The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-12-14
Workmen's Compensation.

III b system OF Tor INDUS
trial accidents to %supplant our present
thoroughly unsatisfactory system Of
employers liability. "a subject the i'm
portance of which congress has al
ready recognized by the appointment
OF a commission), I recommend that
the international congress on indus
trial insurance be invited to hold it's
meeting in 1918 in Washington and
that an appropriation of $4,000 be
made to v the necessary expenses
of organizing and carrying on the
meeting.
The protection of railroad employees
from personal injury is a subject of
the highest Importance and demands
continuing attention.
I also renew my recommendation
that steps be taken looking to the
holding of a negro exposition in cele-
bration of the f1ftieth anniversary of
the issuing by Mr.. Lincoln of the
emancipation proclamation.
Conservation.
Nothing can be more important in
the matter of conservation than the
treatment of our forest lands. Speak
ing generally, the government has re.
served of the existing forests about 70
per cent of all the timber lands of the
government. Within these forests Tin.
GLIDING $4,000, 900 acres in two forests
in Alaska) are 1872, 900, 900 acres, of
which 166, OOO, 900 acres are in the
United States proper and include with
in their boundaries something like
$4,000, 900 acres that belong to the
states or to private individuals. We
have, then, excluding Alaska forests,
a total of about 144, 0O0, 900 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-. 1 am informed by
the department of agriculture that the
government WINS other tracts of tim
Der land in these states which should
be included in the forest reserves. l
recommend to congress that the limi-
tation herein imposed be repealed.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 the Unit;
ed States amounting to 5,476,000 acres.
and there were withdrawn from entry
for purposes of classification II, 1861, 600
acres. Since that time there have been
withdrawn by my order from entry
for classification 1897, 745 acres, max.
ing a total withdrawal of 96,844,745
acres. Meantime of the acres thus
withdrawn 1O,O61, 1889 have been classi
fed and found not to contain coal and
have been restored to agricultural en-
try and 4,726,091 acres have been elias
sified as coal lands, while 79,903,23
acres remain withdrawn from entry
and await classification. In addition
$4,000 acres have been classified as
coal lands without prior withdrawal
thus increasing the classified coal lands
to 1O,429,372 acres.
The question as to how great an
area ought to be included in a lease tc
one individual or corporation is not
free from difficulty, but in view of the
fact that the government retains con
troll as owner l think there might be
some liberality in the amount leased
and that $500 acres would not be toe
great a 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 his
report the objections in order that the
whole subject may be presented te
congress-, but after a full consideration
I favor a leasing system and recon-
mend it.
The needed oil and gas law is essen.
TALLY a leasing law. In their natura,
occurrence oil and gas cannot be
measured in terms of acres, like coal
and it follows that exclusive title to
these products can normally be Sc
cured only after they reach the sur
face. OIL should be disposed of as q
commodity in terms of barrels Of
~transportable product rather than in
acres of real estate.
Water Power Rates.
The water power sites subject is one
that calls for legislation. 1t 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 evi.
dence Of this or lack of it, at present
we have had enough experience to
know that combination would be prof.
table, and the control Of a great mum.