The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1910-12-09
United States and Alaska. At the be-

United States and Alaska. At the be-
ginning OF this administration there
were withdrawn from entry for pur-
poses OF classification 1867, 900 acres.
Since that time there have been with
drawn by my order from entry for
classification 7S,977.745 acres, making
a total withdrawal Of 96,S44,745 acres.
Meantime of the acres thus with
drawn 1861 ,SS9 have been classified
and found not to contain coal and
have been restored to agricultural en-
try. and 4,726, 091 acres have been
classified as coal lands; while $685. 39 |
acres remain withdrawn from entry
and await classification. In addition
$4,000 acres nave cen classified as
coal lands without prior withdrawal.
thus increasing the classified coal
| lands to 10,429,372 acres.
Under the law providing for the
disposal of coal lands In the United
States, the minimum price at which
lands are permitted to be sold is $40
an acre; but the secretary of the In
terror has the power to fix a maximum
price and to sell at that price.
LAS one-third of all the coal supply
is held by the government, 1t seems
wise that it should retain such con-
troll over the mining and the sale as
the relation of lessor to lessee fur
nishes.
The secretary of the interior thinks
there are diff culties in the way of
leasing public Goa lands, which OBJ
iections he has set forth in his re-
port, the force of which l freely con
cede. entirely approve his stating
at length in his report Of the objec.
tons in order that the whole subject
may be presented to congress-, but
after a full consideration, for the rea.
sons l have given above, l favor a
leasing system and recommend it."
Water Power Sites.
Prior to March 4, 1909, there had
been, on the recommendation of the
reclamation service, withdrawn from
agricultural entry, because they were
regarded as useful for power sites
which ought not to be disposed Of as
: agricultural lands, tracts amounting
to about 1000, 900 acres. The with
drawals were hastily made and In
cluded a great deal Of land that was
e not useful for power sites, They were
u intended to include the power site
e on 20 rivers in 8 states. Since tha
time 3,475,442 acres have been re
l stored for settlement of the origina
Ii 4 1000, 900 because they do not col
1t tain power sites; and meantime, ne1
e Withdrawals have been made which
Il with other reservations based upo
field examination, result in Withdraw
ais at present effective of 1855
r. acres on vacant public land and POP
1877 acres on entered public land, or
,r total of 1,420, 553 acres. These wit
drawals made from time to time cove
all the power sites included in tt
first Withdrawals and many more, {
st ISL rivers and in IL states. The di
A.. position of these power sites involv'
as one of the most difficult questions pr
On scented in carrying out practical co
ut %servation.
a The subject Is one that calls t
IS new legislation. 1t has been thong
70 that there was danger of combinati'
to obtain possession Of all the pow
as sites and to unite them under Of
nv control. Whatever the evidence
es this, or lack of it, at present we ha
to had enough experience to know tn
a combination would be profitable, al
he the control Of a great number of Pc
we err at will within certain sections.
he However this may be, it is t
,se plain duty Of the government to S
til to it that in the utilization and dev
es- opment of all this immense amou
be- of water power, conditions shall
imposed that will prevent extortit
an ate charges, which are the usual
cir compartment Of monopoly.
it The question of conservation
not a partisan one, n l SINGER
hope that ever in the short time
re. the present session consideration N
led be given to those questions viii
the have now been much discussed, a
by that action may be taken upon ther
ex- Alaska.
lis with reference to the governm'
of Alaska, | have nothing to add
his the recommendations l made in
mi last message on the subject. |
We convinced that the migratory char
ter of the population, its unequal
tribution, and its smallness of nj
Der, which the new census shows
be about $4,000, in relation to
enormous expanse Of the terrific
make it altogether impracticable
give to those people who are
- Alaska today and may not be Their
year hence, the power to elect a
islature to govern an immense
ritory to which they have relation
rds little permanent"
Bureau Of Corporations.
Referring to the report of the CO
missioner Of corporations, the pr
voc lent says:
THE commissioner finds a col
49, ton in the ownership of the stand
timber of the United States OF
than the government timber that c.
for serious attention. The direct
vestigation made by the commissio
covered an area which contains
~ NOR cont of the iyately-oWne 1