Evening journal., 1910-12-06

mems bank b. recognized and paid by
the passage OF the pending bill on that
subject.
Negro Exposition.
also renev my recommendation
that steps be taken looking TO the hold
ing Of a ~egro exposition in celebra-
tion of the fiftieth anniversary of the
issuing by Mr.. Lincoln Of the enamel
patton proclamation.
Conservation.
Nothing can be more important in
the matter of conservation than the
treatment Of our forest lands. Speak
ing generally, the government has re-
served Of the existing forests about 20
per cent Of all the timberlands Of tho
government. Within these forests lin.
cluding 26O0o, 600 acres in two forests
IN Alaska are 192.0o0,OoO acres. OF
which 16600O,00O acres are in the
United States proper and include with
in their boundaries something like To-
100000 acres that belong to the states
or TO private individuals. We have,
then, excluding Alaska sorests, total
Of about 144OOO.O0O acres OF forests
belonging 10 the government which
are being treated In accord with the
principles Of scientific forestry.
The law now prohibits the reserva-
ton Of any more forest lands in Ore
gou, Washington. Idaho, Montana.
Colorado and Wyoming except by
act Of congress. ! am informed by
the department of agriculture that the
government owns other tracts of tim
borland In these states which should
| be included I'm the forest reserves.
recommend 10 congress that the liml.
tation herein imposed be repealed. In
the present forest reserves there are
lands which are not properly forest
land and which ought TO be subject 10
homestead entry.
Coal Lands.
The next subject, and one most Inn
portant for your consideration, is the
disposition OF the coal lands in the
United States and in Alaska. At the
beginning OF this administration there
were classified coal lands in the Unit
ed States amounting to 5.476.OOO acres,
and there were withdrawn from entry
for purposes of classification 1857 600
acres Since that time there have been
withdrawn by my order from entry
for classification 7s,977,745 acres, maxi
ing total withdrawal Of 96,S44,145
acres. Meantime Of the acres thus
withdrawn i0.O61 ,ss9 have been classl-
iied and found not to contain coal and
have been restored TO agricultural en-
try and 4,726,09l acres have been clas-
sihed as coal lands. while 79,9O3. .239
( acres remain withdrawn from entry
and await classification. In addition
33I. 600 acres have been classified as
coal lands without prior Withdrawal.
thus increasing the classified coal lands
10 10,l29,372 acres.
The question as TO how great an
area ought 10 be included in a lease to
; one individual or corporation is not
free from difficulty. but In view Of the
fact that the government retains con-
troll as owner I think there might be
some liberality in the amount leased
and that $500 acres would not be too
great a maximum. The leases should
only be granted after advertisement
and public competition.
The secretary Of the interior thinks
there are difficulties in the way of
leasing public coal lands / entirely
approved his stating at length In his
. report the objections IN order that the
whole subject may be presented 10
congress. but after a full consideration
/ favor a leasing system and recon-
mend IT,
The needed oil and gas law is essen
TALLY a leasing law. In their natural
occurrence oil and gas cannot ba
measured in terms OF acres, like coal.
and It follows that exclusive title IA
these products can normally be se.
cured only after they reach the sur.
face. OH should be disposed Of as a
commodity In terms of barrels Of
transportable product rather than in
acres Of real estate.
Water Power Rates.
The water power sites subject is ona
that calls for new legislation. It has
been thought that there was danger
of combination to obtain possession Of
all the power sites and to unite them
under one control. Whatever the evil
dence Of this or lack of It. at present
we have had enough experience to
know that combination would be prof.
liable, and the control Of a great mum.
, Der Of power sites would enable tho
holders or owners to raise the price
of power at viii within certain Sec
tons. and the temptation would
promptly attract investors, and the
danger of monopoly and extortion
? would not be a remote one.
However this may be. it IS the plain
e duty of the government to see to It
{ that in the utilization and develop
ment Of all this immense amount Of
water power conditions shall be i'm.
q posed that will prevent extortionate
Z charges, which are the usual accompa-
, niment of monopoly.
Mint Jelly.