Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-12-24

If tho Interior. outlined ~ nl3 onhN-
az report 60 the prtudent a broad
pol.ct IN ihe couaoff ation u tbs fast
nntufl FfHuu7cts q the tAItei
states nhich yei ~ within the tesu-
afofs po9afs 81 iho government and
ne.nll8 u thN lmppftant results that
nsat 81 achieved thruUEh the dcxei-
dpmeni ~ these resources under
proper supervision.
Comparatively the report IL brief.
~ likewise. ie wholly uniqHe. IN that
II c0ntaina not Is slnEie recommenda-
tipn. HuEgesii0np Tor action, which
Secretary Lana observes empnaiicaiiy
ls what tho country desires AND
needo. are numerous; hut he preicrs
- propose general policies 20 the
making 81 flat recommendation.
Two notable and interesting pre-
ELECTIONS are indicated rather than
made In ths report. one Ia that the
time s. nos far distant when coal ~
400 low a gradc 80 stand storage or
transportation viii be converted int1
electricity AZ the mouth Of she mines
and widely distributed for llehtlng.
heat and power" the other. that the
Eioantic force now wasting itself IN
the rivers u the country viii be- -
controlled BY dams az 20 provlds
heat light and power 80 the people,
and that within a Eeneration ! be-
lievc the people wiii be az aiivs 60
the value 81 public ownership a.
hydro-eiectric power plants as they
arc Today % municipally-Owned VA
tex works"
IN the opening lines Or the report
Secretary Lane takes up serious
situation which obtains In a great Sec
ton Of the country. There exists a
feeling In the west says he. that
~ affairs and needs have nos been
given that consideration az the hands
0f tho national government which
they merit. This feeling Is not con-
fined 20 spectators or explolters. IL
Il the sentiment OF many who are
without selfish motive and regard the
matter wholly from the standpoint Of
national growth.
There Ia one very nimpis expiana-
fion for the existence Of this feeling.
We have adventurod upon new pol
icy OF administering our affairs and
have not developed adequate ma
cnlnery We have called q halt on
methods Of spolletion which existed.
to the great benefit Of many. but we
have failed to substitute methods,
sane. healthfui and progressive, by
which the normal enterprise Of an
ambitious people can, mako full use
OF their own resources. We abruptly
closed opportunities 70 the monopo-
aist, but did not open them 10 the
developer"
The land policy put into force. he
says. "caused dismay and discon-
tent" Congress had been most gem
crews In its disposition Of the public
land. They were given 10 the rail-
roads and 20 the state. To CLASSIFY
them was too difficult a task. They
would classify themselves when they
arrived In individual ownership. And
30 the door was opened for monopoly
and for fraud
II the government did not appre-
ciato the invaluable nature Of ia as
SITS there we're men who did. the
nation wanted homo makers, but
found it's lands drifting into the
hands OF corporations, which were
Withdrawing them from the market
A reaction was inevitable. IL lands
were TO be Withdrawn from public
service. why might not the govern
ment do the withdrawing itselfy'
A new policy was evolved, the sec
Rotary pointed out--that Of using the
land for the purpose 20 which Il ~
best fitted. "ro this policy" he says,
a believe the west Is now recon
ulled. The west no longer urges a
return 20 the hazards Of the land II
land policy. But Il does ask action.
Already the congress has recognized
the appropriateness OF this policy, but
| II is FOR yourself and congress further
TO extend this thought into our legis'
latlon.
'sThe largest body OF unused and
neglected land IN the United states y
Alaska" In the forty-aix years va
tervenlng since ita purchase I'VE
have given Il littlc more than th'
most casual concern, yet its mines
fisheries and furs alone have adde'
To our wealth the grand sum Of sbVO,
coo, 900. For almost a generation !
was the rich harvest field OF a single
company. Individual fortunes haf'
! been made In that country large
than thu price paid 20 Russia for tn
whole territory II has been est
mated that there are 5o,o00,0o0 acre
Of this land that viii make homes y"
a people as sturdy as those ot Nee
| England. whether this h. so or not
liz would appear that Alaska can %
made self-sustaining agriculturally'
This vast and unsurpassed ass'
lies almost undeveloped. terri'or
lone. fifth the size of the United state
lcontains less than thousand mile
Of anything that can D. called
wagon road"
This "unfortunate condition,
secretary Lanes JUDGMENT is not ah
no "the lnhospitalitg of the Alnfk
lrnmata" because "aome ~ houth
eastern Alaska has a climate mos
temperate and more eqiiaDie tha
that of the city OF washington, VIM
much OF the greater portion OF y"
north has "a kindiler climate lhn
lstoekholm or ST. Petersbure, Iher
IL more railroad building 300 mile
north Of the Canadian border tina
there ~ for the same distance soui
Of a. a..
aWhy has not this land been a'
u yelopedg The frank sanswei ~ th'
M. dld not realize until within ie'
wears that ID waa worth eeNelopini
A. soon a. We discovered its value a
IA national asset We became alarm.
land drew back. affriEhted az ~
.H