Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-07-27

tho proposed elimination from 320
acres to 12.S00 acres. and that I pro-
posed the change and stated my rea-
sons therefore. and while both secre-
taries cordially concurred in it, the
suggestion was mine"
The president says he had every as
surance at the time that the Controller
Railway and Navigation Company was
an independent enterprise working in
all good faith, and that no evidence to
the contrary has since been brought
to his attention.
Law Prevented Monopoly.
of course, 1t was possible he con-
tinues. that the owners Of the Copper
River Railway Company (Messrs. Nor
gan and Guggenheim)' might attempt
to buy this railroad when and if it
were built. 1t was possible that Mr..
Ryan was acting for the interests of
the Copper river railroad. altho l did
not believe it, but whether this was
true or not it was clear that the order
OF elimination by reason of the restric-
tlons of the act congress would not
permit the owners Of either railroad
to shut out any other capitalists"
Moreover he states, ample land for
right of way. harbor frontage, and ter
mlnals must always remain available
under the law for government use, or
IT it is preferred to take over to the
government a railway built by private
enterprise. condemnation is easy"
Il am as strongly convinced as any
one of the necessity for the conserva-
tion of our national resources" says
the president, land as much opposed as
any one to their monopolization by
large corporations, but my convictions
on this point did not deter me from
taking the step which I hoped might
lead to encouraging the construction
Of railway from Controller Bay to
the Bering coal fields"
The president goes on to explain
that there are iron-bound limitations
covering the method for obtaining title
to government lands. and for this rea-
son he feels no fear Of an yinterest OBJ
tanning a monopoly
Briefly. the restrictions are:
l. Not more than 160 acres can be
entered in a single body by scrip.
:. No location of scrip along any
Eavigable river or other waters can be
made within eighty rods of any lands
already located along such waters. No
entry can be allowed extending more
than $50 rods along the shore of any
navigable water; and along such shore
a space Of at least eighty rods must be
reserved from entry between all such
claims. Moreover. the statute ex-
pressly provides that a roadway sixty
feet in width, parallel to the shore
line, as near as may be practicable,
shall be reserved for the use of the
public as highway.
3. Nothing in the act contained is
to be construed to authorize entries to
be made or title to be acquired to the
shore Of any navigable waters within
the district.
The whole contention that the execu.
tive order and the opening to settle
ment of the shore Of Controller Bay
grants a monopoly to the railway
company" he resumes. rests on
claim that 1t has given an opportunity
to persons using scrip to appropriate
the control Of the only available and
practicable parts Of the channel by the
location Of the scrip opposite to those
parts.
IF now the location Of the scrip
opposite to the harbor gives no right
to reach the llarbor except as congress
may expressly give it. clearly the Con-
troler Railway and Navigation Com
rany has not the slightest opportunity
for exclusive appropriation of the har-
hor facilities. unless congress shall by
future act deliberately and voluntarily
confer it,"