Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-28
Royalty Versus Sale.

public, the policy of our government
with reference to the public domain
has gone on the theory that these
lands, while belonging to the people as
a whole. we're to be given over to pri-
vate individuals as needed for home
stealing and for the development of
mineral and other natural In
a word, the policy Of the government
was TO sell the public land at nominal
prices to those who would actually set
tie upon 1t or work its mineral de-
posits. Nor is there any question but
that this liberal policy FASTENED the
building OF a mighty empire in the
west by many decades and made re-
turns in wealth and taxes to the gov
eminent far beyond all expectations.
1t is now proposed to reverse this
policy, at least in part, and instead of
granting patents to the lands remain
Ting in the public domain, for the gov
eminent to retain title In all, except
possibly that which is purely agricul-
tural. and to exact a royalty for its
private use. The great argument in
favor of this change is hat the coun-
try has now progressed to a point
where the pioneer WORK of settlement
and development is completed, and
what remains of this work will be done
In time without this munificence from
the government.
The plan recommended by President
Taft in his conservation message is,
first, to classify the public lands re-
naming subject to entry according to
their principal value or use," and while
disposing Of the agricultural lands as
heretofore, Ito reserve for other dispo-
sition the treasure of coal, oil, as
phaltum, natural gases and .phos-
pilates" To do this the title to the
surface will be separated from the
right to mine below or to exhaust nat
ural resources, and while agricultural
land would still be sold, the coal and
other minerals would be disposed of
by lease on the royalty basis" subject.
of course, to requirements of a certain
amount of development each year and
safeguards against combination for
monopoly. The difficulty of framing
a law 80 as II retain government con-
troll over property developed by pri-
vate capital, without frightening away
the investment of necessary capital, is
foreseen by the president, who says it
may therefore be necessary to enact
laws that are really only experimental
to determine from practical operation
the best method Of securing the result
aimed at.
The change from the system of sale
to that of royalty is the, essence of the
so-called Roosevelt policy of conserva-
ton, to which Mr.. Taft is committed
and which he is consistently advocat-
ing. 1t is such a radical change that,
naturally, those charged with the re-
sponsibility for making it want to feel
their way carefully and avoid unnec-
essary mistakes, that would jeopardize
private rights legally acquired, or block
the further development of the coun-
try and have to be undone later.
There is one other side to this pro-
posed change of policy deserving of
passing attention, and that is the rela-
ton of the public domain to the states
in which located. So long as the title
of these lands remains in the govern
ment they are exempt from taxation,
and If the royalty plan had prevailed
from the first and we're applied to all
the lands many states would never
have acquired any large area of tax
| able real estate. II the government is
to stop future sales and resort to
ground leases and royalties, provision
should be made at the same time to
give the respective states some equiva-
lent for the from taxes they
will be compelled to forego.