Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-06

and 1t follows that exclusive title 70
these products can normally be secured
|only after they reach the surface. IN
should be disposed of as COMMONLY
in terms of barrels of transportapie
product rather than in acres OF real
ESTATE. That is, of course, the reason
for the practically universal adoptioi,
of the leasing system wherever OIL land
is in private ownership. The govern
ment hus would not be entering on
an experiment. but simply putting ln.c
|effect plan successfully operated ~
private contracts. Why should not the
government as a landowner deal d.
rectly with the oil producer rather
than through the intervention OF
mfdClleman to whom the governments
gives title to the land
Phosphate Lands.
Phosphorus is one Of the three es-
sentials to plant growth. the othei
elements being nitrogen and potash. ~
these three, phosphorus is by all ouds
the scarcest element in nature. IS
easily extracted in useful form iron,
the phosphate rock. and the unllea
Estates contains the greatest known De
posts of this rock in the world. Ihey
are found in Wyoming, Utah. and
Florida as we'll as in South Carolina.
Georgia and Tennessee. The govern n
ment phosphate lands are confined 70
Wyoming, Utah and Florida. Prior 70
March 4, 1909, there were a ,O0o.o oos
acres withdrawn from agricultural en-
try on the ground that the land GOV.
cred phosphate rock. Since that time,
2.322,O00 acres of the land thus with
drawn was found not to contain phos
phate In profitable quantities. while Il
$4,000 acres was classified properly as
phosphate lands. During this adminis-
tration there has been Withdrawn ana
classified 437,000 acres, so that toda!
there is classified as phosphate rock
land 2,115,0O0 acres. This rock is most
important in the composition of fer
tilizers to improve the soil, and as the
future is certain to create an enormous
demand throughout this country fot
fertilization. the value to the public OF
such deposits as these can hardly be
Exaggerated. Certainly with respect TO
THESE deposits a careful policy OF con-
servation should be followed. Half OF
the phosphate Of the rock that is
mined in private fields in the United
States is exported. AS our farming
methods grow better the demand for
the phosphate will become greater, and
it must be arranged SO that the supply
shall equal the needs of the country. 1T
I is uncertain whether the placer or lode
plate rock. There is, therefore, neces-
| sity for some definite and well-con-
tsidered legislation on this subject, and
in aid of such legislation all of the
government lands known to contain
valuable phosphate rock are now with
drawn from entry. A law that would
provide leasing system for the phos-
phate deposits, together with a pro-
iNision for the separa ton of the surface
land mineral rights as is already pros
lvided for in the case of coal, would
seem to meet the need Of promoting
! the development Of these deposits and
their utilization in the agricultural
ilands of the west. If it is thought de-.
sirable to discourage the expectation
}of phosphate rock and the saving of
lit for our own lands. this purpose
could be accomplished by conditions in
the lease granted by the government
| to it's lessees. OF course, under, the
constitution the government could not
tax and could not prohibit the expor-
tation of phosphate, but as proprietor
and owner of the lands in which the
phosphate is deposited it could i'm
pose conditions upon the kind of sales,
whether foreign or domestic. which the
| lessees might make of the phosphate
mined.
The tonnage represented by the
phosphate lands in government own
lership is very great, but,the lesson has
been learned in the case of such lands
| ship in South Carolina, Florida. am,
Tennessee that the phosphate deposits
there are in no sense inexhaustibl".
| Moreover. it is also we'll understood
that in the process of mining phos-.
phate, as 1t has been pursued. much Of
1.-THE lower grade Of phosphate rock.
which will eventually all be needed,
has been wasted beyond recovery. such
lWastefu methods can easily be pre-
vented, so far as the government lan6
is concerned, by conditions inserted in
/ the leases.
Water Power Sites.
Prior to March 4. 1909 there had
been, on the recommendation of the
reclamation service, withdrawn from
agricultural entry. because they We're
regarded as useful for power sites
which ought not to be disposed of as
agricultural lands, tracts amounting to
about 100000 acres. The Withdrawals
were hastily madeNand included a great
ideal of land that was not useful for
! power sites.gThey We're intended to in
}clude the power sites on 20 rivers and
lin states Since that time 3,475,442
acres have been restored for settle
ment of the original 100000. because
they do not contain power sites; and
meantime there have been newly with
! drawn 1,245.S92 acres on vacant public
Hand and 211 007 acres on entered pubs
lie land, or a total of 1.4o6,S99 acres.
! These Withdrawals made from time to
time cover all the power sites included
in the first Withdrawals. and many
more on 135 rivers and in II states.
! The disposition of these power sites
;Iinvolves one of the most difficult ques-
tions presented in carrying out prac-
teal conservation. The forest service,
under a power found in the statute,
has leased a number of these power
sites in forest reserves by revocable
! leases. but no such power exists with
respect to power sites that are not To-
Gated within forest reserves, and the
revocable system of leasing Is, OF
Icourse, not satisfactory one for the
purpose of inviting the capital needed
to put in proper plants for the trans
mutton of power.
The statute Of 1891 with its amend
mehts permits the secretary of the in.
iterior to grant perpetual easements OF
rights Of way from water sources over
public lands for the primary purpose
of irrigation and such electrical cur
trent as may be incidentally developed
but no grant can be made under this
statute to concerns whose primar!
purpose is generating and handling
electricity The statute of 1901 auth.
orizes the secretary of the interior tc
issue revocable permits over the pub
lie lands to electrical power com
~ ,kr<, - &c, f,,hS tr,-