The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-14
PUBLIC LANDS 4
THEME FOR TAFT
IN HIS MESSAGE
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I, seems to me tnar It is the duty OF
congress now. by a statute, to validate
the Withdrawals which have been
made by the secretary Of the interior
and the president and to autorize the
secretary OF the interior temporarily
to withdraw lands pending submission
legislation 10 meet conditions or emer-
gencies a. they arise.
Should Classify Lands.
Ono Of the most pressing needs in
the matter Of public land reforms is
that lands should be classified accord
ing to their principal value or use.
This ought to be done by that depart
,ment whose force is best adapted to
that work. 1t should be done by the
interior department through the geo.
logical survey. Much of the confusion.
fraud and contention which has ex-
listed in the past has arisen from the
lack of an Official and determinative
classification of the public lands and
their contents.
1t is now proposed to dispose Of agri-
cultural lands as such and at the same
time to reserve for other disposition
the treasure of coal, OIL asphaltum,
natural gas and phosphate contained
therein. This may be best accomplish
cd by separating the right to mine
from tho title to the surface, giving
the necessary use of much of the latter
as may be required for the extraction
of the deposits. The surface might be
disposed OF AZ agricultural land under
the general agricultural statutes. while
the coal or other mineral could be dis
posed Of by lease on q royalty basis.
with provisions requiring a certain
amount of development each year, and
in order to prevent the use and cession
Of such lands with others of similar
character 50 as to constitute q monop-
oily forbidden by law, the lease should
contain suitable provision subjecting
to forfeiture the interest of persons
participating in such monopoly. Such
law should apply to Alaska as we'll as
to the United States.
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 60 into . discussion Of
this somewhat mOoted question Of law.
Water Power Important.
The development In electrical appli-
ances for the conversion of the water
power into electricity to be transmit
ted long distances has progressed so
far that it is no longer problematical,
but it 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 ownership, so that
all the water power under private
ownership shall be q 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 invest
ment 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 or use to not exceeding fifty
years with proper means for determin-
Ing reasonable graduated rental and
with some equitable provision for fix
Ing terms OF renewal, 1t would seem
entirely possible to prevents the alb
sorption of these most useful lands bv
power monopoly. AS long as the
government retains control and can
prevent their improper union with
other plants competition must be main
tanned and prices kept reasonable.
Government Should Help Settlers.
One of the difficulties which have
arisen is that too many projects in
view Of the available funds have been
Set on foot. The funds available under
the reclamation statute are inadequate
to complete these projects WITHIN q
reasonable time. and yet the projects
have been begun. Settlers have been
invited to take up and in many in
stances have taken up the public land
within the projects. relying upon their
prompt completion. The failure to
complete the projects for their benefit
Is, In effect, breach OF faith and
leaves them in NEST distressed con-