The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-03
MESSAGE ON CONSERVATION
 AND LABOR
President Taft Reviews the Work and Approves the Recommendations of tho
 Interior Department.

ernment Ownership of Railroads In
 Alaska-Advoeates Federal Control
 of Water Power Sites-FaVors Inter
 na4ienaI Commission on the High
 Cost of Livins-PrePeses . cemris-
 sion to investigate Industrial Dis
 putes and Kindred Matters Affecting
 IAber.
 sentatiyeS:
 There Is no branch of the federal Jurisdiction which calls more impera- lively for immediate legislation than thnt which concerns the public domain and especially the part of that domain which Is in Alaska. The report of the secretary of the interior. which is transmitted herewith. and the report to him of the governor of Alaska set out the public need in this regard with great force and in satisfactory detail
 The progress under the reclamation act has made clear the defects of its Limitations which should be remedied. The rules governing the acquisition of homesteads Of land that is not arid or eemiarid are not well adapted to the perfecting of title to land made arabic by government reclamation work.
 l concur with the secretary of the interior in his recommendation that. after entry Is made upon land being reclaimed. actual occupation as home stead of the same be not required un- til two years after entry. but that cul- tivation of the same shall be required and that the present provision under which the land is to be paid for in ten annual fnstallments shall be so modi- fed as to allow a patent to issue for the land at the end of five years cuI- tiTafion and three years occupation. with 8 reservation of a government Hen for the amount of the unpaid pur- chase money. This Ieniency to the reclamation homesteader will relieve him from occupation at a time when the condition of the land makes 1t most burdensome and difficult and at the end of five years will furnish him with a title upon which he can borrow money and continue the improvement of his holding.
 also concur in the recommendation of the secretary of the interior that all of our public domain should be classified and that each class should be disposed of or administered in the manner most appropriate to that par ticular class.
 The chief change. however, which ought to be made and which l have aI- ready recommended in previous mes gaReS and communications to congress is that by which government coal land and phosphate and other mineral lands containing nonmetailiferouS minerals shall be leased by the government. with restrictions as to size and time, re- Sembling those which now obtain throughout the country between the owners in fee and the lessees who work the mines and in leases like those which have been most successful in Australia. New Zealand and Nova Sec tia The showing made by investiga- tionS into the successful working of the leasing system leaves nc doubt as to it's wisdom and practical utility. Re quirements as to the working of the mine during the term may be so fram- ed as to prevent any holding of large mining properties merely for specuIa- tiOn. while the royalties may be made sufficiently low not unduly to increase the cost of the coal mined and at the same time sufficient to furnish req sOnable income for the use of the pub lie in the community where the mining goes on. In Alaska there is no reason why q substantial income should not thus be raised for such public works as may be deemed necessary or useful.
 There is no difference between the reasons which call for the appIicat ton of the leasing system to the coal lands still retained by the government in the United States proper and those which exist in Alaska.
 There are now in Alaska only two well known high grade coal fields of large extent. the Boring river coal field and the Matanuska coal field. The Boring river coal field, while 1t has varying qualities of coal from the bi- luminous to the anthracite is very much IeSsened in value and usefulness by the grinding effect to which In geo logical ages past the coal measures have been subjected. so that the coal does not lie or cannot be mined in large humps. It must be taken out in almost Q powdered condition. The same difi4- culty does not appear to the same ex- tent in the Matanuska coal fields. The BerinR river coal fields are only twen- ty-five miles from the coast. They are within easy distance of an existing railroad built by the Morgan-Guggen helm interests and may also be reach ed through Controller bay by the con l structiOn of other and competing rail l roads.
 Controller bay Is not good harbor but could probably he made practica with the expenditure of considerable, money. The railroad of the Morgan GuggeEheim interests. running fror COrdova. could be made coal carr! Ing road for the Boring river fields b the construction of a branch to thos fields not exceeding fifty or sixt miles. It is practicable. and if Il coal measures were to be opened | doubtless the branch would be bui' In the present condition of thin; there is no motive to build the roa, because there is no title or opportuni; Co open and mine the coal.