The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-07


 that coal measures under 25oo acres oi
 surface. would be too large an amour.
 to lease to any one lessee.
 2. That the law should provide the
 same separation in respect to government
 phosphate lands of surface and mineral
 rights that now obtains in coal lands and
 that power to lease such lands on terms
 and limitations similar to those above rec
 commended for coal leases, with an added
 condition ena bling the government to reg
 ulate. and, if need he, to prohibit tha
 export to foreign countries of the prod-
 uct.
 1. That the law should allow a pros-
 pector for oil or gas to have the right 10
 prospect for two years over a certain
 tract of government land, the right to
 be evidenced by a license for which he
 shall pay a small sum, and that upon
 discovery lease may be granted upon
 terms securing a minimum rental and
 proper royalties to the government and
 also the conduct of the oil or gas well in
 accord with the best method for hus-
 banding the supply of oil in the dis trict The period of the lease should not
 be as long as those of coal, but they should contain similar provisions as 10
 assignment to prevent monopolistic com
 binations.
 5 That waterpower sites be. directs ly leased by the federal government after advertisement and bidding. for not ex-
 cecding 50 years upon a proper rental and with a condition fixing rates charged to the public for the units of electric power. both rental and rates to be feadjusted equitably every ten years by arbitration
 or otherwise with some suitable provt- sions against assignment to prevent mo- nopoistic combinations Or that the law shall provide that upon application made by the authorities of the state where the aterpower site is situated it may be natented to the state on condition that the state shall dispose Of it under terms 1 like those just described and shall enforce those terms upon failure to comply with the condition, the water power site and all the plant and improvement on the site shall be forfeited and revert to ths United States the President being the power to declare the forfeiture and to di- | rect legal proceedings for its entofcs- = men: Either of these methods would' | I think, accomplish the proper public pur- pose in respect to water power sites, put l one or the other should be promptly | adopted.
 | I earnestly urge upon Congress that az | this session general conservation legisia- l ton of the character indicated be adop.- | cd At it's last session this Congress tooh
 most useful and proper steps in the cause | of conservation by allowing the Exeeu- | tive. through withdrawals, to suspend the action of the existing laws in respect to 1 much of the public domain. l have noe | thought that the danger of disposing or l coal lands in the United States under ths
 ,resent laws in large quantities was so
 great as to call for their withdrawal, De- | cause under the present provisions IL IS | reasonably certain that the government | will receive the real value of the iano, l Isut. in respect to oil lands, or phosphate | lands and of gas lands in the United | States, and in respect to coal lands lia | Alaska, have exercised the full power or withdrawal with the hope that the action of Congress would follow promp''y anu