Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-02-09
new laws NEEDED
PRESIDENT ASKS IMMEDIATE At.
TENTIoN TO WANTS OF
PUBLIC DOMAIN.
MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL
legislation In Interest Of Alaska Is
imperative Homestead Laws
Need Revising-Leasing Law Rec
ommended-WouId Probe Cost Of
Living.

NSSe Law net
ommsnded-WouId Probe Cost Of
Living.
Washington, Feb. 2.-The presidents
special message on the work OF the in
teFisr department was read to congress
tooay.
There Is no branch OF the Federal
jurisdiction which calls more imperative
ly fer immediate legislation than that
which concerns the public domain. and
especially the part Of that domain which
Is IN Alaska
The progress under the reclamation act
has made clear the defects Of Its limita-
tons. which should be remedied. The
rules governing the acquisition Of home
steads. of Ian that Is not arid or semi
arid. are not well adapted to the perfect
ing Of title to land made arabic by gov
rnmen reclamation work.
concur with the secretary Of the in
terior in his recommendation that, after
entry rs made upon land being reclaimed.
actual occupation as a homestead Of the
same be not required until two years aft
err entry. but that cultivation of the same
shah be required. and hat the present
provision under which the lane Is to be
PAID for In ten annual installments shall
be 50 modified as to allow a patent issue
for the land at the end Of five years.
cultivation and three years occupation,
with a reservation Of a government lien
for Tire amount Of the unpaid purchase
money. This leniency to the reclamation
honesteader will relieve him from occupa-
ton at a time when the condition Of the
land makes it most burdensome and diff
feuit. n at the end of five years will
furnish him with a title upon which he
cah borrow money and continue the inn
provement of his holdings.
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 particular class.
rhe chief change. however. which ought
to be made. and which I have already
recommended in previous messages and
communications to congress, Is that by
which government coal land and phos-
phate and other mineral lands containing
non-metalliferous minerals, shall be
leased by the government, with %restric-
tons as to size and time. resembling
those which now obtain throughout the
country between the owners in fee and
the essees who work the mines, and in
leases like those which have been most
successful in Australia. New Zealand n
Nova Scotia. The showing made by in
v~estigations into the successful working
OF the leasing system leaves no doubt as
to its wisdom and practical utility Re-
quirements as to the working Of the mine
during the term may be so framed as to
prevent any holding Of large mining prop
critics merely for speculation. while the
royalties may be made sufficiently low,
moi unduly to increase the cost of the
coal mined. and at the same time sufh-
cient to furnish a reasonable income for
the use of the public In the community
where the mining goes on. In Alaska.
there Is no reason why a substantial in
come should not thus be raised for such
public works as may be deemed neces-
saFy or useful.
There is no difference between the rea-
sons which call for the application of the
leasing system to the coal lands still re-
tained by the government In the ~United
States proper and those which exist In
Alaska.
am not In favor of government owner
ship where the same certainty and eff
cheney Of service can be had by private
enterprise, but I think the conditions
presented In Alaska are of such a char
acter as to warrant the government. for
the purpose Of encouraging the develop
ment of thai vast and remarkable terri
tory, to build and own a trunk line rail-
road, which 1t can lease on terms which
may be varied and changed to meet the
growing prosperity and development of
the territory
For some years past the high and stead
lily increasing cost of living has been a
matter Of such grave public concern h q
l deem It of great public interest that an
international conference be proposed at
this time for the purpose OF preparing
plans. to be submitted to the various gov
ernments, for an International inquiry in
to the high cost of living, its extent,
cause. effects. and possible remedies. I
therefore recommend that, to enable the
president to invite foreign governments
to such a conference. to be held at Wash
ington or elsewhere. the congress provide
an appropriation. not to exceed $4,000, to
defray the expenses Of preparation and
Of participation by the United States.
The magnitude and ~complexity Of mod
ern industrial disputes have put upon
some Of our statutes and our present
mechanism for adjusting such differences
where we can be said to have any
mechanism at ALA strain they were
never intended to bear n for which
they are unsuited. What is urgently need
ed today Is a denomination of our laws
bearing upon the relations of employer
and employee and a careful and discrim-
mating scrutiny of the various plans
which are being tried In several of our
own states and In other countries. This
would seem to be the first natural step
in bringing about an adjustment Of these
relations better suited to the newer con-
ditions Of industry.
NV attention has been called to the in
iustjce which Is done in this country by
the sale of articles In the trade purport-
ing to be mad in Ireland. when they are
not 50 made. and 1t Is suggested that the
iustice of the enactment Of a law which,
so far as the Jurisdiction of the federal
government can go, would prevent a
continuance of this Misrepresentation to
the public and fraud upon those who
are entitled to use the statement in the
sale OF their goods. I think it TO be
greatly in the interest of fair dealing,
vhica ought always to be encouraged by
Law. tor congress to enac a law making
It a misdemeanor, punishable by fine or
Imprisonment, to use the mails or to put
into interstate commerce any articles Of
merchandise which bear upon their face
a statement that they have been manu-
featured in some particular country when
the fact Is otherwise.