The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-01-14


In such monopoly. Such law should
apply to Alaska as well as to the
United States
1t is exceedingly difficult to frame
statute to retain government con-
troll over property to be developed
by private capitol in such manner as to
secure the governmental purpose and
at the same time not brighten away
the investment of the necessary cap
| ital. Hence, 1t may be necessary by
laws that are really only experimental
to determine from their practical oper-
alton what is the best method of secur-
ing the result aimed at.
Phosphate ls Valuable.
| The extent of the value of phosphate
is hardly realized, and with the need
that there will be for it as the years
roll on and the necessity for fertilizing
the land shall become more acute, this
will be product which will probably
attract the greed of monopoIists.
With respects to the public land
opportunity to convert water power
into transmissable electricity, another
important phase Of Inc public land
question Is presented There are VAL
liable wate- power sites through all the
land states. The opinions is held that
the transfer or sovereignty from the
federal government to the territorial
| governments as they become states
included the water power in the riv-
ers except so far that owned by ripar-
ian proprietors. / do not think It
necessary to go into a 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 streams from which the
power is to be converted and trans
| mitted, owns land which is indispensa.-
Bile 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
Under these conditions, If the govern
ment owns the adjacent land-indeed,
If the government is the riparian own
| er-it may control the use of the
water power by imposing proper con-
ditions on the disposition of the land
necessary in the creation and utiliza-
ton of the water power.
About Watsr Power.
The development In electrical an
pliances for the conversion of water
power ilto electricity to be trans
mltted long distnces has progressed
so far that it is no longer problematical
but it a certain inference tht in the
future the power of the water falling
in he streams o a large extent will
take the place Of naturl fuels. In the
disposition of the domin already
granted, many water power sites hive
come under absolute ownership, and
may drift into one ownership, so that
all the water power under private
ownership shall be a monopoly. If,
however, the water power sites now
owned by the government--and they
are enough of them-shall be disposed
OF to private persons for the invest
ment of their capital in such a way
as to prevent power sites, and under
conditions that shall limit the right
of use to not exceeding fifty years,
with proper means for determining a
reasonable graduated rent, and with
some equitble provision for fixing
terms Of renewal, it would seem en-
ttrely possible to prevent the absorp-
lon of thes most useful lands by a
power monopoly. AS long as he gov
eminent retains controls and can pre-
vet their improper union with other
plants. competition must be maintain
ed and prices kept reasonable.
In considering tbs conservation of
the natural resources OF he country
the feature that transcends all others,
| including woods, waters, miners Is is
the soil Of the country. II 81 incum
bent upon the government to foster by
all available means the resources of
the country that produce the food of
the people. To this end the cons, rv-
alton of the soils Of the country she uId
be Gaze for with all means at the
governments disposal Their prod,lc-
tive powers should have the atten
ton OF our scientists that We may c.n-
serve the new soils, improve the old
soils, drain wet stills, ditch swarm
soils, levee river soils, grow trees on
thin soils. pasture hillside soils, ro-
tate crops on all soils. discover meth
DDS for cropping dry land soils, ind
grasses and legumes for all soils. feed
grain 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
inform and instruct the public on
this branch of the conservation of our
resources is being carried on success
fully in the department of agricul-
ture: but IL ought not to escape public
| attention that state action in addition
to that of the department of agricuI-
ture, LAS for instance in the drainage
OF swamp lands), is essential to the
best treatment Of the soils in the man.
ner above indicated
Extend Dry Farming.
The act by which, in semi -arid
parts of the public domain, the area OF
the homestead has been enlarged from
160 to 800 acres has resulted most
beneficially in the extention of "dry
farming and in the demonstration
which has been made OF the possibly
through variation in the character
and mode of culture, of raising sub
stantial crops without the presence of
such a supply OF water as has beenl
heretofore thought to be necessary
for agriculture.
But there are millions of acres Of
completely arid land lin the public
domain, which by the establishment of
reservoirs for the storing OF water and
the irrigation OF the lands may be |
made much more fruitful and produc- |
tive than the best lands in a climate
where the moisture come from the
clouds.
Congress recognized ths Importance