Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-04-03

LAWS WORRY
CONGRESS
REPUBLICANS BADLY
SPLIT IN PROBLEM


lsy Morning JourBal Special Isassd wireI
Washington. April members Of
both the house ana senate are stfug-
Cling with the question OF framing
laws to further the cause of conserNa-
tion Both houses Of congress have
been SO occupied that little attention
was paid to the subject until two or
three days ago. since Friday, how
ever. efforts have been made TO get
some Of the administration meats
urcs. dealing with conservation INTO
shape for presentation.
Thc public lands committee Of the
house has zone to pieces on the pro-
| posed law to authorize the president
| to make Withdrawals n classihca-
tons Of public lands n the mem
bcrs are now divided into several
groups each pulling in a different d.
rectiOn.
The chief questions which the legis-
| lators have to deal with in connec-
ton with conservation are embodied
in bills on the following SUBJECTS
Withdrawal ana classification Of
public lands.
Conservation Of coal lands.
Conservation of water power.
Conservation of oil lands.
Conservation of phosphat" lands.
The first four Will receive serious
ana earnest consideration, The bills
on the last named are likely to be lost
in the general fight on the others.
There are any number of bills pend
ing in congress upon all of these sub
jects and how best to harmonic them
and arrive at some mutual basis IS
the question.
President Taft will be drawn into
the lght and today he Informed
some of The members of the commit
too he desired to talk with them next
week in the interests on harmony.
IN the committee, the republican
| members are split upon the question
Of whether to validate all past with
draWals of public lands, about which
there is "a doubt ct legality or to leave
That to Il future determination Ivy the
courts.
Representative pickett. of Iowa,
REPRESENTATIVE Pasons of New York,
and Representative Gronna or North
Dakota. an republicans, are standing
firm for q valuation of past with
lrawals. Chairman MOndell of the
committee and Representative smith
of California. Morgan of oklahoma
and Pray of Montana are opposing the
FlltIi 10 AAlitltNi itANA NANiA'i fNHAF'
Their objection. they say, is that
thousands OF people have taken up
coal and oil lands and expended large
sums developing, in the belief that
the government Withdrawals We're il
legal Unless these claimants are
cared for, they win oppose a valida-
ton OF the Withdrawals.
The democratic members of the
committee say that the republican
members who want to qualify the val
idation are not for real conservation
at an, but are merely aiming at a
~ withdrawing Of the administration
on this question. They have introduce
ed a bin Of their own ON the subject.
senator Smoot last night called a
meeting to discuss the question Of oil
lands. 1t was attended by senators
Smoot. clark OF Wyoming. Hughes Of
Colorado. Chamberlain of Oregon,
Dixon Of Montana. Secretary Balling-
or. Representative Smith Of Cali
Tornln ana one or two others. The
meeting resulted in no definite agree
mont.
The details of "A bill to provide for
the boring for oil on public lands was
fully discussed disclosing widely di-
Nergcnt views. rhe length of lease,
payments, the matter of securing per
Nuts. an proved subjects Of disagree
ment.
The question of water poWer ON the
public domain is also fun of possible
clements Of dispute and il is sure to
cause plenty of trouble. a PROPOSE
tion to- turn over 60 the states the
matter of regulation Of granting OF
ways for power companies operating
ON the public domain Is said to be
meeting with general favor but there