The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-12-14


OF a commissions. | recommend that
the international congress on indus
trial Insurance be invited TO hold its
meeting In 1913 in Washington and
that an appropriation OF SlO.OOO be
made to cover the necessary expenses
of organizing and CARRYING on the
meeting.
Safety Appliances and Provisions.
The protection of railroad employees
from personal injury is subject OF
the highest Importance and demands
continuing attention.
Negro Exposition.
i also renew my tion
that steps be taken looking to the hold
ing of negro exposition in celebra
ton Of the tiftieth 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 70
per cent OF all the timberlands Of the
government Within these forests Gin.
Guiding 26.000,O0O acres in two forests
In Alaska) are 192.OOO,OOO acres, of
which 166,000.000 acres are in the
United States proper and include with
In their boundaries something like %.
100000 acres that belong to the states
or to private individuals We have.
then, excluding Alaska forests. a total
of about 144.00O.0OO 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
government owns other tracts of tim
berland In these states which should
be included in the forest reserves. |
recommend to congress that the limi.
tation herein imposed he repealed.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 I'm 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and there were withdrawn from entry
Tor purposes Of classification II 1857, 900
acres. Since that time there have been
withdrawn by my order from entry
for classification 7S.977,745 acres, max
ing a total withdrawal of 96,S44,74
acres. Meantime of the acres thus
withdrawn 1O.061 $3.50 have been classi.
ned and found not to contain coal and
have been restored to agricultural en-.
try and 4.726.091 acres have been clas.
sified as coal lands. while 70.9O3 .239
acres remain Withdrawn from entry
and await classification. In addition
337 1000 acres have been classified as
coal lands without prior withdra wal,
thus increasing the classified coal lands
to 10.429.372 acres.
The question as TO how great an
area ought 10 be included in 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 think there might be
some llberality I'm 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. | entirely
approved his stating at length in his
report the objections in order that the
whole subject may be presented to
congress. but after full consideration
l favor a leasing system and recon.
mend it,
The needed oil and gas law is essen
tally leasing law In their natural
occurrence oil and gas cannot be
measured In terms of acres. like coal.
and Ii 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
transportable product rather than in
acres Of real estate
Water Power Rates.
The water power sites subject is one
that calls for new legislation. 1t has
been thought that there was danger
or combination to obtain possession Of
all the power sites and to unite them
under one control. Whatever the evi-
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 great num-
Der OF power sites would enable the
nOldcrS or owners to raise the price