The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-12-08

| made to cover the necessary expenses
| Of organizing and carrying on the
meeting.
Safety Appliances and Provisions.
The protection Of railroad employees
from personal injury Is subject Of
the highest Importance and demands
continuing attention.
Negro Exposition.
I also renew my recommendation
that steps be taken looking 70 the bold
Ing Of negro exposition in ceiebra.
ton OF the fiftieth anniversary Of the
issuing by Mr.. Lincoln Of the emahci-
patton proclamation.
| Conservation.
Nothing can be more important In
the matter of conservation than the
treatment Of our forest lands. Speak
Ing generally, the government has re-
served Of the existing forests about 20
per cent of all the timberlands of the
government. Within these forests lin
Guiding 2G,O00.000 acres in two forests
in Alaska) are i9o.00O.O00 acres. of
which 166,000,000 acres are in the
United States proper and include with
in their boundaries something like D.
100000 acres that belong to the states
| or to private individuals. We have.
then. excluding Alaska forests, total
| of about 144.000.000 acres of forests
belonging TO the government which
| are being treated in accord with the
principles of scientific forestry.
The law now prohibits the reserva-
ton Of any more forest lands in Ore
gon, Washington. Idaho. Montana.
Colorado and Wyoming except by
act Of congress. I am informed by
the department Of agriculture that the
government owns other tracts Of tim
berland In these states which should
be included in the forest reseryes. l
recommend to congress that the limi-
tation herein imposed be repealed. In
the present forest reserves there are
lands which are not properly forest
land and which ought to be subject to
homestead entry.
Coal Lands.
| The next subject, and one most i'm
portant for your consideration, Is the
disposition of the coal lands in the
United States and In Alaska. At the
beginning Of this administration there
were classified coal lands in the Unit.
ed States amounting to $4,000 acres
and there were withdrawn from entry
for purposes Of classification IL ,S67 .00C
acres. Since that time there have been
withdrawn by my order from entry
for classification 7S,977,745 acres. max
ing total withdrawal Of 96,S44.T4s
acres. Meantime of the acres thus
withdrawn 10061 $50 have been classi
fed and found not to contain coal ani
have been restored to agricultural en-
try and 4.726091 acres have been elias
sified as coal lands, while 1890. %!
acres remain withdrawn from entr,
and await classification In addition
$4,000 acres have been classified al
coal lands without prior withdrawal
thus increasing the classified coal land
to 10.429.3T2 acres.
The question as to how great nj
larea ought TO be included ina lease 4
one individual or corporation is no
free from difficulty. but in view OF th,
fact that the government retains con
troll as owner think there might b,
some liberality In the amount lease,
and that 200 acres would not be 10,
great a maximum. The leases shoul,
only be granted after advertisement
and public competition.
Tho secretary Of the interior thinks
there are difficulties In the way Of
leasing public coal lands. entirely
approved bis stating at length In his
report the objections in order that the
whole subject may be presented Il
congress. but after n full consideration
l favor a leasing system and recon
mend Il
The needed oil and gas law is essen
tally a leasing law. In their natural
occurrence oil and gas cannr b.
measured In terms of acres. ike coal
and Il follows that exclusive title e
these products can normally I've So
cured only after they reach the sur
face. oil should be disposed OF us O
commodity m terms Of barrels Of
transportablc product rather than In
acres of real estate.
Water Power Rates.
The water power sites subject Is one
that calls for new legislation II has
been thought that there was danger
Of combination to obtain possession Of
all the power sites and TO unite them
under one control. Whatever the cvi.
dcnce OF this or lack Of II. nj present
we have had enough experience "a
know that combination would be- prof.
liable. and the control of n great mum.
Der Of power sites would enable the
holders or owners TO raise the price
Of power at will within certain sec.
lions. and the temptation would
promptly attract investors. aud the
danger OF monopoly and extortion
would not be remote one
However this may be. II Is the plain
duty Of the government TO see 10 II
that IN the utilization and dpvcIop.