The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1910-12-06

wells too closely adjacent or by the
prevention Of improper methods as en-
ployed by careless. ignorant or ire
sponstble operators In the same deld
which result In the admission Of water
to the oil sands. while. of course, the
consumer VIII profit BY whatever benz
ents the prospector or operator receives
In reducing the frst cost OF the OIL
Phosphate Lands.
Phosphorus Is one Of the three essen.
tdals to plant growth. the other ele-
ments being nitrogen and potash. OF
these three. phosphorus is by all odds
the scarcest element In nature 1t Is
easily extracted In useful form from
the phosphate rock. and the United
States contains the greatest known de-
posits OF this rock In the world. They
are found In Wyoming. Utah. Idaho
and Florida. as well as In South Caro-
lima. Georgia and Tennessee The gov
ernment phosphate lands are confined
to Wyoming. Utah, Idaho and Florida.
Prior to March 4, 1909. there were
~ 2oaS acres withdrawn from agricul-
tural entry on the ground that the
land covered phosphate rock. Since
that time 2.36a.1T6 acres Of the land
thus withdrawn We're found not to con-
tain phosphate in profitable quantities,
while l.6.S,0oo acres were classified
properly as phosphate lands.
During this administration there have
been withdrawn and classified 1859
acres. so that today there are classi-
fed as phosphate rock land 2.5l4. .laS
acres. This rock Is most important in
the composition OF fertilizers TO Inn
prove the soil. and as the future IL
certain to create an enormous demand
throughout this country for fertiliza.
tion the value to the public OF such
deposits rs these can hardly be exag-
geratcd.
Certainly with respect to these de.
posits careful policy of conservation
should be followed. Half OF the phos-
phate Of the rock that is mined in pri.
vate fields In the United States Is now
exported. As oNr farming methods
grow better the demand sfor the phos-
phate will become greater, and 1t must
be arranged so that the supply shall
equal the needs Of the country. II ID
uncertain whether the placer or lode
phate rock. There Is, therefore. neces-
sity for some definite and well consid-
cred legislation on this subject, and In
aid OF such legislation all Of the gov
ernment lands known to contain val
liable phosphate rock are now with
drawn from, entry
A law that would provide leasing
system for the phosphate deposits. to-
gether with a provision for the sep
aration OF the surface and mineral
rights as Is already provided for In the
case of coal. would seem to meet the
need OF promoting the development OF
these deposits and their utilization in
the agricultural lands of he west. II
1t Is thought desirable to discourage
the expectation of phosphate rock and
the saving of 1t for our own lands this
purpose could be accomplished by con-
ditions in the lease granted by the gov-
ernment to Its lessees.
OF course under the constitution the
government could not tax and could
not prohibit the expectation Of phos-
phate. bit as proprietor and owner OF
the lands IN which the phosphate is
deposited ii could impose conditions
upon the kind Of sales. whether for
eign or domestic, which the lessees
might make Of the phosphate mined.
The tonnag represented by the
phosphate lands in government owner
ship is very great. but the lesson has
been learned In the case Of such lands
that have passed into private owner
ship In South Carolina, Florida and
Tennessee that the phosphate deposits
there are in no sense inexhaustible.
Moreover It is also well understood
that in the process OF mining phos.
phate as it has been pursued much OF
the lower grade OF phosphate rock
which will eventually all be needed
has been wasted beyond recovery.
Such wasteful methods can easily b
prevented. 80 far as the government
land is concerned. by conditions in-
serted in the leases.
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 ~
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
twenty-n rivers In nine states.
Since that time 3,475,442 ncres have
been restored for settlement Of the
original 1000. 900 because they do not
contain power sites. and meantime
new Withdrawals have been made
which, with other restorations based
upon field examination. result In with
drawals at present effective Of l.ols.-
35S acres on vacant public land and
2O2, 197 acres on entered public land.
or a total Of 1.420.553 acres. These
Withdrawals made from time to time
cover all the power sites included In
the first Withdrawals and many more
on ISL rivers and in twelve states.
The disposition OF these power sites
involves one OF the most difficult ques-
tfons presented In carrying out prac-
ucal conservation.
The forest service. under a power
found In the statute, has leased q num-