The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-01-21


He said that the power of tie sec
rotary of the interior to make with
drawals of the public lands is not now
either definite or satisfactory, adding:
cit seems to me that it is the duty
of congress now, by statute, to vail
date the Withdrawals that have been
made by the secretary Of the interior
to withdraw lands pending the submis-
sion to congress of recommendations
as to legislation to meet conditions or
emergencies as they arise.
He recommends that surface and
sub-surfarce rights be separated so IS
to allow the entry under the agricul-
tural laws of the surface and the retenz
ton by the gcvssnment Of coal or otA8r
mineral deposits beneath public lands.
He suggests that the mining of coal
be allowed on royalty basis, requir
ing certain amount of development
yearly, and says:
Frightening Capital
cit is extremely difficult to retain
government control over property to
be developed by private capital in such
manner as to secure governmental
protection, and at the same time not
brighten away the investment of the
necessary capital. l."
The president says that he will not
20 into a discussion of the moOted
question as to whether water rights in
streams flowing through government
lands belong to the federal or state
government for disposition, but ex-
presses the belief that the federal
government, through the ownership
of the land necessary to develop these
water rights, can impose restrictions.
''Under these conditions" he says,
eff the government owns the adjacent
lands, it may control the use Of the
water power by imposing proper re-
strictions on the disposition Of the
land necessary in the creation and util-
ization of the water power.
He recommends that all water power
sites be disposed of in such way as
to prevent their union for monopoly,
and with the Limitation for the right
of use to SO years, with provisions
fixing terms for renewal, and within
proper means Of determining q rea-
sonable, graduated rent"
Nothing GU Rates
He does not touch the question of the
regulation of rates, saying:
GAS long as the government retains
control, and can prevent their impro-.
per union for monopoly with other
plants, competition must be maintained
and prices kept reasonable. :"
He recommends the conservation OF
soils being carried on by the depart
ment of agriculture and criticises the
reclamation services, saying that some
of the projects in the west are likely
to fall because of lack of water and
that too many projects were set on foot
for the amount of money on hand.
He says that settlers have been invited
to take up supposedly reclaimed lands,
and now find that they have no water.
''The failure to complete these pro-
jects for their benefit is in fact q
breach of faith" the president says,
land leaves them in most distressed
condition This condition does not in
dictate any corruption on the part of
the reclamation service. It only in
dicates an overzealous desire to extend
the benfits Of reclamation to as many
states as possible. He then recon-
mends the issuance of bonds from
time to time, not exceeding $50, OOo,-
600, to provide for the completion of
these projects "What have said
is really an epitome of the recon-
mendations of the secretary Of the
interior in respect to the future conser-
walton of the public domain in his an
nual reports. President Taft con-
cludes:
'eHe has given attention to the nro-