The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-06


milton by Congress Of the great
achievement Of Robert Edwin Peary.
DEPARTMENT or the INTERIOR.
Appeals to csvrt In Lane casss.
The secretary Of the interior recorii-
hIends n change Of the law In respect
to the procedure In adjudicattng claims
Tor lands. by which appeals cat, be
taken from the decisions of the aepart-
lnent to the Iourt OF Appears Oh the
Dis,flct OF Coluinpla for u juaicial con-
slderation Of the rights OF tue ciaiin-
Conservation.
The subject "a the conservation of
the puDiic DOMAIN mas coin.naiiaea
the attention ef the people within the
lust ,ao or three years.
aAAElcli.urat Lands.
There L. 40 heeu Tor rauicai reform
in the metnoas of ufsposins of what
are realty agricultural janus. the
present laws nave worked well. The
enlarged homestead law mas encour-
aseu the successful farming Of lands
in the semi-arid regions.
kcCsMsnutlOn.
The total sum s4.vauy accumulated
i'll the tunu prosiueu ny the act for
the Reclamation OF arid iands IL ABOUT
$es,a4s,yos.se, anu OF inns, all out
$b,.4I.o3s..s mas been allotted to the
various projects, OF when there art
Thirty.
III september last a conservation
conefess was heta at ot. Paul. at wnlcn
i ueilsereu an address, on the suuJeet
OF Nonsef. alton. 50 tar as IL was wltn-
IN the jurisdiction ana possible action
of tne feuerai ernment. In that
aao.ess / asseai.iea tro,n the ofiieIai
re.ofas the Statistics ana ia.ts as TO
what nad neen uone In TINS oehdnt iii
txtr
anu III M. own ana iuuivateu the ie2-
isiatl,e measures Wnlen i peileteu to
be wise In orueI to urc the lest use,
Iii the puniie in,e.est, OF wat r..
mains OF our NATIONAL domain. There
Was In this aa.fvss a very fuil ais
cnssiou of tne reasons Nnivn lea me IL
the eonsiuslons stated. For the pur
pose ~ sa ,ihs ain ofnt tai record
Goa. Ffti.e nsi.e resume OF the stats
ues aIsa taets sAti.eiea win some ap
Heets3 AZ tiiat aaoiess, AHA To avn
theti itpeation IN tne Doay OF this
nitssase. venture to make the a..
di.as an accompanying appendix. The
st-A.s1, are corrected 10 November
ID last
-sa.<tfic lions.
or tue reasons s.d.tu iii the con-
SET. alton auuress 4 recommends.
iist. lhat the limitation now I'M
posed npop the executive wnien for
ulus MIN reset ins more forest lands
IN oregon, washington, iaaho, Mon-
tsi.a, .oieraao ahu Wyoming. he re-
peIleu
second. That the coal deposits of
TIL. gov eminent leased after au-
seftiseMeht inviting temp. t4ti.e bids
Tor .erHis not Exceeding liI1y years,
with a minimum rental ana royalties
upon the coai mined, to he reaoJustea
every ten or twelve years, and with,
coh.itlons as TO maintenance when
will secure proper miiin4 and as 70
assi.nment when wiit pre- ~nt combs
nations 10 monepoiize control of the
coal IN any one uIstriet or market. l
DO not think mat coai measures under
2toVe acres OF surface would be too
la III amount to lease IL any one
lessee.
-. j. That the law should provide
the same separation IA respect 10 xo.-
efhn-nt phosphate lands. of surface
anu mineral rlshts tnat now oD.sias
in eoai ialias. anu that power to lease
snsh fanos upon terms and limitations
similar To those above recommended
Tor Noal leases, with an auaea oonui-
lion enabling thu government to reg
maze. ana, II need be, 10 prohibit
The export 70 foreign countries OF the
rrouuet.
earnestly urge upon Congress
that at this session general conscr-
Nation legislation OF the character In
dfeated be adopted. AT Its last ses-
zion this Congress took most useful
ana proper steps IN the cause Of con-
sertatipn ny allowing the executive.
Through Withdrawals. to suspend the
action of the existing laws IN respect
To much OF the pubic domain.
Fourth. That tho laws should al
~" prospeetor for oil or gas TO
have the right to prospect for two
years over certain tract OF land.
the right n be esiaenced hy license
Tor which he shall pay small sum.
and that upon discovery, lease may
b. granted upon terms securing a
minimum rental and proper royalties
to the government, AID also the con-
euet Of the oil or ga. well IN ac
cord with the best method for hus-
handing the supply of oil in the dis
frict. The period af the leases should
not be as long az those OF coal, but
they should contain similar provisions
as To assignment TO prevent monopo-
Hsfie combinations.
Firth. That water power sites be
directly leased by the federal gov
eminent after advertisement and bid
ding, Tor not exceeding nifty years
upon proper rental, and with n
condition nxinE rates charged tn the
tueHe Tor units OF electric power.