Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-12-14

lands are permitted to be sold IL so
an acre: but the secretary Of the In.
terror has the power to fix maximum
price and to sell at that price.
AS one-third Of all the coal supply
Is held by the government, it seems
wise that It should retain such con.
troll over the mining and the sale as,
the relation Of lessor to lessee fur
nishes.
"The secretary Of the interior thinks
there are difficulties in the way Of
leasing public coal lands, which OBJ
3ecttons he has set forth in his re-
port. tho force Of which freely con.
cede. ! entirely approve his stating
at length in his report Of the objec-
tons In order that the whole subject
may be presented to congress, but
after Z full consideration, for the rea.
sons ! have given above. l favor q
leasing system and recommend it."
Water Power Sites.
Prior to March 4, 1909, there had
been, on the recommendation Of the
reclamation service, withdrawn from
agricultural entry, because they were
regarded as useful for power sites
which ought not to be disposed of as
agricultural lands, tracts amounting
to about 100000 acres. The with.
drawals were hastily made and in
cluded a great deal Of land that was
not useful for power sites. They were
intended to include the power sites
on 20 rivers In states. Since that
time 8.476. AZ acres have been re-
stored for settlement Of the original
100000 because they do not con-
tain power sites: and meantime. new
Withdrawals have been made which.
with other restoratiooS based upon
field examination, result In withdraw
ais at present effective Of 1,21S,356
acres on vacant public Land and 2o2.-
1877 acres on entered public land. or a
total Of 1,420.553 acres. These with
drawals made from time to time cover
all the power sites included In the
first Withdrawals and many more. on
Isl rivers and in IL states. The dis
position OF, these power siteR involves
one Of the most difficult questions pre-
scented in carrying out practical con-
servation.
'The subject is one that calls for
new legislation. It has been thought
that there was danger Of combination
to obtain possession of all the power
sites and to unite them under one
control. Whatever the evidence Of
this, or lack. Of it, at present We have
had enough experience to know that
combination would be profitable, and
the control of great number Of pow
er at will within certain sections.
However this may be, it is the
plain duty Of the government to see
to 1t that in the utilization and devel.
opment of all this immense amount
Of water power, conditions shall be
imposed that will prevent extortion.
ate charges, which are the usual &C
compartment Of monopoly.
1.-THE question Of conservation is
not a partisan one, and I sincerely
hope that even in the short time OF
the present session consideration may
be given to those questions which
have now been much discussed, and
that action may be taken upon them
Alaska.
with reference to tho government
Of Alaska, have nothing to add tc
the recommendations I made In my
last message on the subject. I am
convinced that the migratory charac
ter of the population, its unequal dis
tribution. and its small2ess of mum
Der. which the new census shows tc
be about $4,000. in relation to the
enormous expanse Of tho territory
make it altogether impracucable tc
give to those people who are II
Alaska today and may not be there 9
year hence. the power to elect a leg
| islature to govern an immense ter
ritory to which they have relation X
| little permanent"
Pensions.
THE uniform policy Of the govern
ment in the matter of granting pen
sions to those gallant and devoted
men who fought to save the life O
the nation in the perilous days Of thu
| great civil war, has always been O.
the most liberal character. Those
men are now rapidly passing away
The best obtainable official statistics
show that they are dying at the ratt
Of something over three thousand {
month. and, In view Of their advanc
ing years. this rate must inevitably IL
proportion. rapidly increase. To thu
man who risked everything on thu
field Of battle to save the nation IL
the hour Of it's direst need we owe {
debt which has not been and should
not be computed in q begrudging o,
parsimonious spirit"
Bureau Of Corporations.
Referring to the report Of the com
missioner Of corporations, the presi
dent says:
"Ihe commissioner dnds a condl
ton in the ownership Of tho standing
timber Of the United States other
than the government timber that calls
for serious attention. The direct in
vestigation made by the commissioner
covered an area which contains 60
per cent. Of the private1y-owned tim.
Der Of the country.
Ills report shows that one half OF
the timber In this area 10 owned by
200 individuals and corporations:
that II per cent. is owned by these
corporations, and that there is very