Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1910-01-20
URGES CONSERVATION OF
THE NATIONS RESOURCES
President Taft Sends Special Message to Con-
gress Recommending Prevention Of Land
Frauds, Control Of Water Power, Fo.-
tering Of Soils and Kindred Subjects


One of the most pressing needs In
the matter Of public Land reform Is
that lands should be classified accord
ing to their principal value use. This
ought to he done by that or department
whose force il best adapted to that
work II should be done by the inter
tor department through the geological
survey Much of confusion. fraud and
contention which has existed In the
present has arisen from the lack Of
m official and determinative classifi-
cation OF the public lands and their
contents.
IL IL now proposed to dispose of ag-
riculturat lands an such. and at the
same time to reserve for other disposi-
tion the treasure Of coal. OIL ashphai-
tnm. natural gas and phosphate con-
tanned therein This may be best ac-
compiishsd nv separating the right
to mine from the title to the surface.
the latter ~ may he required for the
extraction OF the deposits. The sur
face might he disposed OF as agricul-
tural land under the general agricul-
tural statutes. while the coal or other
mineral could be disposed OF by lease
nm a royalty basis. with the provisions
requiring q certain amount OF develop
ment each year: Ind In order to pre-
vent the use and cession or said lands
with others 1T similar character so AZ
to constitute monopoly forbidden by
law, the lease should contain suitable
provisior subjecting to forfeiture the
Interest OF persons participating in
such monopoly. Such law should ap-
ply to Aiaska a. well as to the United
states.
Statute Difficult 70 Frame.
n In exceedingly iifficult to frame
a statute tn retain government control
over y property to be developed by
private capital In such a manner as
to secure the governmental purpose
and at the same time not frighten
away the investment of the necessary
capifnL Hence " may be necessary
by laws that are really only expert
mental to determine from their prac-
tical operation what IL the best
method Of securing the result aimed at
The extent Of the value OF phosphate
IL hardly realized. and with the need
that there will be for 1t as the years
roll on and the necessity for fertility
ing the land shall become more acute
this will be q 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 transmissible electricity. another
important phase OF the public land.
uabte water power sites through all
the public land states. The opinion
IL 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 no far an that owned
by riparian proprietors. do not
think II necessary to go into discussion
Ut this somewhat mooted question OF
law. IT seems to me sufficient to say
that the man who owns and controls
the land along the stream from which
the power ts to he converted and trans
mitted. owns land which Is indispens-
able tn the conversion and use of that
power. cannot conceive how the
power In streams flowing through pub
lie lands can he 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
concerted and securing q right OF way
thercover for transmission lines. I'm
der these condition. II the government
owns the adjacent land--indeed. II the
government IL 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.
vsIus Of Water Power
The development in electrical appli-
anres for the conversion OF the water
power into electricity to be transmitted
long distances has progressed so far that
| II II no longer problematical, but It il q
certatn Inference that In the future the
power Of the water falling In the streams
10 large extent will take the place OF
natural fuels. In the disposition OF the
| domain already granted. many water
ownershtp. and may drift into one own
/ orahin m that An the water r0vver t,nder