Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-08-29

of lands included within the classes de-
| scribed. Much of the land reserved as
coal land is valuable for agriculture, and
therefore congress adopted an entirely
feasible ard useful plan by which the
homestead laws were applieg to the sur
face of the land, while the coal In the
| ground Is still reserved as the property
of the government. This Is a new de-
parture In our land laws and is highly to
be commended. In addition to his 1t was
| deemed necessary in order that certain re-
| clamation projects of the government
| should be completed within a reasonable
| time, that an issue of $50, 000, 900 bonds
| should be authorized with which to secure
| water for the settlers upon government
| lands within the promise Of the project,
\ the bonds to be redeemed by the water
| rents for the service rendered. In thls
| way hundreds of settlers who have been
| patiently waiting for the completion OF
| the projects and suffering great priVatioh
| will be rehabilitated, At the same tlme
| the law authorizing the bond issue pre-
| vents the expenditure of any of the pro-
| eeeds of the bonds In any of the projects
| until a board of army engineers shall re-
| port the same as WORTHY and feasible
| Moreover. additional provision has oeeh
| made In the appropriation laws for money
| with which to carry on surveys OF unsur-
| veyed public lands, a crying neeu IN eer-
| tain states and in Alaska. Thus II Is NOT
| too much to say that most important
| steps have been taken toward the proper
| conservation of our resources IN the IeglS-
| lation of the present congress Ihere
| remains to be considered and settlet 'he
| question of the method or dlsposlhs Vi
| these lands so that the government may
| retain sufficient control to prevent a mo-
.z..oI- H. +hoir and To secure the pup
| lie against extortion> for coal, OIL, gas
| phosphate or water power on the one
| hand. and vet may give to private capltal
| sufficient inducement to bring ABOUT a
| normal development of the wealth. con
| tanned in these lands to aid in the pu1id-
I ing up of the country. Neither the Demo
| Gratis of the house nor the Democrats OIL
| the senate as a body, although thelr pldt-
form formally declared In favor OF CON
servation, nave taken any active part OF
can be counte upon to assist materially
IN the solution of these complicated queS-
lions.
Another subject of pressing Importance
| Ia that of the Improvement Of our water
| Uavs The present congress has enacted
| a rivers and harbors bill, appropriating
! more than Sal, 900, 900 for the carrying out
Of a number of we'll defined plans for the
permanent Improvement OF rivers ana
! harbors within a certain perioa' anu III
. addition authorizing contracts TO De en-
tered into subject to future appropria-
tions by congress. a~ggregatlng over So
900, 900. The bill was subject to criticism
In that 1t still continued the old piecemea
system and appropriated something foi
nearly every project py 1lt
army engineers. 1t is hoped and believed
that in the next session and thereaftei
the engineers will SO make their recon-
mendations as TO indicate the projects o.
greater Importance, so that adeqaat'
sums may be appropriated for their com
pietion within a reasonably short tint
and the piecemeal policy OF extending thu
construction of improvements OF TIL
kind indefinitely for years may be aban
doned. -
Other Pledges Redeemed.
The Republican platform promised tina
It would admit to statehood the terri
tories of New Mexico and Arizona, an
that promise has been redeemed wit