The Detroit times., 1910-01-14

drRwals OF power sites have been made
on lO2 streams and these Withdrawals
streams than were covered by the with
drawais made prior 10 that date.
The present statutes, except so far
as they dispose of the precious metals
and the purely agric ultural lands. aIe
not adapted TO carry out the modefn
view OF the best disposition OF public
ditions offering on the one hand suf-
hcient inducement TO private capital
To take them over for proper develop
I ment, with restrictive conditions on the
other which shall secure TO the public
that character OF control which will
prevent a monopoly or misuse OF the
lands or their products. The power OF
| draw from the operation or existing
statutes tracts OF land. the disposition
be detrimental 10 tie public interest. Is
not clear or satisfactory. This power
has been exercised I'm the interest OF
the public, with the hope that con-
executive by laws adapted 10 the new
conditions. Unfortunately, congress
has not thus far fully acted on the
recommendations of the executive, and
the question as TO what the executive
Is To do IL. under the circumstances,
full OF difficulty II seems TO me that
/ IL In the duty OF congress now. by a
statute. to validate the Withdrawals
which have been made by the secre-
tary OF the interior and the president
and to authorize the secretary OF the
Interior temporarily to withdraw lands
pending submission to congress OF rec
Concentrations as 10 legislation to meet
| conditions or emergencies as they
arise
| Lands should He Classified.
One OF the most pressing needs In
the matter of public land reform Is
ing TO their principal value or use This
ought to be done by that department
whose force Is best adapted to that
work. II should be done by the inter-
survey. Much OF the confusion, fraud
and contention which has existed In
official and determinative classification
OF the public lands and their contents
IL is now proposed TO dispose OF ag-
ricultural lands as such. and at the
same time to reserve for other dispo-
sition the treasure OF coal. oil. asphalt
um, natural gas. and phosphate con-
tained therein. This may be best ac-
compilshed BY separating the right to
mine from the title to the surface. Civ
ing the necessary use OF so much OF
the latter as may. be required for the
extraction OF the deposits. The surface
might be disposed or as agricultural
land under the general agricultural
statutes, while the coal or other min
cral could he disposed OF by lease on q
royalty basis. with provisions recurring
n certain amount OF development each
year; and In order TO prevent the use
|
OF similar character so as to constitute
monopoly forbidden by law. the lease
should contain suitable provision sub
1ecting to forfeiture the interest OF
persons participating in such nonop-
| oily Such law should apply to Alaska
as well as to the United States.
II Is exceedingly difficult to frame a
statute TO retain government control
/ over a property TO be developed by pri-
vate capital in such manner as to Sc
cure the governmental purpose and at
4 h.. m
| investment OF the necessary capital
| Hence. II may be necessary by laws
that are really only experimental to
determine from their practical oper-
alton what is the best method OF Sc
curing 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 OF fertilizlng
the land shall become more acute; this
will be product which VIII probably
| attract the greed of monopolists.
With respect to the public land
which lies along the streams Offering
| into transnissible 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 Ia
held that the transfer OF sovereignty
from the federal government to the ter
/ ritorial governments as they become
states. included the water power I'm the
rivers except so far as that owned by
| riparian proprietors. i do not think II
necessary TO go into a discussion of
this somew hat mooted question OF law.
| II seems TO me sufficient to say that
/ the man who owns and controls the
! land alonS the stream from which the
| power Is to be converted and transmit
I ted, owns land which Is Indispensable
to the conversion and use OF that
power. l can not conceive how the
power In streams moving through pub
! lie lands can be made available at all
except by using the land Itself as the
I site for the construction OF the pia Mt
! by which tho power is generated and
converted and securing right OF way
thereover for transmission lines. I'm
der these conditions. IL the government
owns the adjacent iand-indeed. IL the
nav ma - control " the use OF DE water power
disposition Of the land necessary In
! the creation and utilization OF the
water power.
Use Of Power sites.
| 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 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 large extent VIII
! 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 own
ership shall De monopoly. IT, how
| ever the water-power sites now own
ed 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 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 so
! years with proper means for deter
! mining a reasonable graduated rental,
| and with some suitable provision for
fixing terms OF renewal. II would seem
entirely possible to prevent the absorp-
tion OF these most useful lands by a
rower monopoly AS long as the gov
| ernrnent retains control and can pre-
vent their improper union with other
plants, competition must be maintained
and prices kept reasonable.
IN considering the conservation OF
the natural resources OF the country,
the feature that transcends all others
including woods. waters, minerals. is
the soil OF the country. 1t is incum-
bent upon the government to foster by
all available means the resources OF
the country that produce the food OF
the people. To this end the conserva-
tion OF the soils OF the country should
be cared for with all means at the gov