The Springfield herald., 1910-01-21


tion us to what the executive is to
do Is under the. circumstances full of
difficulty. 1t seems to me that 1t is
the duty of congress now. by statute.
to validate the Withdrawals which
have been made by the secretary of the
Interior and the president and to use
the secretary of the Interior tcmpornr-
lily to withdraw lands pending submis-
to legislation to meet conditions or
emergencies as they arise.
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. 1 do not
think II necessary to go into discussion
of this somewhat mooted question of
law. II seems to me xufhcient TO say
that the mun who owns and controls
the land along the stream from which
the power is to be converted and trans
mitted, owns land which is indispens-
able to the conversion and use OF that
power. cannot conceive how the
lie lands can be made available at all
except by using the land itself as the
site for the construction of the plant
by which the power ir generated and
converted and securing right of way
thereover for transmission lines. IN
der these condition, IL the government
owns the adjacent land-indeed. IL the
government is the riparian owner-!t
may control 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 80 far that
II is no longer problemntical. but 1t is q
certain Inference that in the future the
power of the water falling in the streams
to n 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
ersh.p so that all the water power under
private ownership shall be monopoly.
IT. however. the water power sites now
owned by the goyernment-and there are
enough of them-shall be disposed of to
private persons for the investment of
their capital in such way as to prevent
their union for purposes of monopoly
with other water power sites. and under
conditions that shall limit the right of use
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
uatcd rental, 1t would seem entirely pos
sible to prevent the absorption OF these
most useful lands by a power monopoly.
As long as the government retains con-
troll and prevent their improper union
with other plants, competition must be
maintained and prices kept reasonable.
Soils Must 30 Conserved.
In considering the conservation of the
natural resources of the country. the fea-
ture that transcends nlI 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 country 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 all
soils. discover methods for cropping dry
land soils. find 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 1t
ought not to escape public attention that
state action In addition to that of the de-
partment OF agriculture (as for Instance
in the drainage of swamp lands) is es-
sential to the best treatment OF the soils
in the manner above indicated.
The act by which, in semi-arid parts of
the public domain. the area of the home-
stead has been enlarged from 100 to 800
acres has resulted most benefcially ~
the extension of dry farming and in
the demonstration which has been made
of the possibility. through variation In
the character and mode of culture, of
raising substantial crops without the
presence of such supply of water as
has been heretofore thought to be neces-
sary for agriculture.
No one can visit the far west and the
country OF arid and semi-arid lands with
out being convinced that this Is one of
the most important methods of the con-
servation of our natural resources that
the government has entered upon. 1t
would appear that over 80 projects have
been undertaken. and that few of
these are likely to be unsuccessful be-
cause OF lack of water. or for other rea-
sons. but generally the work which has
been done has been well done. and many
Important engineering problems have
been met and solved.
Funds Inadequate for Service.
One of the difficulties which has
arisen is that too many projects in
view of the available funds have been
| set on foot. The funds available under
| the reclamation statute are inadequate
| to complete these projects within n
reasonable time. And yet the projects
have been begun; settlers have been
/ invited to take up and. in many in
! stances. have taken up. the putHic land
within the projects. relying upon their
| prompt completion. The failure to
| complete the projects for their benefit
| is. in effect, breach of faith and
| leaves them in n most distressed con-
| dition. ! urge that the nation ought
| to afford the means to lift them out OF
| the very desperate condition in which
| they now are.
| This condition does not indicate any
excessive waste or any corruption on
| the part of tho reclamation service. II
| only indicates an over-zealous desire
| to extend the benefit of reclamat ion
| to as many acres and as many states
| as possible. I recommend. therefore,
| that authority be given to issue. not
| exceeding s30.0O0.OO0 of bonds from
| time to time. as the secretary of the
| interior shall find it necessary. the
| proceeds to be applied to the compile
ton of the projects already begun ana