Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-25

| Similar suggestions are offered as to
/ the development of petroleum, phos-
phate and potash. Secretary Lanes
! idea is that such deposits ought to be
developed under the leasing system, as
! in the case of coal, the government re-
! serving necessary supplies.
Stimulate Oil Search.
| AS to oil he says: 1--WE should, be-
lieve, stimulate the search for oil and
protect the prospector. | feel that we
are not sufficiently rewarding the
pioneer A plan could readily be
evolved by which anyone wishing to
! prospect for oil on the public lands
! could obtain a license from the gov
eminent exclusively to prospect a
large tract of land for q period of time
! PERHAPS two years-and in the event
that oil is found in commercial guam
titles the government should be paid
royalty fixed in advance.
"The United States will need oil for
its navy as we'll as coal, and probably
in increasing quantities as the modern
oil-burning or gas-burning engines are
recognized. 1t would he economical to
substitute oil for coal for many rea-
sons: to reduce labor cost, to avoid
the building and maintenance of col
liers, and the purchase and support
of coaling stations. England's adven-
ture in this direction will presumably
force other nations into like enter
prise, and yet England has no oil fields
ON which to draw while we have al
ready the largest producing fuel oil
fields in the world and other are ap-
Fearing Under these conditions it
would seem Of the highest eXpediency
that the government make such offers
as will induce the proving of our lands
and of these proved lands retain suf-
ficient to make our ships independent
If the world and as fully competent as
their rivals"
Desfavors Homestead Law.
Secretary Lane expresses frankly
bis dissatisfaction with the operation
of the homestead law as to the timber
ter getting patent to the land, prompt
ly sells it for $4,000 OF $4,000 to some
lumber company, without making an
effort to comply with the spirit of the
law. Thus, the government loses the
timber and the land and does not gain
a real home maker. Such homestead
ers add nothing to the wealth of the
nation. The law should punish them,
in fact, as frauds. There is remedy
for this condition Of things. and it
lies in the selling of the land and the
timber separately"
Much attention is devoted in the re-
port to consideration of the reclama-
ton of arid lands. Discussion of the
subject is replete with interest to the
farmers who locate on the various pro-
lects. Secretary Lane suggests that
they be given longer time than ten
years in which to pay for their lands,
because they are genuine pioneers in
a new field of work, on the success of
which depends greatly the rescuing OF
a vast territory. OF these reclama-
ton projects, Secretary Lane says:
1.-The west can use probably and
wisely $10O,OOOO00 in the next ten
years to the advantage of the whole
country. If the government will place
upon a leasing basis these western
resources with which we have been
dealing, it can have an increased fund
for the continuance of this work and
an increased assurance of the return Of
its advances
In conclusion, Secretary Lane di-
reefs attention to the enormous details
all important, which the interior de-
bartment administers, including care
of the Indians and EsEimos, admins
tration of national parks, payment of
pensions, supervision of public lands,
territories and many other important
works