The Globe-republican., 1910-01-20

| &dtioilS VI tnu GAoCuLlVe, anu Ine QueS'
tion as to what the executive is Il
do Is under the circumstances full OF
difficulty. 1t seems TO me that It Is
the duty of congress now. by statute
to validate the Withdrawals which
have been made by the secretary of the
interior and the president and to use
the secretary of the interior temporar-
lily to withdraw lands pending submis-
sion to congress OF recommendation as
to legislation to meet conditions or
emergencies as they arise.
Public Land Along Streams.
With respect to the public land
which lies along the streams Offering
opportunity to convert water power
into transmissible 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 as that owned
! by riparian proprietors. do not
think 1t necessary to go into discussion
| OF this somewhat mooted question Of
| law. 1t seems to 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
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
thereover for transmission lines. I'm
der these condition, II the government
owns the adjacent land---indeed, IL the
government is the riparian owner--it
may control the use of the water power
by imposing proper conditions on the
disposition of the land necessary in the
creation and utilization of 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 that |
It is no longer probematical but 1t is a |
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 the disposition of the
domain already granted, many water
power sites have come under absolute
ownership, and may drift into one own
ership, so that all the water power under
private ownership shall be monopoly.
If, however, the water power sites now
owned by the government-and there are
enough OF them-shall be disposed Of to
private persons for the investment of
their capital in such a 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
to not exceeding thirty years with renewal
privileges and some equitable means OF
fixing terms of rental and with proper
means for determining reasonable grad
uated rental, it would seem entirely pos
sible to prevent the absorption Of these
most useful lands by a 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 kept reasonable.
Soils Must Be Conserved.
In considering the conservation of the
natural resources OF the country, the fea-
ture that transcends all others, including
woods, waters, minerals, is the soil of the
1t is incumbent upon the gov
to foster by all available means
tHt lfSDultto Vi Lllt tbuHllJ C1ldl produce |
the food OF the people. To this end the
conservation OF the soils OF the country
should be cared for with all means at the
governments disposal. Their productive
powers should have the attention of 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
Lure hillside soils, rotate crops on all
soils. discover methods for cropping dry
land soils, find grasses and legumes for
all soils, feed grains and mill feeds on
The farms where they originate, that the
soils from which they come may be en-
riched.
work Of the utmost Importance to in
form and instruct the public on this chief
branch OF the conservation OF our re-
sources Is being carried on successfully
n the department OF agriculture; but 1t
ought not to escape public attention that
state action in addition to that of the de-
oartmeht OF agriculture tas FOR instance
N the drainage OF swamp landsl Is es- ,
'ential 10 the best treatment OF the soils
n the manner above indicated
Inc act by which, IN semi-arid parts OF
me PUBIC domain, the area OF the home
'tead has been enlarged from 100 to 32O
icres has resulted most benefcially in
ne extension or dry farming" and In
ne demonstration which has been made
u the possibility, through variation In
he character and mode Of culture, of
'aisng substantial crops without the
presence Of such a supply Of water as J
las been heretofore thought to be neces-
iary for agriculture
No one can visit the far west and the ]
country OF arid and semi-arid lands with J
,ut being convinced that this ia one of I
he most important methods of the con- {
iervation of our natural resources that Q
he povarn,nent bos antarad ,,no, ~ [