The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-03-16


The burnt-over and barren lands
outside the agricultural land should
be immediately reforested
Mining rights in national forests
should not he abridged. ana miners
should be entitled to timber for build
ings. mining and milling purposes on
their mineral locations free OF charge.
and from the forest at a minimum OF
cost
Reclamation of Arid Lands.
Steps should be promptly taken to
determine where and when the Carey
or other acts or private capital can
equally well reclaim and water arid
lands, when the federal government
should. if required, undertake the sur
vey and plating of said land and aid
in securing title to water supply, at
actual cost of same, to be paid in
cash or on installmonts.
Where private capital has been in
vested in an irrigation project before
the territory embraced in the pro-
jcct or the water supply therefore be
taken from the owners or claimants,
proper compensation should be rend-
cred for same; nor should such rights
said owners or claimants unless 1t be
clearly shown that it is necessary to
the operation of larger project, and
then only after proper hearing.
Water Power and Sites.
Definition of the law of navigabe
waters, or streams, as applied to water
powers and water power sites, should
include no stream except such as are
actually susceptible of navigation by
steamboats,. and only such portions
of said streams as are navigable.
Where water power exists or may be
developed claimants of such power
should be enabled to condemn the
land abutting for necessary buildings
and other improvements and rights of
way to said sites.
Water powers should be controlled,
developed and operated under laws
of the states in which they are sit
uate
No water powers or water power
sites on public domain should be
withdrawn or leased by the federal
government, but such power sites
should be sold to applicants, subject
to the laws of the state in which the
lands are located.
Coal Lands on Public Domain.
The price should be fixed at $40 per
acre, and upon payment of that price,
in cash or upon equitable terms, sub
ject to the laws of the state in which
the land lies, as to taxes or royalties,
title should pass.
Provided: Where the locator or
claimant valves title to the soil and
reserves the coal, or valves title to
the underground and claims the soil
only, then the price for the one right
should be placed at an equitable pro-
portion of the $40 per acre, and the
remaining right should be disposed of
for the remainder of the $40 per acre,
and state laws as to taxes and royal
ties on the coal should still be opera
tive.
The present laws relating to loca-
ton of coal lands should remain in
force, except as hereabove provided,
and further that the consolidation of
more than 5000 acres under one own
ership or association should not be
permitted.
Minerals Other Than Coal.
Except lode minerals and gold
placefS, SeUll- pTeClOuS anu pltNlouS
stones, which should still be located
and operated under the laws now in
force, title to.
Oils, gas, bitumens, phosphates, fos-
sis, iron ores, clay beds, limestone,
building and ornamental stone and
other mineral deposits not mentioned.
should revert to the state in which
they are located or exist.
Without entering contest, upon APP
plcation for patent, a competent rep
resentative of the federal government
should accompany the applicant to
the mineral claim for which applica-
ton is made and should there make
an examination to determine the
character of the mineral showing and
the work done by which patent is
sought, upon which affidavit should
be made.
Under no circumstances should the
surface be separated from the under
ground, nor lease nor royalty be ex-
acted by the federal government.
Equitable state laws should be en-
acted to govern location and opera
ton of mineral claims on state lands,
and taxes should be based upon acre
age and net production in all cases
where title is to pass or has passed
to private ownership.