The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-12-06

! mems bank BE- recognized and paid by
the passage of the pending bill on that
subject
Negro Exposition.
l also renew my recommendation
that steps be taken looking to the hold
ing of a .'egro exposition in celebra.
ton of the fiftieth anniversary of the
issuing by Mr.. Lincoln OF the enamel
patton proclamation.
Conservation.
Nothing can be more important in
the matter of conservation than the
treatment of our forest lands. Speak
ing generally, the government has re
served of the existing forests about 70
per cent OF all the timberlands OF the
government. Within these forests lin
Guiding 26,0O0, 900 acres in two forests
in Alaska) are 192,000,0O0 acres, OF
which 1G6,O00,000 acres are in the
4 United States proper and include with
! In their boundaries something like o.
100000 acres that belong to the states
or to private individuals We have
then, excluding Alaska forests, a total
of about 144,0OO,O0O acres of forests
belonging to the government which
are being treated in accord with the
principles of scientific forestry.
The law now prohibits the reserva-
ton OF any more forest lands in Ore
gon, Washington, Idaho, Montana.
Colorado and Wyoming except by
act of congress. / am informed hy
the department of agriculture that the
government owns other tracts of TIM
berland in these states which should
be included in the forest reserves.
recommend to congress that the limi-
tation herein imposed be repealed. In
the present forest reserves there are
lands which are not properly forest
land end which ought to be subject to
homestead entry.
! Coal Lands.
The next subject, and one most i'm.
| pOrtant for your consideration, is the
| disposition of the coal lands i'm the
United States and In Alaska. At the
beginning of this administration there
were classified coal lands in the Unit.
ed States amounting to 5,476.0O0 acres,
and there were withdrawn from entry
for purposes of classification IL ,S61 900
acres. Since that time there have been
withdrawn by my order from entry
for classification 1927, 745 acres, max
ing a total withdrawal of 96,S44.745
acres. Meantime of the acres thus
withdrawn 10,O61 ,SS9 have been classi-
fed and found not to contain coal and
have been restored to agricultural en-
try and 4,726091 acres have been clas-
sified as coal lands, while 79,9O3. 239
acres remain withdrawn from entry
and await classification. In addition
337, 900 acres have been classified as
coal lands without prior withdrawal.
thus increasing the classified coal lands
to 10, 429, 372 acres.
The question as to how great an
area ought to be included in a lease to
one individual or corporation is not
free from difficulty, but i'm view of the
fact that the government retains con-
troll as owner | think there might be
some liberality in the amount leased
and that $500 acres would not be too
great a maximum. The leases should
only be granted after advertisement
and public competition.
The secretary of the interior thinks
there are difficulties in the way of
leasing public coal lands. entirely
approved his stating at length in his
report the objections In order that the
whole subject may be presented to
congress, but after a full consideration
j favor leasing system and recon-
mend IT.
The needed oil and gas law is essen
tally a leasing law. In their natural
occurrence oil and gas cannot be
measured in terms of acres, like coal.
and 1t follows that exclusive title to
these products can normally be se-
cured only after they reach the sur-
face. Oil should be disposed Of as a
commodity in terms Of barrels Of
transportable product rather than in
acres Of real estate.
Water Power Rates.
The water power sites subject is one
that calls for new legislation. 1t has
been thought that there was danger
of combination to obtain possession OF
all the power sites and to unite them
under one control Whatever the evil
dence of this or lack of 1t, at present
we have had enough experience to
know that combination would be prof
liable, and the control Of a great num-
Der of power sites would enable the
holders or owners to raise the price
of power at win within certain sec.
tons, and the temptation would
promptly attract investors, and the,
danger of monopoly and extortion
would not be a remote one.
However this may be, 1t is the plain
duty of the government to see to III
that in the utilization and develop
ment of all this immense amount of
water power conditions shall be img
posed that win prevent extortionate
charges. which are the usual accompa.
niment of monopoly.
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