Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-01-15
Mr.. TAFT UPHOLDS
RALL|NGER IDEAS

Continued from FRS. Page.)
law should apply TO Alaska as well
as 10 the United States.
Water Power Sites.
with respect TO the public land
which lies along the streams Offering
opportunity TO convert water power
, into transmissable electricity, another
important phase OF the public land
question is pr,sented There are val
cable water-power sites through all
the public land States. The opinion
Is held that the transfer of sovereign
ty from che federal government to the
ttgritor Al governments as they be-
come states, included the water power
in the rivers except so far as that
owned by riparian prcprietors. | do
not think IL necessary to go into
discussion of this somewhat mooted
question of law. Ii seems to be suf-
fcient To say that the man who owns
and controls the land along the
stream from which the power is TO
be converted and transmitted cwn
land which is Indispensable to the
conversion and use of that power. |
cannot conceive how the power N
streams flowing through public lands
can be made available at all except
by using the lana itself as the site
f,r the construction of the plant by
which the power is generated ana
converted and securing a right OF way
tht recover Tor transmission lines. I'm
de. these conditions, If the govern
ment owns the adjacent land-indeed,
the government is the riparian
owner-it may control the use OF
the water power by imposing proper
conditions on the disposition of the
land nt cessary in the creation ara
utilization Of the water power.
The Country's Soil.
In considering the conservation OF
the natural resources OF the country,
The feature that tganscends all 9TH
eTs. including woods. waters. minerals.
is the soil oil the country. II is in
! ormbeni upon the government to ios-
II
sources of the country that produce
the fcoi Of the pscple. -
"A work of the utmost Importance
TO inform aud instruct the public on
| this chief branch OF the conservation
of cur resources is being carried on
/! successfully in the department of agsi-
| culture: but it ought not to escape
public attention that state action q
addition TO that OF the department q
agriculture taS Tor instance in the
drainage of swamp lands) is essential
20 the best treatment OF the soils IN
the manner above indicated.
The act by which. in seni-arid
parts OF the public domain. the area
Of the h. meS;ead has Seen enlarged
rom 1860 TO 32o acres has resulted
most beae hcialiy in the extension of
dry farming. and IN the demonstrs-
ticn which has been made OF the pos
sibil.ty. through a variation in the
character and mcde OF culture. of rails
| ing substantial crops without the
| presence o. such a supply OF water az
has been heretofore thought 10 be
Necessary Cor agriculture.
Defamation Of Arid Land.
INT there are Millions e acres OF
completely arid land in the public do
main which. by the establishment OF
reservoirs Tor the storing Of water and
the irrigation Of the lands. may be
made mnch more fruitful and DO
irctive than the best lands IN a cit
maize VIII the m isfure CONES from
the cloud Congress recognized the
i'm 1ortanoe q this method Of artificial
distfibufior % water on the ard lands
~ tie psssage OF the reclamation set.
The prccoois Of the public lands ere
aies the iund 20 build the works n ed
I'd 10 sfc-' and farnish the nee ssarS
wafer. ar "a was left 20 he secretary
~ the ir'erioF 70 determine Whist pro
iects 81 ID b. selected among those
sugecsfei ard T. direct the r,clama-
ton - co. With the funds az hand
AID though The engineers IN - on
plcy. IN ccrstrncf the works.
Z Frccmmcnd. therefore. that a..
thorif' b. given 20 issue. not exceed
lnK n ao0 go n bonds from time q
time ss he secretary 81 TIE interior