska today and may not be there a
year hence, the power to elect a leg
slature to govern an immense ter.
ritory to which they have relation so
little permanent"
Pensions.
The uniform policy OF the govern.
ment In the matter OF granting pen.
sions to those gallant and devoted
men who fought to save the life OF
the nation In the periloue days of the
great civil war, has always been OF
the most liberal character. Those
men are now rapidly passing away
I The best obtainable official statistics
show that they are dying at the rate
I of something over three thousand a
I month, and, In view OF their advanc-
ing years, this rate must inevitably In
I proportion. rapidly increase. To the
man who risked everything on the
field OF battle to save the nation In
the hour OF it's direst need we owe a
debt which has not been and should
not be computed in a begrudging or
I parsimonious spirit
Bureau Of Corporations.
Referring to the report OF the com.
missioner OF corporations. the presi
dent says;
Tine commissioner finds condl
ton in the ownership of the standing
timber OF the United States other
4 than the government timber that calls
for serious attention. The direct in
vestigation made by the commissioner
covered an area which contains 80
per cent of the privately owned tim
ber OF the country
His report shows that one half OF
the timber In this area is owned by
200 individuals and corporations
that IA per cent. Is owned by these
corporations. and that there is very
extensive inter-ownership of stock
az well as other circumstances, all
pointing to friendly relations among
those who own a majority OF this tim
her a relationship which might lend