The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-12-09

ated by itself. and It seems to me II.
logical to maintain difference betwe9r
government work done on government
soil and government work done In .
private establishment. 4-ci 81.
Werssmsn's Compensation. :s} :
In view Of the keen, widespread In.
terest now felt In the United States In
system Of compensation for indts.
trial accitoats to supplant our present
thoroughly unsatisfactory system OF
employers liability "a subject the I'm.
portance Of which congress han az
ready recognized by the appointment
Of a commission), recommend that
the international congress on iudu8.
trial insurance be invited to hold In
meeting In 1913 in Washington ana
that an appropriation Of $4,000 be
made to cover the necessary expenseS
Of organizing and carrying on the
meeting. j.
Safety Appliances and Provlslstss.
The protection Of railroad employees
from personal injury Is subject OF
the highest Importance and demands
continuing attention.
Negro Exposition.
also renew my recommended don
that steps be taken looking to the hold.
ing Of a negro exposition in ceiebra-
ton Of the fiftieth anniversary Of the
issuing by Mr.. Lincoln Of the ewauct
patton proclamation. ~;
Conservation. 49,, \
Nothing can be more important Ia
the matter Of conservation that, tito
treatment of our forest lands. speak
ing generally, the government has re-
served Of the existing forests about 10
per cent of all the timberlands Of the
government. Within these forests GIN.
Guiding 26,00O.OO0 acres In two forests
in Alaska) are 192,OOO,OOO acres, Of
which 166,0OO,OOO acres are In the
United States proper and include with
in their boundaries something like g2,s
100000 acres that belong to the stHtes
or to private individuals. We have,
then, excluding Alaska forests, total
Of about 144,OO0,0OO 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. / 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 reserves. 1
recommend to congress that the ltrt,i-
tation herein imposed be repealed.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 tile Unit.
ed States amounting to 5,476,OO0 acres,
and there were withdrawn from entry
for purposes OF classification II ,S67 900
acres. Since that time there have been
withdrawn by my order from entry
for classification 7S077,745 acres, mai
ing a total withdrawal of 96,S44, T45
acres. Meantime of the acres thus
withdrawn 1O,061 $50 have been classiA
fed and found not to contain coal aud
have been restored to agricultural eD'
try and 4,72GO91 acres have been cIass
sified as coal lands, while 1908 go
acres remain withdrawn from entry
and await classification. In addition
337 900 acres have been classified Hs
coal lands without prior withdrawal
thus increasing the classified coal lands
to 1O,429,372 acres. I,
The question as to how great aN
area ought to be included in lease to
one individual or corporation is not
free from difficulty. but in view Of the
fact that the government retains COO
troll as owner l think there might he
some liberality In the amount leased
and that $500 acres would not be too
great maximum. The leases should
only be granted after advertisement
and public competition.
The secretary of the interior thinks
there are difficulties In the way Of
leasing public coal lands. l entirely
approved his stating at length In bis
report the objections in order that the
whole subject may be presented 60
congress, but after full considerations
1 favor leasing system and recon-
mend It.
The needed oil and gas law is essets-
TALLY leasing law. In their natural
occurrence oil and gas cannot bs
measured in terms Of acres, like coal
and It follows that exclusive tide 20
these products can normally be 90.
cured only after they reach the sttys
face. Oil should be disposed Of as O
commodity in terms Of barrels Of
transportable product rather than n
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 dabges
Of combination to obtain possession Of
all the power sites and to unite tbefp
under one control. Whatever the evt-
dence Of this or lack of 1t, at present