Gilpin observer., 1910-01-20
URGES CONSERVATION OF
THE NATIONS RESOURCES
President Taft Sends Special Message to Con-
gress Recommending Prevention Of Land
Frauds, Control of Water Power, Fos-
tering of Soils and Kindred Subjects

One of The most pressing needs in
the matter of public-land reform Is
that lands should be 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 IT should be done by the inter
ior 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 classf-
cation of the public lands and their
contents.
II is now proposed to dispose of ag-
ricutural lands as such. and at the
same time to reserve for other disposi-
tiOn 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 aEricul-
tural land under the general agricul-
turaI statutes. while the coal or other
mineral could he disposed Of by lease
on n royalty basis with the provisions
requiring 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 as
to constitute monopoly forbidden by
law. the lease should contain suitable
provision SuD1ecttng 10 tne
interest OF persons participating in
such monopoly Such law should ap-
ply to Alaska as we'll as to the United
States
Statute Difficult to Frame.
IT is exceedingly difficult to frame
a statute to retain government control
over property to be developed by
private capital In such n manner as
to secure the governmental purpose
and at the same time not frighten
away the investment or the necessary
capitai Hence II may be necessary
by laws that are really only expert
mental to determine from their prac-
tical operation what is the best
method OF securing the result aimed at.
The extent OF the value of phosphate
IL hardly realized. and with the need
that there will be for 1t as the years
roll on and the necessity for fertliz-
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 transmissible 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
is 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 IL necessary to go into discussion
of this somewhat mooted question of
law. 1t seems to me sufficient to say
that the man who owns and controls
the land along the stream from which
the power is to he converted and trans
mitted owns land which is indispens-
able to the conversion and use of that
power. 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 is generated and
convcgted and securing right OF way
there6Ver for transmission lines. Ur-
der these condition. IL the government
owns the adjacent land-tndeed. II the
government is the riparian owner-it
may contro. the use of the water power
by imposing proper conditions on the
disposition of the land necessary in the
creation and utilization of the water
power.
Value Of Water Power.
The development in electrical appli-
ances for the conversion of the water
power into electricity to be transmitted
long distances has progressed so far that
II is no longer probematical, but II is n
certain inference that In the future the
power of the water falling in the streams
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 absolute
ownership. and may drift into one own
ership. so that all the water power under
private ownership shall. be a monopoly
H. however. the water power sites now
owned by the government-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
to not exceeding thirty years with renewal
privileges and some equitable means of
fixing terms of rental and with proper
means for determining a reasonable grad
uated rental, II would seem entirely pos
sibie to prevent the absorption of these
most useful lands by power monopoly,
As long as the government retains con-
troll and can prevent their improper union
with other plants. competition must be
maintained and prices kept reasonable.
Soils Must Be Conserved.
In considering the conservation of the
ture that transcends all others. including
woods. waters. minerals. is the soil of the
country. 1t Is Incumbent upon the gov
ernment to foster by all available means
the resources of the couptry that produce
the food OF the people. To this end the
conservation OF the soils OF the country
should be cared for with all means at the
governments disposal Their productive
powers should have the attention of our
scientists that we may conserve the new
soils improve the old soils. drain wet
soils. ditch swamp soils. levee river over.
now soils. grow trees on thin soils. pas
ture hillside soils. rotate crops on nil
soils discover methods for cropping dry
land soils, fnd grasses and legumes for
all soils, feed grains and mill feeds on
the farms where they originate. that the
soils from which they come may be en-
riched.
| A work OF the utmost Importance to in
form and instruct the public on this chief
branch OF the conservation of our re-
sources is being carried on successfully
In the department OF agriculture: but II
ought not to escape public attention that
| state action In addition to that OF the de-