The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-01-19
URGES CONSERVATION OF
THE NATIONS RESOURCES
President Taft Sends Special Message to Con-
gress Recommending Prevention Of Land
Frauds, Control Of Water Power, Fos-
tering of Soils and Kindred Subjects
to legislation to meet conditions or
emergencies as they arise.

Properly to Classify Lands.
One of the most pressing needs IN
the matter of public land reform IA
that lands should be classified accord
ing to their principal value USE This
ought to be done by that or department
whose force is best adapted to that
work 1t should be done by the inter.
Tor department through the geological
| survey. Much OF confusion. fraud. ana
| contention which has existed IN the
| present has arisen from the lack or
| an official and determinative classin-
cation OF the public lands and their
| contents.
| II is now proposed to dispose OF ag-
| ricultural lands as such, and at the
| same time to reserve for other disposi-
| ton the treasure OF coal. oil. ashphal-
| tum. natural gas and phosphate con-
| tanned therein This may be best ac-
cornpltshed Ivy separating the right
to mine from the title to the surface.
| giving the necessary use OF so much or
the latter as may be required for the
extraction of the deposits. The sur
| face might he disposed Of as agrlcnl-
tural land under the general asrlcni-
tural statutes. while the coal or other
mineral, could be disposed OF by lease
on n royalty basis with the provisions
requiring a certain amount OF develop
ment each year: and in order to pre-
| vent the use and cession of said lands
with others OF similar character so as
to constitute monopoly forbidden by
law the lease should contain suitable
provision subjectinE to forfeiture the
interest of persons participating in
| such monopoly. Such law should APP
ply to Alaska as well to the United
! States.
Statute Difficult to Frame.
1t is exceedingly difficult to frame
statute to retain government contro'
over n property to be developed ny
private capital in such manner as
to secure the governmental purpose
and at the same time not frishten
away the investment OF the necessary
capital Hence. IT may DC necessm.s
/, by laws that are really only expert
. ! mental to determine from their prac-
tical operation what is the best
method of securing the result aimed at
The extent Of the value or phosphate
: is hardly realized. and with the need
that there will be for it as the years
ROT, on and the necessity for fertillz-
! ing the land shall become more acute
|, this will be a product which will prob
) | ably attract the greed of monopollstS
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 pubic lana
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. I do not
a think it 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 he converted and trans
:. united. owns land which is indispens.
. | able to the conversion and use or tnat
:, power cannot conceive how the
. newer 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
4 by which the power is generated ana
" | converted and securing right or way
= thercover for transmission lines I'm
II. der these condition, if the government
" owns the adjacent land--indeed. IT the
= government is the riparian oWner--l'
NAV control the use of the water power
y by imposing proper conditions on the
. dispost:on Of the land necessary In the
cra,tion ana utilization of the water
is Value of Water Power.
n Tho development in electrical appll
d ances for the conversion of the water
J. mower into electricity to be transmitted
ia long distances has progressed so far tina
er it is no longer problemat'ca', put II Is
< certain inference that in the future the
, to a large extent will take the place o
l. natural fuels. In the disposition OF thu
D. domain already granted. many wate
le power sites have come under absolute
e. ownership. and may drift into one own
\ ership so that all the water power unde
,e nrivnte ownership shall be monopoly
In IF. however, the water power sites nov
10 owned by the government there ar
'e enough OF them-shall be disposed OF Il
'e private persons tor the investment
c
their union for purposes OF monopol
ne with other water power sites. and unde
OF conditions that shall limit the right OF us
n to not exceeding thirty years with rene"a
az privileges and some equitable means @
or fixing terms of rental and with prope
n means for determining reasonable grad
ce mated rental 1t would seem entirely pos
OF sib,e to prevent the absorption or tines
luz most useful lands by power monopoly
re AS long the government retains cor
an troll and can prevent their improper unto
NC with other plants. competition must (
maintained and prices kept reasonable.
10 Soils Must Be Conserved.
re In considering the conservation of tt
IN natural resources OF the country. the fe:
lie ture that transcends all others. includln
n woods. waters. minerals. is the soil or II
H. country. 1t is incumbent upon the go
to eminent to foster by all available meal
~ the resources OF the country that produ'
on the food of the people. To this end tt
he | conservation OF the soils OF the COUNT
oh should be cared tor WIN an means az u
OF governments disposal The'r producti'
,er powers should have the attention of OF
H. scientists that we may conserve the ne
ne soils improve the old soils. drain W
on soils ditch swamp soils. levee river owe
aid flow soils. grow trees ON INN SOILS pa
IT'S. ,ure hillside soils. rotate crops on {
YER soils discover methods for cropping d
OF land soils find grasses and legumes I
ess all soils feed grains and mill feeds
,u- the farms where they originate. that T.
d. soils from which they come may be e
not riched.
en- A work Of the utmost Importance to
es- form and instruct the public on this CHI,
to branch OF the conservation or our !
of | sources is being carried on successful
is in the department OF agriculture: hut
,te ought not to escape public attention tn
ich state action IN addition to that or the c
the partment OF agriculture (as for 'nstan
use in the drainage of swamp iands) Is
ar sentia to the best treatment Of the so