Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-24


strokes Franklin X. Lane. Secretary
of the Interior, today, outlined, IN his
annual report to the President, a
broad noIicv in the conservation of the
vast natural resources Of the United
states which yet lie within the regu-
ia+orv poyers of the government and
pointed to the important results th9l
NAV be achieved through the develop
ment Of these resources under proper
supervision.
Conparative1y, the report IS brle1.
II likewise. is wholly unique, IN that
IT contains not q single recommends
tion. Suggestions for action, winch
Secretary Lane observes emphatlcaliy
is what the country desires and needs
are numerous; but he prefers to pro
nose general policies to the making
of fiat recommendations
Two notable and interesting predie-
tions are indicated rather than made
in the report. one is that the time
is not far distant when coal of too
low a grade to stand storage or trans
nortation will be converted into cleo
tricity at the mouth of the mines and
widely distributed for lighting, heat
ana power, llc etlttif tA4s'N t''~ .
gantfc force now wasting itself in the
rivers of the country will be SO con-
trolled by dams as to provide heat,
light and power to the people and that
"within a generation | believe the peo-
ple will be as alive to the Nalue OF
public ownership of hydro-electric
newer plants as they are today to mu-
uicipally-o owned water-works.
In the opening lines of the report,
Secretary Lane takes up serious SIT
uation which obtains in a great sec
ton of the country. There exists a
feeling in the Vest says he, that ITS
affairs and needs have not been given
that consideration at the hands OF the
national government which they merit.
This feeling is not confined to speeulat-
ors or exploiters. 1t is the sentiment
Of MANY who are without selfish mo
five and regard the matter wholly from
the standpoint of national growth
There is one very simple explaha
ton for the existence of this feellhs-
We have adventured upon new pol
icy OF administering our AFFAIRS ana
have not developed adequate ma
chinery. We have called a halt on
methods of spoilation which existed,
to the great benefit of many, but we
have failed to substitute methods. sane,
healthful. and progressive, by when
the normal enterprises of an ambitious
people can make full use of their own
resources We abruptly closed oppor-
tunities to the monopolist, but dld not
open &c the developer.
The land policy put into force, he
saws, "caused dismay and discomfort.
The congress had been most generous
in its disposition of the public land.
They were given to the railroads and
to the states. To classify them was
too difficult task. They would
classify themselves when they arrived
in individual ownership. And SO the
door was opened for monopoly and for
fraud
"If the government did not appreci-
ate the invaluable nature of Its assets
there were men who did. The nation
wanted home seekers, but found its
lands drifting into the hands of cor
porations. which were withdrawing
them from the market. A reaction was
inevitable If lands were to be with
drawn from public service, why might
not the government do the withdraw
ing itself?'
A new policy was evolved, the Sec
retary pointed out,-that of using the
land for the purpose to which it is
best fitted. ITO this policy" he says,
L believe the west is now reconciled.
The West no longer urges return to
the hazards of the land is land poll
oil
the congress has recognized the ap-
positeness of this policy, but 1t is for
yourself and congress further to ex-
tend this thought into our legislation.
1.-THE largest body of unused and ne
elected land in the Uneed States Is
Alaska" In the 46 years intervening
since it's purchase, we have given 1t
little more than the most casual con-
Germ, yet its mines, fisheries, and furs
alone have added to our wealth the
grand sum of 100000, COO For almost
q generation it was the rich harvest
field of a single company. Individual
fortunes have been made in that coUn-
try larger than the price paid to Rus
sia for the whole territory. 1t has
been estimated that there are 50,000,-
600 acres of this land that will make
homes for a people as sturdy as those
of New England Whether this is so
or not, it would appear that Alaska
can be made self-sustaining agricul-
turally.
This vast and unsurpassed asset lies
almost undeveloped. A territory one
fifth the size of the United States con-
tains less than a thousand miles of
anything that can be called a wagon
road"
This unfortunate condition." in
Secretary Lanes judgment, is not due
to the inhospitality of the Alaska eli
mate because some of southeastern
Alaska has a climate more temperate
and more equable than that of the
city of Washington, while much the