Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-06

government owns other trncis Of I'm.
berlaAd in these states which should
be included in the forest reserves. /
recommend to congress that the nmi-
tation herein imposed be repealed. In
the present forest reserves there are
lands which are not properly forest
land and which ought to be subject 70
homestead entry.
Coal Lands.
The next subject, and one most I'M
portant for your consideration. is the
disposition Of the coal lands in 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,O0O acres,
and there were withdrawn from entry
for purposes Of classification II 1851. 600
acres. Since that time there have been
withdrawn by my order from entry
for classification 7s.977.745 acres. max
ing total withdrawal Of 96,S44.7 Jas
acres. Meantime OF the acres thus
withdrawn 1O,O61 $50 have been class1-
fed and found not to contain coal and
have been restored to agricultural en-
try and 4,726.O91 acres have been clas-
sified as coal lands while .2S9
acres remain withdrawn from entry
and await classification. In addition
337 600 acres have been classified as
coal lands without prior withdrawal.
thus increasing the classified coal lands
to 1O,429,372 acres.
The question as to how great an
area ought to be included in lease to
one individual or corporation Is not
free from difficulty. but in view Of the
fact that the government retains con-
troll as owner l think there might be
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. I entirely
approved his stating at length in his
report the objections in order that the
whole subject may be presented to
favor a leasing system and recon-
mend it.
The needed oil and gas law is essen
TALLY leasing law. In their natural
occurrence oil and gas cannot be
measured in terms of acres. like coal.
and it follows that exclusive title to
these products can normally be Sc
cured only after they reach the sur
face. Oil should be disposed Of as
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 cyl
dence Of this or lack Of it, at present
we have had enough experience to
know that combination would be prof
liable, and the control Of great num-
Der Of power sites would enable the
holders or owners to raise the price
OF power at will 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 1t
that In the utilization and develop
ment Of all this immense amount OF
water power conditions shall be inn
posed that will prevent extortionate
charges, which are the usual accompa-