The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 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, 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
tho matter OF public-land reform is
that lands should be classified accord
ing TO their principal value use. This
ought to he lone by that or department
whose force is 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 i'm the
present has arisen from the lack Of
an official and determinative classic
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 DISPOSE
tiOn the treasure Of coal. oil. ashphal-
tum. natural gas and phosphate con
tanned therein This may be best ac-
compIished ny separating the right
To mtne from the title to the surface.
giving the necessary use OF SO much OF
the latter as may he required for the
extraction OF the deposits. The sur
face might he disposed OF as agricul-
tural land under the general agrtcrl-
iural statutes. while the coal or other
mineral could be disposed Of by lease
on a royalty basis. with the provisions
requiring "A certain amount III utNeiOp-
ment each year; and in order to pre-
vent the use and cesSion OF said lands
with others or similar character so as
to constitute y monopoly forbidden by
law. the lease should contain suitable
provision subtecting to forfeiture the
interest or persons participating In
such monopoly. Such law should r
ply to Alaska as well as to the United
States.
Statute Difficult TO Frame.
II Is exceedingly difficult 10 frame
n statute to retain government control
over n property 10 he developed by
private capital in such n manner as
to secure the governmental purpose
and at the same time not brighten
away the investment OF the necessary
capital. Hence. Vt may be necessary
by laws that are really only expert
mental to determine from their prac-
teal operation what is the best
method Of securing the result aimed at.
The extent OF the value OF phosphate
is hardly realized. and with the need
that there will be for il as the years
roll on and the necessity for f~ertiliz-
ing the land shall become more acute.
this will he a product which will prob
ably attract the greed of m~nnopolists
Public Land Along Streams.
with respect 10 the public land
which lies along the streams offering
opportunity to convert water power
into transmissihle electricity. another
important phase OF the public land
question: is presented There are val
uahle 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 II necessary to go into discussion
of this somewhat mooted question OF
law. II 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
mitted. owns land which is indispens-
able 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 and itself as the
site for the construction or the plant
by which the power is generated and
converted and securing a right of way
thercover for transmission lines. I'm
der these condition. IL the government
owns the adjacsnt land-indeed. IL the
government is 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
CEtdtlOh anu w '"S "o'Ss
power.
Value Of Water Power.
The development in electrical appli-
ances for the conversion OF the water
power into electricity to be transmitted
long distances has progressed so far that
II is no longer problematical. but II Is a
certain inference that in the future the
power OF the water falling In the streams
10 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 own
ership, so that all the water power under
private ownership shall be n monopoly.
II. however. the water power sites now
owned by the government-and there are
enough OF them-shall he disposed of to
private persons for the Investment OF
their capital In such a way as TO prevent
their union for purpose OF monopoly
with other water power sites, and under
conditions that shall limit the right OF use
to not exceeding thirty years with renewal
privileges and some equitable means OF
fixing terms OF rental and with proper
means for determining a reasonable grad
mated rental, IL would seem entirely pos
sible TO prevent the absorption OF these
most useful lands by n power monopoly.
AS long as the government retains con
troll and can prevent their improper union
with other plants. competition must be
maintained and prices kept reasonable.
Soils Must Be Conserved.
In considering The conservation OF the
| natural resources OF the country. the fea-
ture that transcends all others. including
woods, waters. minerals. Is the soil OF the
country. IL Is upon the gov
eminent to foster by all available means
| the resources of the country that produce
the food of the people To this end the
conservation OF the soils OF the country
should be cared for with all means at the
Governments disposal Their productive
powers should have the attention or our
scientists that we may conserve the new
soils. improve the old soils. drain wet
soils, ditch swamp soils. levee river over
now soils. grow trees on thin soils, pas
ture hillside soils. rotate crops on all
soils discover methods for cropping dry
land soils. md grasses and legumes for
all soils. feed grains an, mill feeds or
the farms where they originate that the
soils from which they come may be en-
riched.
A work OF the utmost importance to In.
form and instruct the public on this chief
branch OF the conservation OF our re
sources is being carried on successfully
Lin the department OF aCr,eulture4-bat-3'
ought not TO escape public attention thai
ia