The state herald., 1910-01-21

properly to Classify Lands.
One OF the most pressing needs IN
the matter of public-land reform IA
| that lands should he classified accord
ing to their principal value use. This
ought to he done 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 in the
| present has arisen from the lack Of
| an official and determinative clnssii-
| cation of the public lands and their
| contents.
II is now proposed to dispose of ag-
ricuitural lands such. and Mt the
| same time TO reserve for other DISPOSE
| ton 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 agricul-
| tural land under the general agricul-
tural statutes while the coal or other
| mineral could he disposed of by lease
| on n royalty basis. with the provisions
| recurring n 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 az
10 constitute monopoly fnrDtuuen Dy
law. the lease should contain suitable
| provision subiecting to forfeiture the
| interest of persons participating in
| such monopoly. Such law should APP
| ply to Alaska as well as to the United
| States
Statute Difficult to Frame.
It is exceedingly difficult to frame
| n statute to retain government control
| over property TO he developed by
| private capital in such manner as
to secure the governmental purpose
| and at the same time not brighten
away the investment of the necessary
| capital. Hence. II may be necessary
1 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 II as the years
roll on and the necessity for fertiiiz-
| ing the land shall become more acute.
| this will be n 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 trnnsmissiblc electricity. another
| important phnse OF the public land
| question Is presented. There are val
uabl. water power sites through all
the public land states The opinion
| IL 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 20 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 II to he converted and trans
| mitted. owns land which Is indispens-
| able to tn. conversion and use Of that
power. I cannot conceive how the
/ power In streams flowing through pub
| lie lands can he made available at all
except by using the land itself as the
site for the construction Of the plant
| by which the power II generated and
converted and securing n right of way
| thereover for transmission lines. un-
| der these condition. ~ the government
owns the adjacent iand-indeed. ~ the
government IN 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 tn. water
power.
Value OF Water Power.
The development In electrical appii-
anc~s for the conversion OF the water
! power into electricity to be transmitted
long distances hhh progressed 80 fhr tfNt
/ II IL no longer probiematieal. but II is a
| certain Inference that In the future the
power Of the water falling In the streams
4 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 abHolut.
ownership. and may drift into one own
| ersitip. so that all the water power under
private ownership shall be n monopoly
/ II. however. the water power sites now
owned by the rovernm-nt-and there are
| enough Of them shall be disposed Of to
| private persons for the Investment 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 Of use
| to not exceeding thirty years with renewal
privileges and some equitable means Of
| nsing terms Of rental and with proper
| means for determining n reasonable grad.
, uhted rental. " would seem entirely pos.
| ribie To prevent III. absorption Of these
most useful lands by a power monopoly.
A. long Ms the government, retains con-
troll and ran proven, their improper union
| with other plants. competition must b.
maintained and prices kept reasonable.
Soils Must Be Conserved.
In considering the conservation Of the
| natural resources OF the country. the faA.
| tur- that ,fanse-nds ali Others. Including
woods. waters. minerals. II the soil OF the
| country. II II incumhen, upon tho gov
| eminent 10 foster by all available means
| the resources Of the country that produce
| tho food Of the people. To this end the
conservation of the soils Of the country
| should b. cared for with all means NJ tho
! governments disposal Their productive
/ powers should have the attention Of our
scientists that We may conserve the now
soils, Improve the Old soils. drain wet
soils, ditch swamp holls. lsves river over.
/ now soils, rfoN trees on thin soils pas
ture hillside soils. rotate crops on all
soils. discover methods for cropping dry
land soii. md grasses and isgumru for
| all soils. feed grains and mill feeds on
the farms where they originate. that the
soils from which they come may be On.
| fiehrj
work Of IN. utmost Importance IN In.
| form and Instruct, tho public on this chief
branch of the conservation ~ nur re-
sources II being carried on successfully
| IN the department NJ agriculture, but u
ought no, 10 escape public attention that
state action In addition 10 that Of tho de-
"a ar IL. tstat