Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1910-01-21

emergencies they arise
Properly TO Classify Lands.
One of the most pressing needs in
The matter of public-land reform is
that lands should be classified accord
ing TO their principal value use, This
ought to b. done by that or department
whose force is best adapted to that
work It should be done by the inter-
TOR department through the geological
survey Much Of confusion. fraud. and
contention which has existed In the
present has arisen from the lack OF
Ar aficiai and dat"rHi native classiA /
cation Of the public lands and their |
contents.
IL - now proposed 10 dispose Of ag !
-icuItural lands as such. and at the |
So me iftne to reserve for other disposi |
ton the treasure ~ coal oil. ashphal- |
tuui. natural gas and phosphate con
tanned therein. This may be best Ar-
,omplished by separating the right
to mine from the title 10 the surface
giving the necessary use of SO much ~
the latter may he required for the
| extraction of the deposits. The sur
| face might ne disposed ~ as agrtcul-
| tmrai land under the general agrtcul-
i furai statutes while the coal or other
| mineral could be disposed of by lease
| on royalty basis. with the provisions
| requiring a certain amount Of develop
ment each year: and In order TO pre-
| vent the and cession OF said lands
| with others of similar character so al
| to constitute q monopoly forbidden by
| law. the lease should contain suitable
| interest of persons participating In
such monopoly Such law should APP
| ply to Alaska as well to the United
States
Statute DifFieuis 20 Frame
IT Is exceedingly dimcult TO frame
a statute 20 retain government control
over property TO be developed by
private capital In such a manner as
| TO secure the governmental purpose
| and at the same time not brighten
away the investment OF the necessary
| capital Hence. 10 may be necessary
by laws that really only expert
mental to determine from their prac-
teal operation what Is the best
method of securing the result aimed at
The extent of the value of phosphate
is hardly realized. and with the need
that there will be for II as the years
| roll and the necessity for fertiliz-
/ ing the land shall bscome more acute.
; | this will be a product which will prob
! | ably attract the greed OF monopollsts
Public Land Along Streams.
{ with respect TO the public land
which lies along the streams Offering
opportunity to convert water power
| into fFansmfssfble electricity, another
important phase of the public land
question is presented. There are val
liable water power sites through all
the public land states. The opinion
2 Is held that the transfer of sovereignty
y from the federal government to the
: territorial governments as they become
: states included the water power IN
: the rivers except so far that owned
a by riparian propriet0rs- I DO mol
. | think il necessary To go into discussion
a of this somewhat mooted question oil
law II seems to me sufficient to say
:, that the man who owns and controls
: the land along the stream from Whicf
!. the mower So to he converted and trans
: tnitted owns land which is indispens
abie To- the conversion and use or tina
:, pawar cannot conceive how thu
a. power in stream ms flowing through pun
- lie Lands can he made available az Al
= except by using the land itself as tn
n site for the construction OF the plan
u by which the power Is generated an
y converted and securing a right OF wa!
:. ! thereover for transmission lines. Tn
p der these condition. If the government
: owns the adjacent land--indeed. " tn
. government IS tue riparian owner
= may control the use If the water powe
= by imposing proper conditions on IN
re disposition of the land necessary In tn
creation ana Utilization OF the waite
ns Value Of Water Power.
or The development VA electrical appl
M an,..s for the conversion Of the waite
n power INTO electricity 70 be transmitte
he long distances has progressed so far tina
er II iN Ia. longer probenaticaf. hut y Is
K ,er,ai.. inference that IN the future III
or newer ii the water falling in the stream
N 10 a large extent will take the place
n natural fuels IT, the disposition OF n
10 domain ALREADY granted many Watt
o'~ oower sif-s nave come under aDsolu'
IL. ownership. AMI may dftt into one owl
N arsnIn go that att the water power undo
ne private ownership ~Ent be a m"nopoi
IN IT, haweeeT. the water power sites no
70 ow ned by the government and there al
ne enough Of them--shaii 10" disposed OF
ne private perSonS for tho Investment
y Their capital such a WIN as to preVc
their union for purposes Of monopo
me with other water power sites and nnd
or | conditions that shall limit the right Of u
On to not exceeding thirty years with renew
las | priv iieger atd Some equitable means
Ior fixing terms Of rental and with prop
| fOT
re uatpd rental. u would seem entirely %
na sihie to prevent the absorption OF the
V< most useful lands Ivy "A pawer monopo
ore As long as the government retains cn
troll and prevent iheIr Improper UNI
aug with other plants. competition must
maintained and prices kcrf reasonah e
"a Soils Must BE Conserved.
are In considering The conservation OF (
ern natural resources Of the country. the Il
bile tire mat transcsnds all others. inclndi
on weeds waters minerals. ~ the soil Of
m country. II il Incumbent upon the e
to eminent TO foster by all available mes
lon the resources OF the country That prod
on the food OF the people To this end
the conservation OF the soils OF the coun
1tch shnuid be cared for With all means at
of governments disposal Their product
wer powers should nave the attention of
ith- scientists that We may conserve the n
ting soils improve the old soils. drain
zion soils ditch swamp soils teVee river ov
,uld flow soils grow trees on thin soils. o
asts | ture hillside soils rotate crops on
wer soils discover nethoas TOT cropping
OF land soils. md grasses ana iesumes
ress | all soils. feed grains and mill feeds
ecu the farms where they originate. that
ndt- soils from which they come may pc
not riehed.
neu- a work CT the utmost Importance to
ues form and instruct the public on thls q
= to branch OF the conservation or our
1 of sources is being carried on successf'
/ is In the department OF agriculture: bu
tute. ought not to escape public attention
hch state action in addition TO that OF the
the partment of agriculture fas for insta
use In the drainage OF swamp 1ands1 Is
,rar- sentiai to the best treatment of the 9
mis-. In the manner above Indicated