The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-01-11
FISHER ATTACKS
/ LAND ExPL0ITER
Secretary OF Interior Makes His
Annual Report.
URGES MANY LAW CHANGES
Declares Settlement Of Country Ham
pered by sehemins Capitalist
Mining, Oil and Water Power
Statutes Inadequate.

Washington, Jan. S.--Walter l..
Fisher, secretary of the interior, made
his first annual report to the presi.
dent, recommending many changes in
federal laws relating to land entries,
irrigation, reclamation and water
power sites.
He said, in part:
The general theory under which
the government has proceeded and Is
now proceeding is that the public do
main should be utilized for actual set.
Element and development rather than
as a source of revenue for the general
government. In my judgment this
theory is entirely correct. The es-
sential thing is to see that the theory
is, in fact. carried into effect and that
under the guise of settlement We do
not permit mere exploitation which In
the last analysis retards and pre-
vents both settlement and develop
ment f-,.9
There is undoubtedly legitimate
field for the resident or nonresident
promoter of enterprises upon which
the effective settlement OF certain
portions of the public domain prac.
tically depends. In so far as this
need is properly supplied the pro-
moter and capitalists frequently seek
and secure advantages to which they
are not justly entitled. Often their
efforts not only do not tend to de
velop. but actually retard and prevent
development. nt. 1S
protect Settler From Exploiter"
1T is this sort Of exploitation
which should be frankly and absolute
ly prevented and which, II prevented.
would enable us 10 remove many OF
the restrictive provisions which now
irritate and hamper the bona fide
settler and industrial pioneer. The
man on the ground should be the OBJ.
ject of our solieitude. and We should
protect him against those who would
place upon his shoulders any unnec.
essary burden. y
Our mining laws should be thor.
oughly revised, and particularly the
use of the power OF attorney should
be abolished or greatly curtailed and
safeguarded. At present there Is nc
limitation whatever upon the mum
her of claims which can be entered
by a single man as attorney for
others. .-..a-.
Attacks Mineral Oil Laws.
THE law making deposits Of min,
eral oils in the public domain subject
to location and entry under the placer
mining laws is unsatisfactory, from
the standpoint of both the individual
and the government. 1t does not ar.
ford protection to the bona Ifide ex.
plorer while he is engaged in the ex.
pensive operation of discovering and
exploiting the deposits, which in
most instances lie far beneath the sur.
face.
The present laws relating to water
power are hopelessly inadequate. The
protection of the public interest is
supposed to be accomplished by the
statutory provision that permits for
the development of water power shall
be reyocable at any time at the will
OF the administrative officials. This
is thoroughly unsound both in prin
ciple and in practice. re.
The whole subject OF water-power
development and control should IN
my judgment. receive the immediate
consideration Of congress. and con
structiye legislation should be adopt.
ed without further delay"