The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1910-01-21
URGES CONSERVATION OF
THE NATIONS RESOURCES
Ptes;de.t Taft Sends Special Message to Con.
lress Recoamesding Prevention Of Land
Frasds, Control Of Water Power, Fo.-
teriag Of Soils and Kindred Subjects
TO legislation to meet conditions OF
emergencies as they arise
properlv to Classify Lands,

Vrope6t 70 CiaeeNy laH0e.
One of the most pressing needs IN
the matter Of public-land reform II
that lands should be classified Accord
ing to their principal value use This
ought to he done by that or depa rtment
whose force Is hest 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
an "tiicial and determinative classih-
cation OF the public lands and their
contents.
II Is now proposed 60 dispose Of ag
rtcultural lands SUCH and at the
same time TO reserve for other disposi-
tion the treasure Of coal oil. ashphal-
tum. natural gas and phosphate con-
tanned therein This may be best ac-
complished by separating the right
to mine 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 agricuI
tural land under the general agricui
turai statutes while the coal or other
mineral could he disposed of by lease
on 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 a monopoly forbidden by
law. the lease should contain suitable
provision subiectinG to forfeiture the
interest Of persons participating in
such monopoly. Such law should an
pIv to Alaska as well as to the United
States.
statute oIffeuit to Frame.
1t is exceedingly difslcult to frame
a statute to retain government control
over a property to he developed by
private capital in such manner
to secure the governmental purpose
and at the same time not frighten
away the investment OF the necessary
capital. Hence. II may be necessary
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 of phosphate
is hardly realized. and with the need
that there will be for II az the years
roll on and the necessity for fertiliz-
ing the land shall become more acute.
this will be a 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
question 10 presented. There are val
liable water power sites through all
the public land states. The opinion
Ia 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 20 far as that owned
by riparian proprietors. do not
think il necessary to go into discussion
OF this somewhat mooted question OF
law. 1t seems to me sufficient to say
hat t60 In nd mi Tnt
the land along the stream from which
the power Ia to be converted and trans
mitted. owns land which is indspens-
able to the conversion and use OF that
power. cannot conceive how the
power in streams flowing through pub
except by using the land itself as the
site for the construction of the plant
by which the power is generated and
converted and securing right of way
thereover for transmission lines. Un-
der these condition. IL the government
owns the adjacent land-indeed. II 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
creation and utilization Of the water
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
1t is no longer problematical. but 1t 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
bower sites have come under absolute
ownership. and may drift into one own
ership. so that all the water power under
II. however. the water power sites now
owned by the Kovernment-and there are
enough Of them-shall be disposed OF to
private persons for the investment Of
their capital in such q way as to prevent
their union for purposes 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
uated rental. II would seem entirely pos
sibe TO prevent the absorption of these
most useful lands by a power monopoly
A. 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 ee Conserved.
In considering the conservation Of the
natural resources Of the country. the fea-
ture that transcends all others. including Il
woods, waters. minerals. is the soil of the
1t Is incumbent upon the gov
ernment to foster by all availa BILE means
the resources of tho country that produce
the food of the people. To this end the |
OF the soils of the country
should be cared for with all means at the
disposal. Their productive
powers should have the attention of our |
scientists that We may conserve the new |
soils. improve the old soils. drain wet |
soils. ditch swamp soils. Ievee river over |
flow Soils grow trees on thin soils. pas |
ture hillside Soils rotate crops on all |
soils. discover methods for cropping dry |
land soils. find grasses and legumes for |
all soils. feed grains and mill feeds on |
the farms where they originate. that the |
soils from which they come may be, en- |
riched.
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 |
In the department Of agriculture: but II |
ought not to escape public attention that
state action in addition to that OF the de-
partment of agriculture (as for instance
In the drainage Of swamp lands) Is es-