The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-09-06

president OF tue Whote people. 1Ouser-
walton is not question OF politics or
Of factions or Of persons. II Is ques-
ton that affects the vital welfare of all
Of us-of our children and our chill
drens children. urge that no good
can come from meetings Of this sort
unless we ascribe to those who take
part IN them and who are apparently
striving worthliy In the cause all prop
er motives and unless we judicially
consider every measure or method pro-
posed with a view to It's effectiveness
IN achieving our common purpose and
wholly without regard to who proposes
It or who win claim the credit for ifs
adoption.
The problems are Of very great DIM
Guilty and call for the calmest consider.
alton and clearest foresight Many OF
the questions presented have phases
that are new IN this country, and 1t Il
possible thar in their solution we may
have to attempt first ono way and then
another.
what wish to emphasize. however,
Is that a satisfactory conclusion can
only be reached promptly II We avoid
acrimony. imputations Of bad faith
and political controversy.
The public domain OF the govern.
ment Of the United States, including
all the cessions from those Of the
thirteen states that made cessions to
the United States and including Alas.
ka. amounted IN all 10 about 100000
600 acres. or this there are left as
purely government property outside Of
Alaska something like 7o0000.000 Of
acres. OF this the national forest re
serves In the United States proper EN-
brace 144.000.000 acres.
The rest IS largely mountain or arid
country. offering some opportunity for
agriculture by dry farming and by
reclamation and containing metals as
well as coal, phosphates. oils and nat.
ural gas. Then the government owns
many tracts OF land lying along the
margins of streams that have water
power. the use Of which is necessary
IN the conversion Of the power into
electricity and its transmission.
Government Ownership.
The present congress passed bin
OF great importance. severing the own
ership OF coal by the government in
the ground from the surface and per-
hitting homestead entries upon the
surface Of the land. which. when per.
fected, give the settler the right to
farm the surface. while the coal be-
meath the surface is retained IN own
ership by the government and may be
disposed Of by 1t under other laws.
There is no crying need for radical
reform in the methods of disposing OF
what are really agricultural lands.
The present laws have worked well.
The enlarged homestead law has en-
couraged the successful farming Of
lands IN the semiarid regions. or
course the teachings Of the agricul-
tural department as to how these sub
arid lands may be treated and soil
preserved for useful culture are OF the
very essence of conservation.
Then conservation OF agricultural
lands Is shown In the reclamation o.
arid lands by irrigation, and | should
devote few words to what the gov
eminent has done and is doing in this
regard
BY the reclamation act fund has
been created Of the proceeds Of the
public lands Of the United States with
which to construct works for storing
great bodies Of water at proper aiti- /
tudes. from which. by a suitable sys-
tenn OF canals and bitches, the water
is TO be distributed over the arid and
subarid lands Of the government to
be sold to settlers at price sufficient
to pay for the improvements.
The total sum already accumulated
in the reclamation fund is S60,273,- I
25s.22, and Of that all but S6,491. 1854 /
has been expended. 1t became very |
clear TO congress at its last session,
from the statements made by experts,
that these thirty projects could not be
promptly completed with the balance
remaining on hand or with the funds
likely to accrue III the near future.
1t was found. moreover. that there I
are many settlers who have been led I
into taking up lands with the hope and
of having water fur
nished In a short time who are left in
n most distressing situation
Draining Swamp Lands.
Suggestions have been made that the
United States ought to aid IN the
drainage Of swamp lands belonging to
the states or private owners, because
IL drained they would be exceedingly
for agriculture and contribute
to the general welfare by extending the
area of cultivation l deprecate the
agitation in favor Of such legislation.
1t is Inviting the general government
into contribution from its treasury to-
ward enterprises that should be con-
Quoted either by private capital or at
the instance Of the state. In these
days there Is disposition to look too
much to the federal government for
everything
] am liberal in the construction Of
the constitution with reference to fed
eraI power, but | am firmly con-
WINGED that the only safe course for us
to pursue Is to hold fast to the limita-
tons of the constitution and to regard
as sacred the powers Of the states.
We have made wonderful progress and
at the same time have preserved with
judicial exactnesI the restrictions OF
the constitution. There Is an easy way