Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-12-07

limitation Of the days work to eight
hours in all works of construction initi-
ated by itself, and it seems to me IL
logical to maintain difference between
government work done on government
! soil and government work done in a
private establishment.
Workmen's Compensation.
In view of the keen, widespread in
| terest now felt in the United States in
a system of compensation for indus
trial accidents to supplant our present
thoroughly unsatisfactory system Of
employers liability Ca subject the i'm
portance of which congress has al
ready recognized by the appointment
of a commission), | recommend that
the international congress on indus
trial insurance be invited to hold it's
meeting in 1913 in Washington and
that an appropriation of $4,000 be
made to cover the necessary expenses
of organizing and carrying on the
meeting.
Safety Appliances and Provisions.
The protection of railroad employees
the highest Importance and demands
continuing attention.
Negro Exposition.
| also renew my recommendation
that steps be taken looking to the hold
ing of a negro exposition in celebra-
ton of the fftieth anniversary of the
issuing by Mr. Lincoln of the emanci-
| 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 the
government. Within these forests Gn-
Guiding 100000 acres in two forests
in Alaska) are 192OOO,OOO acres, Of
which 166,O00,O0O acres are in the
United States proper and include with
in their boundaries something like o.
100000 acres that belong to the states
or to private individuals. We have,
then, excluding Alaska forests, a total
of about 144,OOO,OOO acres of forests
belonging to 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
gon, Washington, Idaho, Montana.
Colorado and Wyoming except by
act of congress. am informed by
the department of agriculture that the
berland in these states which should
be included in the forest reserves.
recommend to congress that the limi-
tation herein imposed be repealed.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 to
homestead entry
Coal Lands.
The next subject, and one most i'm
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 900
acres. Since that time there have been
Withdrawn by my order from entry
for classification 1897, 745 acres, max
ing total withdrawal of 96,S44,745
acres Meantime of the acres thus
withdrawn 10,061 ,S89 have been CLASH
fed and found not to contain coal and
have been restored to agricultural en-
4Yry A
sifed as coal lands, while 79,903, 239
acres remain withdrawn from entry
and await classification. In addition
337, 600 acres have been classified as
coal lands without prior withdrawal.
| thus increasing the classified coal lands
to 10,429,372 acres.
The question as to how great an
area ought to 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 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. I entirely
approved his stating at length in his
report the objections in order that the
whole subject may be presented to
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 be
measured in terms of acres, like COAL
and it follows that exclusive title to
these products can normally be Sc
cured only after they reach the sur
face. Oil should be disposed Of as a
commodity in terms of barrels of
tranSDOrta BILE nrOduct rather than in