The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-25
flaw in the government policy, and
he points il out in the following words;


NAL enterprise Of an ambitious peo-
pie can make full use of their own
resources. We abruptly closed oppor--
tunltles 10 the monopollst, but did
not open them TO the developer.
So much for the spirit of the sccre-
tary IS report. He turns from this gen
eral expression OF opinion to proposals
for the development Of Alaska.
To develop Alaska. the secretary
proposes a commission which shall take
charge OF all the national assets in
that territory-lands, fisheries, In
dinns, Eskimos, seals, forests. water.
ways and railroads. The secretary is
somewhat vague in his suggestions as
to the powers which should be be-
slowed upon the commission, but he
evidently believes that the plan can be
worked out efficiently.
1t must be admitted that the secre-
| tary makes good case for the gov
ernment construction and ownership
of railroads in Alaska. The chief OBJ
jections TO government ownership in
the United States are that the cost of
operation would be greater than under
private ownership, and rates, there
fore, higher; that the service would
not be so good; and, above all, that
the people Of the United States would
not care to expend the billions neccs-
sary to acquire the roads. Secretary
Lanes proposal, however. obviates
these objections. The cost OF an ade-
quate railroad system in Alaska would
not be prohibitive. and, according to
Mr.. Lanes plan, the rates and service
of such railroads would be fixed with
reference to Alaskan development
not with regard to immediate returns.
The charges fixed would be lower for
years than would justify private in
vestment. He points out that the
United States has built the Panama
canal in the same spirit, not with the
idea of an immediate return on the in
vestment, but with the general idea OF
developing the commerce of this coun-
try on land and sea.
The report expresses some laudabe
and satisfying sentiments on the de-
velopmept of western resources,
81 cannot feel,'' says the secretary,
that We should sacrifice any present
need for fuel or willingly surrender
ourselves to demand for exorbitant
prices because OF fear that some day
the coal supply may be exhausted
While this may be looked upou as a
generality, yet it differs SO vastly from
the sentiments expressed by other sec.
retaries of the interior that the west.
erner viii see in it beacon light OF
hope
The secretary points out that already
there has been developed substitute
for coal In the hydro~electric power
plants.
He follows the lead of Secretary
Daniels IN urging the government TO
acquire OIL fields so that it may be
able to supply its warsbips with this
kind of fuel and TO make our ships
independent of the world and as fully
competent az the ships OF our great
rivals. He wants a plan evolved in
which any one wishing TO prospect for
OIL on the public lands can obtain a
license from the government exclu-
sively to prospect large tract of land
for period of perhaps two years, and
he proposes that in the event oil is
found in commercial quantities the
government shall be paid royalty
fixed in advance,
In the matter of the semi arid lands
OF Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and mum.
ber Of other western states, Secretary
Lane arrives at the conclusion that
could be profitabIy and
wisely spent In the next ten years in
the work Of reclamation, and he does
not overlook the fact that investment
of private individuals in great irriga.
tion plants is extremely hazardous.
Mr.. Lane would raise the money re.
quired for the purpose of making the
desert smile by leasing tho remaining
coal, petroleum, phosphate and potash
lands and all other western resources
now owned by the government.
The leasing idea has never raised any
great amount of enthusiasm among the
sturdy sons of the west, who have passed
their lives welding the pick, shovel
and Ak IN opening up The country.
Probably that will become the settled |
policy OF the government. II il docs. |
the day of the prospector has gone for |
ever. and only meu with capital will |
be able 10 take hold Of the national
resources owned by the government |
and make any money AS the result of |
their enterprise. Prevention Of mo-
nopoly is thus sure TO work some hard |
ship upon the man without means who
is coheir with his more fortunate
brother to all that the country Of
fords.
rHDTCTATA