Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-08-05
FORMER CONGRESSMAN DIS
cussEs CONCESSIONS At CON.
TRoLLER BAY,
LACEY WROTE BILL
GRANTING HOMESTEAD RIGHTS
coek-eeIievss Guessnhsims. Should
Have Encouragement in Return for
Expenditure Of $4,000, Military
Funeral for Merritt.

Des Moines, Aug. 5.-MaJor john F..
Lacey, of Oskaloosa, is a staunch de-
fender Of President Taft in the mat
ter of the Controller bay railroad right
Of way, and he criticises sharply the
attitude Of Mr.. Pinchot, Colonel Roose-
Welt and others who have taken con-
trary view.
II wrote the bill providing for home
stead rights in Alaska" Major Lacey
says, "And I also wrote the bill under
which railroads secure rights Of way
there. All this talk about the danger
from securing homestead rights by rea-
son Of the throwing open of the lands
to entry Is sheer poppycock. The fact
is that no homestead can be taken
nearer than eighty rods of the water
front and between each of the home
steads there must be left clear space
of eighty rods of government land. I'm
der the circumstances it is impossible
to monopolize the water front. All
rivers in Alaska and the land for sixty
feet on each side are declared a public
highway"
Major Lacey believes that the per-
sons willing to put their money into
railroads and coal mine development in
Alaska ought to have encouragement.
He was in Alaska some years ago and
found that coal was being unloaded at
the docks from Australia to run the
railroads.
THE Guggenheims have put $15,oo0.s
900 into their enterprises in Alaska
said Major Lacey yesterday. They
have railroads and steamships and they
have coal, and politicians are standing
around trying to prevent them from
using their coal for legitimate purposes.
They are telling the Alaska people they
shall not burn Alaska coal but get 1t
from Australia or Virginia. and that
they intend the coal shall be used for
posterity Clifford Pinchot is all wrong
in his position"
State Treasurer Morrow has sent a
second letter to the county auditors
asking for certified statement as to
the number of townships in the coun-
ties, preparatory to distribution of the
auto road fund. 1t seems certain that
quite number Of the auditors did not
fully understand the first letter and in
Guided townships and incorporated
towns or civil divisions of the county.
Morrow now asks for list of the
townships organized for township pur-
poses under the code.
The amount that will go for each
township will be about $50, as there are
not far from 1,614 townships in the
state.
LATE Young. editor of the Capital,
has the chautauqua field pretty much
to himself this year. as far as local
talent is concerned. Senator Kenyon
has not been able to fill many engage
ments. Young was advertised to ap-
pear at chautauqua at DeSoto yes
terday afternoon, and advertised as
zone of our most noted national states
men" with varied career as editor,
was correspondent, world wide trav-
eler, politician and statesman"
1t is probable that military funeral
will be accorded the late Lieut.. Darwin
Merritt. the Iowa boy who was the
only officer who suffered martyrdom
on the battleship Maine. The governor
oiiu IhS Skdll Will dllSIlu. he 1ulleTal
will be at Red Oak, his home. I1ieuten-
ent Merritt had gone thru the naval
academy and was serving as chief en-
gineer on the Maine at the time Of the
blowing up in Havana harbor. He was
only % years old.
His father, a respected resident of
Red Oak, did not go to Havana to wit
ness the uncovering of the Maine, tho
he had been invited to do SO and his
sons urged that he 60
In view of the fact that LIEUTENANT
Merritt was the only officer on the
Maine who lost his life and that he
was native and resident of Iowa, it
Is regarded as appropriate that some
special attention be given to the inter-
ment Of the identified remains in Iowa
soil.